The easiest and cheapest mush tun ever

I don't know if anybody already used a bottling bucket spigot in building a mash tun, but I thought this was extremely easy and cheap to build.

1. Home Depot 5 gal cooler: $21.95, Home Depot
2. Bottling bucket spigot: $3.95, LHBS
3. 3/4 inch ss Water Heater Connector Line: $7.95, Home Depot
4. Hose clamp $1.0
Total: $35.85
Tools needed: a hacksaw to cut the water supply line.







You want to make sure you use a Home Depot cooler, I noticed that Rubermaid cooler has smaller holes for spigots then HD ones.
You want to use only 3/4 inch water heater connector line. Look for them in the HD by the water heaters, not in Plumbing. They are different then regular water supply lines usually used in other mash tuns. The will screw on the back of the spigot, the regular water supply lines are to small for that.
When attaching the end of the water supply line to the back of the spigot, use both rubber washers: the original one from HD spigot and the bottling bucket spigot, they will both act like a spacer and hold things tight.
Cut the braid about 1-2 inches from the end, so you can re-connect it back to the spigot with a clamp.

A paint strainer bag is the cheapest mash tun ever ...love doing Brew in a bag

I do BIAB* and my mash tun is a bucket.

*not true BIAB because I do a dunk sparge in a bucket.

MarshmallowBlue said:

I do BIAB* and my mash tun is a bucket.

*not true BIAB because I do a dunk sparge in a bucket.

Click to expand...

I have a 72 quart cooler lined with a 4 dollar windows sheer/curtain

not really BIAB but kinda

There is an older, more expensive, more heavy duty build almost exactly like this that I used. The only difference was a brass ball-valve instead of the spigot. I would be concerned about heat, with yours.

Cheaper and easier....
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=125108

There is also the drilled rubber stopper, tubing and braid configuration.
http://homebrewforums.net/discussion/129/very-simple-mash-tun/p1

A valveless mash tun is very easily managed, simply lower the tubing and it flows, or just simply bend the tubing back on itself to stop flow. Hook the tubing to the top of the cooler for no flow. Very easy and works fine!

Making a poly voile bag to line a kettle or cooler is pretty simple as well....cheers!

wilserbrewer said:

Cheaper and easier....
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=125108

There is also the drilled rubber stopper, tubing and braid configuration.
http://homebrewforums.net/discussion/129/very-simple-mash-tun/p1

A valveless mash tun is very easily managed, simply lower the tubing and it flows, or just simply bend the tubing back on itself to stop flow. Hook the tubing to the top of the cooler for no flow. Very easy and works fine!

Making a poly voile bag to line a kettle or cooler is pretty simple as well....cheers!

Click to expand...

I was an idiot (was is what I tell myself) when I started homebrewing, I decided to mash in a round cooler with no false bottom at all, just the factory valve. Scary thing is, after I got the hose unclogged the first time, IT WORKED!

For the record I don't recommend that.