zhopper
Member
I did my first AG about two weeks ago with a rectangular cooler as my mash tun. When I preheated the mash container I could see the steam from the boiling water escaping out of the back. Slightly worried, I poured out the boiling water, added my grain and then the heated water. I stirred to ensure no air pockets and closed the lid. 20 minutes later I returned to stir again and saw that the temperature had dropped from 153 to 149. I didn't open the mash tun from that point on and hoped for the best. We'll see how it turns out in a few weeks.
The Mash Tun itself is just a rectangular cooler with the stainless steel braid as the manifold (is that the right word?). I pumped the lid full of "great stuff" (more like sucky stuff, I still have that crap on my hands) to aid in the heat retention. My question is, what other steps can I take in my mash tun construction to ensure that I keep as much heat as possible? I was thinking some kind of foam weather stripping and drilling a hole for a permanent thermometer. Thoughts? Thanks
The Mash Tun itself is just a rectangular cooler with the stainless steel braid as the manifold (is that the right word?). I pumped the lid full of "great stuff" (more like sucky stuff, I still have that crap on my hands) to aid in the heat retention. My question is, what other steps can I take in my mash tun construction to ensure that I keep as much heat as possible? I was thinking some kind of foam weather stripping and drilling a hole for a permanent thermometer. Thoughts? Thanks