I have a plan.

A cunning plan.
Do you think it will work. A self heating, self regulating insulated mash tun.

Are you planning on having water in the heater can? Or will the mash be in contact with the heater element?

I think I'll drill small holes in the can so it can heat all the water in the mash tun to the preset strike temp then I'll turn it donw to mash temp add and the grain. If there is a problem with that then I'll just heat to mash temp then remove it.

What do you reckon.

I'm not sure wether to start building it now or have a hb and contemplate.

Electric elements in direct contact with mash or wort tend to cause caramelization. And they are a bear to clean. Using it as a preheater should be fine. Your cooler looks like it can hold the heat well enough to not need anything during the mash.

It's a prototype so I'll have to see how it goes. I can get ss elements if I need it. I was thinking if I can raise the temp at the end I can "mash out".

If you want to get fancy, you could get a pump, run a pipe through a separate container containing water and the heating element, and recirculate wort through it. Woo, ghetto RIMS setup

LupusUmbrus said:

If you want to get fancy, you could get a pump, run a pipe through a separate container containing water and the heating element, and recirculate wort through it. Woo, ghetto RIMS setup

Click to expand...

Maybe on MKII

Right it's put together.

No way it is going to heat 1qt/lb because I make that about 2.5 gallon required and that wont cover the element. I'm going to have to heat 5 gallon and drain 2.5g

Lets see.

HB required.

Don't forget the volume of the mash will go up significantly when you mix in grains. Also, I usually go in the range 1.15-1.25qts/lb but that all depends on the amount of grains I'm using.

Could you lay it horizontally? You certainly went from the "stand around and look at it while having a beer" stage to the "implementation" stage a lot faster than I do!

I've decided on a few things.
If I permenantly fix the element I want it above the level of the mash.

So to do that I need to over fill the water, heat, drain to the required level then add the grain. A waste know but it should be more effectient than other methods.

At present the element cuts out at 75*c but thats only the water surrounding the element so for now I've by passed the thermostat to see how quickly the water does warm up. maybe I need a remote thermostat.

Any way a want another HB so I'm going to stop playing with electrics and water for the night.

orfy said:

...so for now I've by passed the thermostat to see how quickly the water does warm up.

Click to expand...

Don't have to many hb's and "take a nap"!

Nah, I'm still on my first 1ltr.

Well it's taken 20 minutes to go from 60f to 125f.

Edit.

60f to 170f in 30 minutes.
I've closed the lid and will check the temp in one hour.

Edit:

75 minutes later and it's dropped 3f

Don't forget the volume of the mash will go up significantly when you mix in grains. Also, I usually go in the range 1.15-1.25qts/lb but that all depends on the amount of grains I'm using.

Click to expand...

Is that for single temp infusion / batch sparging? I've read that you need a stiff mash for that.

orfy said:

Is that for single temp infusion / batch sparging? I've read that you need a stiff mash for that.

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Yep. You really only need a stiff mash if you are going to be doing a step mash which will require an addition of boiling water (I'm talking infusion here) such that it doesn't become too thin. For just a single temp infusion with batch sparging I'd consider 1qt/lb pretty stiff, but workable. I believe most people probably aim in the 1.25-1.5qt/lb range. Palmer even suggests 1.5-2:
http://www.howtobrew.com/section3/chapter16-5.html

As I currently have a 5g water cooler, my ratio often depends on how much will physically fit into my cooler. I'm refitting a 40qt which will become my new MLT, and the 5g relegated to HLT duties.

Orfy- That's a stroke of pure genius ! You are the reason the sun will never set on the Empire.

I don't recomend any one try it, unless they can mix beer water and electricity.

I've made most of my kit for under £50 so far. I'm just desperately trying tocome up with an idea for a boil kettle set up before I go look at "Normal stuff".

I had an idea today but its copper.

I wonder what palmer has to say on brewing in copper?

Edit.
mmmmmm quite a lot.

Any sugestions? is copper good? I'm sure I've seen it in old breweries. And I know it's used in whiskey production.

Copper immersion heaters are ripped out of properties all the time. And the have a built in wort chiller!!!!!!!!!

Stick it on top of a propane burner and I reckon it'd make hell of a boil kettle.
Or chuck in ss elements and it may work on electricity.

Wouldn't an aquarium heater achieve the same results, but a bit more controlled? They are meant to maintain sub-80's in liquid, so I'd assume that a $10 aquarium element would be tits.

Cheesefood said:

Wouldn't an aquarium heater achieve the same results, but a bit more controlled? They are meant to maintain sub-80's in liquid, so I'd assume that a $10 aquarium element would be tits.

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I've no experience with them. They'd have to be rather beefy to raise 5 gallon upto temp in 30 minutes. It's worth looking at though.

orfy said:

I've no experience with them. They'd have to be rather beefy to raise 5 gallon upto temp in 30 minutes. It's worth looking at though.

Click to expand...

Well, think about it. The typical aquarium is at least 10 gallons, most are 20 or 30. I'm no aquarium or thermodynamics expert, but I'd have to think that 5g's of wort are no harder to heat than 10-20 gallons of Ph balanced H2o

I just did a quick search and most seem to me 100-300w. Theheater I have is 3000w. I gues they'd be good at holding water at a certain temp but it'd take hours to raise it as much as I need. And the cost of the item about the same.

orfy said:

I just did a quick search and most seem to me 100-300w. Theheater I have is 3000w. I gues they'd be good at holding water at a certain temp but it'd take hours to raise it as much as I need. And the cost of the item about the same.

Click to expand...

Okay, but you admitted that those of us without EE experience shouldn't use your method. And a couple of hours is nothing in brewer time. We have to wait months as-is, so a couple of hours means nothing.

Not trying to prove a point, just coming up with an alternative for those of us with little knowledge of electrical heating.

Thats great,
I'm gratefull for any suggestions and ideas.

The tank heater is a much easier way to go. It would probably be a good way to keep the mash up to temp if needed.

Aquarium heaters can't get hot enough for a mash. When I was a child, the school had an auqarium and one kid broke in on the weekend, cranked the heater to max. and monitored the temperature & fish. Had a nice writeup about which fish died at various temps. It maxed out at 105F.