stainless sink f/mash tun

Any reason one couldn't use a reasonably sized stainless sink as a mash tun? I just have an aversion to plastic...don't ask me why.

Seems it'd be easy to insulate the flat sides/bottom and adding an insulated cover that would sit on the mash....easier than insulating a keg, anyhow.

Also seems you could just run it out the bottom drain with some sort of mesh filter if batch sparging. I know I can count on someone letting me know if this is wrong! :cross:

That's a really cool idea....I can't wait to see if anyone has a problem with this, I see SS sinks for free on CL all the time!

Sounds like a great idea. I don't know about a used steel sink off CL, though - I'd never be confident it is sanitary. You never know what nasty things people flushed down the drain.

If you get it to work, post a picture. I'd like to see your invention.

You'd obviously replace the drain pipe with something more conducive for mashing...but it seems like the premise is the same as using a SS pot.

Buffman said:

Sounds like a great idea. I don't know about a used steel sink off CL, though - I'd never be confident it is sanitary. You never know what nasty things people flushed down the drain.

If you get it to work, post a picture. I'd like to see your invention.

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I think this is a cool idea, and since the wort gets boiled after the mash, I wouldn't be too concerned about the sanitary-ness of a used SS sink. You can always sanitize the crap out of it.

For your "false bottom", you could use something like this:
http://doitbest.com/Main.aspx?PageI...406153&utm_content=6790&utm_campaign=DATAFEED

I bought two at Menards for 1.70 each a few days ago, clamped them together and used them as a siphon strainer in my boil kettle, but I think they'd work great in an MLT as well.

Sounds like a brewmation...Just to give you an idea how it's been used before.
http://brewmation.com/Brewery.html
I would use a bigger false bottom, than a drain screen, not enough surface area. You could get one custom made, or probably order one from brewmation if you got the same size sink.

Thinking back to the days I worked in a commercial kitchen... the deep sink setup would be great for large batches, I'm not sure how much water each one held but it was 3 sinks together like the brewmation.com site but they are bigger than 15 gallons.

Yeah, it seems like the commercial sinks would hold 15 gallons pretty easily. With an insulated top to push down on the mash, one could get rid of the deadspace above the mash, no matter the size of the mash.

I've never seen the brewmations..thanks for posting that....sweet looking set up, if utterly unaffordable!!

I've been pondering this a while, so I'm glad to hear others think it'll work. Just have to come across the right sink.

Seems like people have good results batch sparging with something as non-directional as a hose braid, so there's gotta be a simple solution there. Maybe a drilled copper manifold with hose braid over it, plumbed out the bottom...several possibilities, I guess.

I think the "Brewmation" all electric brewery does exactly that. I looks as if he uses three deep stainless steel sinks.

Couldn't believe the price on those boys though!

TerapinChef said:

Couldn't believe the price on those boys though!

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Yeah I said that a couple years ago about their forms product prices..
Deep sinks = deep pockets.

The best part on their "home" page is their heating conversion chart with watts, minutes and amps well that you can figure out yourself.

That chart is worth adding to your file for future use on your own system.

They told me that as soon as the boil tank element is covered they energize the heating element and reach a boil within a couple minutes after the MLT has finished draining into the boil tub.

I recall they run their 6KW heating unit at 220 vlots off 30 amps, breakers at 91% of maximum capacity, turn on a pump any other load you'll trip the breaker. Very little margin of extra ampeage available only 2.7 amps away from tripping the breaker.

Even their small parts items I find expensive.