Twin 5 gallon urn conversion...

So I recently acquired this beauty!!
It is basically an old automated coffee maker with 2 stainless 5 gallon vats. It has a cold water "in" line and internal heating. Hot water would then get pumped in at top of the containers and COFFEE!!! So! ...any thoughts on how I might be able to make this into a HLT/mash tun combo for small all grain batches??


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This has been done before if I recall, perhaps try a search. Perhaps it could be an all in one 5 gallon brewery?

Use a basket or BIAB bag in one or both 5 gallon vessels, complete mash and sparge and then do a twin boil to produce a full five gallons.

I think you may need to mod the thermostat to boil or control temps, but it can be done.

Great unit that can be made into a kicken little brewery, congrats.

I apologize if this came off as a sales pitch...just an idea....cheers!

here is one link, can't recall if there are more....
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f170/my-coffee-maker-turned-all-one-ebrew-407011/

 

No, not sales pitch-ish at all!! Thanks so much for the link! This will at least give me an idea for a start point.


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Step one complete! Re-wired a plug so now it actually turns on!!

 

The only minor issue I can see is that the heating elements appear to be in the outer water bath around the two urns, so using those alone to achieve a boil might not work (the water around can only get to boiling temp, and wont heat the the urns fast enough to actually produce a boil).
However that would be a very easy fix, a low wattage heat stick would be all you would need to produce a boil.

If it were mine I would probably set it up to do side by side BIAB brews of what ever batch size it allows. Probably about 3 gallons if those are 5 gallons filled to the brim and you sparged.

I am very curious to see what you end up with.

 

Yeah, that looks like I am going to end up doing side by side mash the sparge and leave the actual boil to my 15 gal boil kettle.
That way I only need the water inside the urns to get up to 150-170, instead of boil temp.

 

Step 2!! Replaced the water inlet system! On our way!!!

 

Sub'd!