cooler mash tun alternative

So i've been thinking about replacing my cooler mash tun for a while. I like the simplicity of the cooler but I don't like the idea of putting very hot liquid in plastic.

I thought about buying a kettle, putting it in a larger container and fill the void with foam. But it would be ugly. What I did is cutting small strips of 1" HD foam bought at home depot and tape them around my kettle. I then put two wraps of bubble foil insulation around it and finally covered the whole thing with strips of poplar. The bottom and cover are also insulated with HD foam. I added two latches in order to completely remove the insulation for cleaning purposes ! It holds the temps perfectly !





here's a close-up of the cover

Dude that's awesome!

That's really neat.

Props for ingenuity

A bit overkill but I like the look of the wood finish.

Very nicely done.
Professional looking even.

Awesome....simply awesome. This is what I call Brewing in Style. Nice Work!

haha thanks !

that is a sweet setup! Great job!

Looks great!!
but, to be the bad guy among compliments, this is a cooler design way cooler looking with the wood. wouldn't be a igloo cooler wrapped in wood similar?
Again, great idea and cool looks!

well like I said above, I was never a big fan of mashing in plastic not approuved for hot liquid so I wanted to get rid of it