metal drum projects

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madman960

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I just found out today that I can get 35 and 55 gallon metal drums for free. They are sealed. 1 had about 2 inches of water in the bottom. The other was completely dry.

I plan to turn 1 55 gallon drum into a fermentation chamber. I will cut it in half add some hinges and clasps. I will also insulate it.

A second 55 gallon drum will be cut and modified to fit a propane burner and then lined with furnace cement to retain heat for mashing. I will try to make a mash chamber with the smaller drum but not certain it is tall enough. My original plan was to do this with a washing machine tub but this should be easier as there is nothing to take apart.

1 small drum will be made into a large wort chiller. Only modification it should need is a spigot to drain the water. I would put the bucket of hot wort into the barrel; fill barrel with ice water and stir. I am trying to design a bucket lid that will house a mash paddle and work like an old school butter churn to cool the wort.

Please feel free to criticize and make suggestions for improvement.

Thanks;

Bill
 
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I will post step by step instructions and photos for each project. Each project should cost under $50.

Bill
 
I will try to fix the pictures. They show up on my computer.

The drums are not stainless. They are in new condition. The drums should not need to be ss for these projects. The wort will not come in direct with the drums.

Bill
 
Here is a link for the furnace cement:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_15879-138-3...l=1&currentURL=?Ntt=furnace+cement&facetInfo=

1st thing to do with the metal washing machine tub or the empty barrel is to cut a hole about 2 inches from the bottom to insert a burner pipe. Next line the tub or barrel with half to one inch with furnace cement. Make sure you do not fill in the hole for the burner. The purpose of the cement is 2 fold. 1st it will heat up the water faster and 2 it will help retain heat much longer. Or you could cut the bottom out completely line the drum or tub with furnace cement and use blocks to keep it above the burner. Once you turn the burner off you would need to put a lid over the pot to retain more of the heat.

Bill
 
Wait, the wort won't come into contact with the drum...so it'll be in contact with the cement? Is that food safe? I'd certainly ask that question before moving forward.
 
No, it will not come in contact with the cement either. The barrel and cement will only surround or contact the brew pot. This project will help those who live in colder climates cut down boil and mash times. I will see if I can make some drawings to post to help clear up the confusion.

Bill
 
I got this idea from an old hobby of mine. I used to be into metal casting at home. I built a furnace that would melt 5 pounds of aluminum in 15-20 minutes. I thought if it would melt aluminum that fast it should be able to boil water or get to mash temps in 5-10 minutes. You can google metal casting to get an idea of what I am talking about or go to Lionel's site: www.backyardmetalcasting.com.

Bill
 
Make a sandblaster cabinet with one.....or a parts washer. Possibly a keg washer if you want to get brewing specific.

Not a whole lot you can do with a plain steel barrel when it comes to cooking/fermenting food grade stuff....UNLESS you line the barrel with a food grade bag and ferment that way.
 
you'd be better off digging up some stainless steel barrels left over from a winery. I've seen them for fairly cheap.
 
Sounds interesting. I reread your post and get what you are doing. Metal casting is one of my hobbies that is currently on hold due to lack of time.

Post some pictures when you get to fabricating it.
 
I hope to do it this weekend. Depends on weather. I will post pics as I go. If I do not get to it this weekend it will be pushed to mid Dec as I am having spine surgery next week.

Bill
 
I don't know if that furnace is going to improve your mash... at least, it doesn't seem very efficient. Yes, it will retain heat longer, but it will require at least twice as much energy since you're heating the thermal mass of both the bricks and the wort.

I've never had much need for a heated tun. You're much better off just giving it some insulation and a lid. I often don't bother with the insulation and my temp only ever drops one or two degrees during a one-hour mash.
 

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