Trial run with my new Mash TUn

So I broke down and bought a new cooler for a new mash tun. Why? I got tired of struggling to get the amount of strike water I wanted into my 5 gallon Gott cooler. There are too many times when it's just too small.

'The temp is a bit too high,' now I need to cool it off quick!

'Do a quick decoction,' to raise the temp is a PITA.

'Want to make a really high gravity beer', you need to plan it out like the assault on Omaha beach.

I've been playing that game for far too long and I'm done messing with it. One of the first things I bought 'again' when I got divorced was the making of a set up for brewing. I've been using that kimchee rigged set up for a number of years and I've brewed many a batch using it. But it was time. I needed a mash tun that could hold what I wanted. I struggled with the idea of cutting the tops off my kegs, but I make a lot of wine and I always end up needing the kegs for some sort of short or long term storage, so turning them into keggles wasn't really an option. Obviously I need a few more, but obviously I have too many as it is...



Here is the new mash tun in action...



And this is EXACTLY why I'm glad I made it. I've got 13 1/2 lbs of grain in there and the temp is only 150*F, wicked easy to add a bit of hot water and get it just right. I left the grain in my car overnight and it was around 20*F here at 7 AM. Dooh! Yesterday I would have been running around like a one armed paperhanger at this point. Now, I'm sitting on the computer, listening to sports radio and sipping a brew. Life is good.

PTN

paulthenurse said:

PTN

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That's one of the coolest things I've ever seen. :rockin:

ohiobrewtus said:

That's one of the coolest things I've ever seen. :rockin:

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Is it not a huge pain in the azz to clean those kegs out?


What size cooler you got there? I went with an 80qt size and I was worried it would be to big.. Now I'm glad I did.. The last brew with 26#s of grain 7.25 gallons of strike water + 5.5 gallons of mashout water she was full to the top.:rockin:

Not that much of a problem to get clean. I use them for wine and have found that wine is a lot easier to clean up than beer. I generally start a few days in advance of needing them and use a multistep program of Oxyclean, PBW, lots and lots and lots of water. I sterilize them with Kmeta before the wine goes in.

Ohio, if you like that view of my cellar you'll love this one.


The cooler is a 36 qt one that I got pretty cheaply. I kimchee rigged up a manifold out of copper tubing.

I'll experiment with where I'm going to have the solid leg. (Only the ends are soldered, the long legs pull out of the ends. I can set it up with the solid leg on the outside or the inside.) I 've been batch sparging for my last dozen of so batches so I doubt that it will make that much of a difference.


PTN

I'm about to build a manifold for my 48qt. MaxCold Igloo. I see you have the manifold resting on the coupling. Is that by design? You don't actually sparge that way. right? Or do you? I'm new to AG.

Thanks

They don't touch, the thru hull is recessed in a sloping well.

paulthenurse said:

They don't touch, the thru hull is recessed in a sloping well.

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I see it now. Thanks.

Very nice work on that manifold, Paul, and I like the cellar too! Judging by the look of the walls, that has to be a very, very old structure, right???

I am saving this to show my wife that it is not as bad as she thinks. Kudos good sir.

The more I stare at that picture, the more it reminds me of a tiny, tiny army of airlocks!

The airlocks go marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah!

Hi PTN.

Are the thermometers you have in your MLT accurate? I've tried a few thermometers like the ones in your picture and have not found them to be very accurate. If they are what is the make, model and cost? If you use a reference temperature, such as the boiling point of water, your home thermostat, etc. could you share the procedure? I'm new to AG and whatever insight you have to share would be useful.

PAbrewer07 said:

Hi PTN.

Are the thermometers you have in your MLT accurate? I've tried a few thermometers like the ones in your picture and have not found them to be very accurate. .

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They are not accurate at all. ANd only good for one thing. That one thing is when you drop your floating glass themometer and you can't find the probe for your digital thermometer and you've been drinking all afternoon, and while you are sober enough to brew beer you better not drive across town to buy a new one. That is what they are good for. Keep a few on hand so you can average the different temps and get close enough. (There is another thread on here somewhere about "How much have you spent?" It's these sorts of things that you don't think about that add up, but someday will save a brew.)

PTN

Ryan_PA said:

I am saving this to show my wife that it is not as bad as she thinks. Kudos good sir.

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It's only a smidge over 200 gallons of wine between the two pictures! What's the big, hairy deal?

PTN

PAbrewer07 said:

Hi PTN.

Are the thermometers you have in your MLT accurate? I've tried a few thermometers like the ones in your picture and have not found them to be very accurate. If they are what is the make, model and cost? If you use a reference temperature, such as the boiling point of water, your home thermostat, etc. could you share the procedure? I'm new to AG and whatever insight you have to share would be useful.

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I have some of those also. Mine are all reading 4-6* cold.

I was at a Harbor Freight store and there was a box with hundreds of those cheap thermometers in it. Most of the thermometers had different temperature readings. It was funny to see and reason enough for me not to buy one even though they were only 99 cents.

PAbrewer07 said:

I was at a Harbor Freight store and there was a box with hundreds of those cheap thermometers in it. Most of the thermometers had different temperature readings. It was funny to see and reason enough for me not to buy one even though they were only 99 cents.

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I got mine form Meijer's and Target and they were like $10 each.

FSR402,
I read your signature and it struck a chord with me. "On Deck = Marathon Training wont have time to brew"

I'm sort of in the same boat. I'm marathon brewing, I don't have time to train.

Man, it sucks having to make hard choices, eh?

I think I've got a new signature.

I bought a digital thermometer from Harbor Freight and tested it recently in boiling water and an ice water slurry. It appears to be about a degree off. I paid $6 for it on sale at the B&M Harbor Freight--an online or catalog purchase might double the price.

I have been in PTN's basement... there is a lot there!

And yes, the numerous kegs and their little hats are neat-looking, they mean business!

When we had the brewing get-together we also pressed Cab grapes, extracted 20 g.,I think. That was a thrill.

Hey JL,
How did that second run Cab work out? Did you add any other fruit/fermentables? It should be done with primary by now and into a secondary.

PTN

paulthenurse said:

FSR402,
I read your signature and it struck a chord with me. "On Deck = Marathon Training wont have time to brew"

I'm sort of in the same boat. I'm marathon brewing, I don't have time to train.

Man, it sucks having to make hard choices, eh?

I think I've got a new signature.

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Nice... :rockin: