Alternatives to Plastic Mash Tun (Infusion/Batch Sparge)

[Wooden]

Hey Yall,

I recently started brewing All-Grain with an Igloo Cooler Mash-Tun that was gifted to me. Works great, with no complaints except for it is a little small for the grain bills I wanna do (a 7.5-10 gal would be ideal) and it is plastic.

The thing is great, easy to use, and makes great beers, but it is plastic and my family and friends have the Heebie-Jeebies about heating plastic especially if it's not "designed for" such use. I'm on the fence with that, but anyway...

Because part of the joy of homebrewing is sharing with friends and family, I would like to be able to use equipment that, right or wrong, doesn't freak them out.

Ideally, I would like a stainless-steel mash tun.
At this point, I just want to stick to single-infusion batch sparge's for the most part. I did a direct-fired decoction mash with a friend once using kettles, and not sure I want to do that again. Getting the temps right was really tough and a lot of work to watch them.

At this point, I don't have the capability to convert a keg (assuming u have to weld something) and would be nervous about any welding done to the keg, for kind of the same paranoid reasons as I would for the plastic.

So far I have researched and found the following:

SS-Brewtech Mash Tun
Chapman Equipment Thermo-Barrel.

At this point, cost is an issue. I am Really not in the best position to be dropping $250-300+ right now on this.

I am liking the AG proces, for the process itself as well as the fact that a $20 IPA is within reach!

Any other options out there I could consider? Or anyone tried the 2 above for this application and have thoughts on it?

Thanks,

Wooden

 

[Redtab78]

look at my brew stand in my signature. I am a little confused at what u mean about heating your mash tun...I heat the water seperatly, then add it to my cooler...if I need it hotter, I heat it hotter then add than, for cooler water, I just add room temp

 

[BeardedBrews]

You can use any SS Kettle as a mash tun as long as you can keep it warm. Wrapping it up with sleeping bags will work as well as a cooler if you use enough.

Don't get caught up on needing something that looks like a traditional mash tun. As long as you have a way to get the grain or the wort out at the end, you're golden.

1. Paint strainer / biab bag inside a SS brew kettle with a bottom drain. Simply open the valve to lauter.

2. Plain SS bucket with no filter or drain or anything. Tip the bucket and pour the mash through a big SS strainer. You'll have to stop and empty the strainer a bunch, but you'd accomplish the same thing.


Regarding welding, there are tons of no-weld options for converting kegs into kettles. All of them use silicone gaskets instead of welds, which is food and temperature safe, but they also contain "chemicals" so that may cross the line for your crowd.

www.brewhardware.com


Also, you could just do brew-in-bag...

 

[Wooden]

look at my brew stand in my signature. I am a little confused at what u mean about heating your mash tun...I heat the water seperatly, then add it to my cooler...if I need it hotter, I heat it hotter then add than, for cooler water, I just add room temp

What I mean by heating the plastic is by subjecting it to mashing/sparging temps, as the cooler is designed for cold beverages not hot ones. Right or wrong, family members/friends have expressed concern about adding 168F water to cooler to mash-in/sparge, for example.

 

[Wooden]

look at my brew stand in my signature. I am a little confused at what u mean about heating your mash tun...I heat the water seperatly, then add it to my cooler...if I need it hotter, I heat it hotter then add than, for cooler water, I just add room temp

You can use any SS Kettle as a mash tun as long as you can keep it warm. Wrapping it up with sleeping bags will work as well as a cooler if you use enough.

Don't get caught up on needing something that looks like a traditional mash tun. As long as you have a way to get the grain or the wort out at the end, you're golden.

1. Paint strainer / biab bag inside a SS brew kettle with a bottom drain. Simply open the valve to lauter.

2. Plain SS bucket with no filter or drain or anything. Tip the bucket and pour the mash through a big SS strainer. You'll have to stop and empty the strainer a bunch, but you'd accomplish the same thing.


Regarding welding, there are tons of no-weld options for converting kegs into kettles. All of them use silicone gaskets instead of welds, which is food and temperature safe, but they also contain "chemicals" so that may cross the line for your crowd.

www.brewhardware.com

Thanks for the info on no-weld for keg conversion. I think I would be OK with Silicone, particularly if it's pretty pure, or food-grade. My "crowd" sometimes has issues with aluminum too (sigh) but I think it's less than plastic!

Also, you could just do brew-in-bag...

I've thought about BIAB. One reason I decided not to is I am not a real big person and so lifting the bag with a full 5-6 gal batch and letting it drain out w/O a pulley system sounds kind of tough for me.

Re:#2: did this the other night for a stuck sparge (due to Braid coming off of tun). This was a process I am not excited to repeat (though it was a small strainer I had). Was wondering if maybe I could have just put a large fry-pan splatter guard over my kettle instead.

Also.., wouldn't the pouring over the strainer oxygenate the wort? (Will be find it out soon, if this is an issue, based on recent batch)...

 

[Yesfan]

You could get a cheapo Bayou Classic kettle and wrap it in reflectix to achieve the same purpose. That might be a cheaper solution vs the SS or Chapman. I wished more of the cooler companies would give buyer the option of a stainless lined cooler.



As for the plastic, sure they are not really designed for hot wort. The biggest issue over time is the inner lining cracking. That's not going to happen over a few batches though or more of us would be bitching about having to buy "another cooler".

I say just use a standard cooler until you can budget for the Chapman or SS Brewtech tuns.

 

[Yesfan]

........Also.., wouldn't the pouring over the strainer oxygenate the wort? (Will be find it out soon, if this is an issue, based on recent batch)...

Oxygenated wort is good for yeast. Once it's become beer is when it's bad.

 

[Wooden]

Oxygenated wort is good for yeast. Once it's become beer is when it's bad.

Ahh. Yes. I was told once it was bad if you oxygenate/aerate it when it's hot due to some chemical reaction that I have nothing to back up, and that it was OK only once at pitching temp. Hopefully this person who told me this is WRONG!

I aerate the crap out of my wort though once it's chilled

 

[zippybasher]

http://www.lowes.com/pd_13357-56291-BP24025_1z0uk7m__?productId=3011904&pl=1
&
http://www.concordkettles.com/colle...eel-brew-kettle-w-flat-lid-avail-in-20-180-qt

add a ball valve and bazooka tube and you're done...

$100-150 depending on your batch sizes. I lost 0º over my hour mash last time. I heat water to 10º over my desired mash temp. Turn off flame and wrap the kettle in the insulation. Nothing on the lid... Works great.

I had the same feeling as your friend. While my CUBE cooler worked well. It was plastic and I am slowly upgrading everything to Stainless. I actually bought more of those kettles and ferment in the 30qt size now. That also has been working pretty good. SO EASY TO CLEAN.

Brew on - :rockin:

 

[BeardedBrews]

Ahh. Yes. I was told once it was bad if you oxygenate/aerate it when it's hot due to some chemical reaction that I have nothing to back up, and that it was OK only once at pitching temp. Hopefully this person who told me this is WRONG!

I aerate the crap out of my wort though once it's chilled

There is not a definitive answer on hot side aeration in the home brew scale as far as I know. In the whole collection of things that can make your beer taste worse, I would put this one pretty close to the bottom.

If plastic mash tuns are an issue, then I'm guessing the voile bag will be less than ideal too. I think building a SS mash tun with a kit from Bobby at Brew Hardware is your best option.

 

[madscientist451]

.

At this point, cost is an issue. I am Really not in the best position to be dropping $250-300+ right now on this.

A standard 10 gallon pot w/ spigot along with a false bottom is going to run you at least $200, then add a little more for some insulation.
Look on your local craigslist and maybe you can find a used kettle.

Here's an ad from today on craigslist in Minneapolis, he has a 9 gallon kettle for $50. Lots of other great brewing stuff as well:

https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/for/5580818508.html