Phil's Lauter Tun - any good?

[goodsuds]

My step-dad has given me his brewing equipment. One of the things he brought over was "Phil's Lauter Tun" from Listermann. It looks to be in good shape and mostly complete. It needs a lid and new hoses, and the sparge arm looks like the inside of it has a buildup of something, calcium from the looks of it.

Before I go buy a bucket lid and hoses, and try to clean the sparge arm, is this thing even worth using? I want to go AG, but I'm debating whether I should attempt to use this with some kind of insulation around the mash tun, or if I should just wait until I have the money to build a mash tun out of a cooler.

 

[bottlebomber]

It's pretty much just a plastic bucket, isn't it? It would probably be pretty cheap getting it up to snuff, but I doubt it would compare to a Rubbermaid cooler as far as maintaining temperature and so forth. It's worth a shot though, at the price you paid.

 

[goodsuds]

It's pretty much just a plastic bucket, isn't it? It would probably be pretty cheap getting it up to snuff, but I doubt it would compare to a Rubbermaid cooler as far as maintaining temperature and so forth. It's worth a shot though, at the price you paid.

Yeah, it basically looks like 2 bottling buckets minus the tap. I also have a big nylon bag that he used to do BIAB. I'm wondering if I shouldn't just go that route for my start into AB brewing to cut down on complexity.

 

[drchris83]

I brew stove-top (AG) because of budget concerns. Don't need no insulation, just a healthy strong arm to distribute the temp evenly, results are satisfying. Lautering is a pita because I lack a lautering vessel. My opinion to your situation: you can adapt your process until you get your cooler or whatever, take the lauter tun and use it to make amazing AG beer - better sooner than later.
This could even be tge beginning of a classic three-vessel brewery.