New MLT tun

[Memnoch]

Don't know if this is the best place for the question, but since it's DIY, figured it would fit in.

I'm still somewhat new to brewing, been doing extracts for about two years now, about 10 batches total, but now stepping into my first AG batches tomorrow.

I followed FlyGuy's 10 gal MLT and it seems to work out pretty good. I couldn't find the 5/8" washer for the inside, but I did get a neoprene washer instead. I saw somewhere in the thread that someone used it and seemed to work good. There aren't any leaks in it, so I guess that's a good start. Any pros/cons of using the neoprene and the washer that comes with the cooler?

So my second question is this, I found some other threads where people were having some heat loss in the MLT using a cooler. Some said to fill the top of the cooler, which isn't insulated, with foam insulation, but I wanted to see if there may be a good temporary fix. I know that Aluminum Foil can hold heat in fairly well, not as good as insulation, but it should keep the temp a little more even over an hour mash. Can anybody think of a reason why the foil would be bad? I'm basically putting the foil over the top of the MLT and then closing the top over it. Sorry if this topic was covered somewhere else, but I did do some searching first to see if it was covered anywhere, and I didn't find anything.

Any thoughts/comments would be great.

 

[oceanselv]

I have done several batches using a round cooler as my mash tun and have had no problems with heat loss. There are two ways to approach using a cooler as a MLT. Some add near boiling water to the cooler to preheat the cooler prior to adding the water needed for an infusion mash. Others simply heat the water to a higher temperature than needed and rely on a small amount of heat loss to bring the temperature down to 155 or so needed for mashing. I have done this both ways and after an hour of mashing, I typically lose no more than 3 or 4 degrees. The key is to make sure the lid is on the cooler securely after you add the grains and after you stir occasionally. I usually stir every 15 minutes or so. Also, if after a batch or two you notice the sides of the cooler have begun to warp don't worry about it as this is normal and will not effect the efficiency of your tun.

My preferred method is the second one. I use BrewTarget to calculate the temperature I need to heat my water to based on the temperature of my grains, the temperature of my tun, my tun mass and it's specific gravity. BrewTarget is a program you can download for free if you search the Brewing Software threads.

 

[sithspitt]

Put a blanket over it. It will help maintain your temp.

 

[wegz15]

I use a 36 qt (I think) square cooler. I have had no problems with heat loss. One thing that I have seen, if you don't want to fill your lid with "great stuff" is to use the foam insulation wrapped in saran wrap and just floated on your mash. Me and a fellow homebrew do batches together and he wrapped his cooler in a towel.

Where in chicago are you located? I'm from the northern suburbs.

 

[Memnoch]

Thanks for the info, probably going to fire it up this afternoon and do my first AG, then another tomorrow. My buddy is coming in from CT and wanted to do a batch.