Best type of filter for a DIY mash tun?

[Evan La Marr]

Hello everyone,

I'm about to make a mash tun out of a large cooler I have, and I would love to hear about your experience and thoughts of how I should go about making a filter to keep all the grain and sediment out when extracting the wort.

These are the current methods I've heard of:

• make a large ring with slits cut in the pipe that connects to the drain valve
• attach a mesh hose to the drain valve
• create a false bottom (I've heard these are somewhat pointless if you don't get a good seal between the false bottom and the cooler wall)
• buy some kind of bag that lines the entire cooler

Which of these methods are best, and what are the pros and cons of each?

Thanks again for your experienced advice and anecdotes.

 

[RM-MN]

I'll vote for the bag. Any other system can leave you trying to get a stuck mash or sparge going again. With the large area of filtering available with the bag, if it quits draining you just lift it up. It's best if you have some way to hang the bag for the draining and with that you will get a better drain than any other way because the weight of the wet grain compresses the bag to sort of do the squeeze for you.

 

[JBone120]

I used a stainless braided faucet hose. I cut off the ends, pulled out the flexible tubing in the middle, folded and clamped one end shut and clamped the other end to the inside of my ball valve. I used this with a 70qt Coleman Xtreme cooler. Worked great for me. Wort looked clear and I was fortunate enough to never have a stuck sparge.

 

[Rev2010]

I prefer the bazooka tube. Has always worked perfectly for me, just be sure to not whack it with your spoon when stirring the mash. I've never had a stuck sparge ever outside of doing my Pumpkin Ale without rice hulls early on. Since then I use rice hulls only for my pumpkin. No problems with wheat or anything else. And when you're almost empty simply tilt the cooler forward and get a little more out of your mash tun. Also super inexpensive.

Rev.

 

[bracconiere]

i too used stainless braid for a long time...works good.

and fancy that, now i have a bazooka tube! lol

 

[AkTom]

I have Coleman cooler. Love my manifold dohicky. Slits on the bottom.
Oops top pic should be second. I turned it upside down so the slits are visible.
Cheers.

 

[Evan La Marr]

So, no common consensus? No one getting stuck sparges with a particular method? Of having better mashing results with another? Anyone out there who’s tried more than one of these methods?

 

[Jbrown57]

have not tried this but it looks very interesting two different sizes available........

 

[jrowland74]

I started out with a braided hose attached to a tee at the valve. It goy mangled pretty easily and almost immediately had a few gaps large enough for grains to get through. I recently switched to a bazooka screen and am happy with it so far. I use a rectangular cooler FWIW.

 

[Rev2010]

Another great thing about the bazooka screen is it stays in place, so it's not moving around while cleaning or falling out when dumping the grains.


Rev.

 

[Dog House Brew]

I started batch sparging with the braid. I then slipped the braid over a piece of 3/8” stainless to keep it in place. The moving braid got on my nerves. Worked fine, but my efficiency wasn’t great. It was when I started, so most of that was my inexperience. I then switched to a copper manifold and flysparging. I always do larger batches and I liked fly better. More experienced, my efficiency/beers improved and became consistent. I now made a stainless manifold and added a BIAB bag for easier cleaning. My cooler tun is 130qt. I really like the idea of BIAB w no sparge. Too easy to ignore really. You can be successful with any of these options. Choose one that fits your style and get consistent results. It is about repeatability. Mine just happens to be manifold w fly sparge. Make sure you get a good crush. That is what I learned as I progressed. So to answer your question, really all types work. It is the brewer that makes it successful IMO.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Water heater braid works well, fairly robust and is about $10 at Home Depot.

Cooler BIAB is pretty much fool proof and can be very efficient due to low grain absorption and allowing a fine crush.

Shameless link below for cooler bag

https://biabbags.webs.com/

 

[gnef]

I've used a braid and am now using manifolds for both my mash tuns.

What size are you talking about? I used a braid with my 60 qt cooler with no issues for many years. Over time, it did get mangled and pinched.

On my 120 Qt cooler mash tun though, I first tried a braid, and it took forever to lauter and I had horrible efficiency. The braid was relatively short, and didn't cover more than a 1/4 of the length of the cooler. I decided to build a cpvc manifold for it, and that did the trick. It helped with lauter time as well as efficiency for me - I wasn't leaving as much in the cooler itself.

I then decided to build one for my main 60 Qt cooler mash tun as well, and I have been very happy with it.

I did try to design them to reduce the overall distance wort would need to travel, as well as space the slits to promote a more even lauter - I put slits closer together the further they were from the drain. I don't have any scientific evidence that this helps, but it makes sense in my head. haha.

 

[wilserbrewer]

I don't have any scientific evidence that this helps, but it makes sense in my head. haha.

If batch sparging, there really isn’t any science as long as the tun drains....

Rectangular cooler not really ideal for fly sparring....

 

[tellyho]

I built my tun a long time ago, before the bazooka tube. I have a slotted copper manifold. Works fine most of the time. Stuck sparges happen when I am too lazy to condition the grain or haven't used enough rice hulls.

Not sure it matters which method you use - bazooka seems easiest and cheapest.

 

[tellyho]

Forgot to add that I have fly sparged and batch sparged effectively in my cooler (48qt. Igloo)

 

[wilserbrewer]

Forgot to add that I have fly sparged and batch sparged effectively in my cooler (48qt. Igloo)

Was the fly sparge worth the effort or just a fun exercise?

Just curious, batch sparge always worked so well for me I’ve never had any desire to fly sparge.

 

[btcost]

With my homebrew club I’ve brewed with them all at this point.

I have a stainless false bottom. Purchased/built years ago befor BIAB was so popular.

That said. If I was building something today. I would buy a grain bag, but use it in a traditional fly or batch sparge application.

 

[kh54s10]

I used the water heater supply line. It was a 3/4 inch one. It clamps on the outside of the fitting on the inside of the cooler. It is indestructible. I can bash it all I want and not worry about it collapsing. I have only come close to a stuck sparge once in about 90 batches.

The problem I have with a bag is that it is difficult to stir the grains without the bag twisting and catching the mash paddle, or whisk in my case.

 

[tellyho]

I have an old school slotted copper manifold from before all these newfangled setups were commonly available. A total pain to construct, but bombproof. Have had stuck sparges but my fault, not manifolds.

 

[ktm250]

I too have a slotted copper manifold. Used in a blue rectangular coleman 48 qt cooler. I've never had a stuck sparge.

I am currently thinking about building a mash tun out of an old round cooler my dad gave me. I might use a copper manifold, or I might try out my rusty TIG skills and weld up a supported fine mesh manifold.

 

[Soulshine2]

Hello everyone,

I'm about to make a mash tun out of a large cooler I have, and I would love to hear about your experience and thoughts of how I should go about making a filter to keep all the grain and sediment out when extracting the wort.

These are the current methods I've heard of:

• make a large ring with slits cut in the pipe that connects to the drain valve
• attach a mesh hose to the drain valve
• create a false bottom (I've heard these are somewhat pointless if you don't get a good seal between the false bottom and the cooler wall)
• buy some kind of bag that lines the entire cooler

Which of these methods are best, and what are the pros and cons of each?

Thanks again for your experienced advice and anecdotes.

just buy a stainless steel bazooka tube,its not very expensive,and it'll work .

 

[bleme]

I'll add another vote for the bag. It drains much faster than my friends' systems that use manifolds or braids and NEVER gets stuck. I don't bother with lautering and my wort is noticeably cloudier but the yeast sorts all that out and my beer ends up just as clear.

 

[Big Monk]

So, no common consensus? No one getting stuck sparges with a particular method? Of having better mashing results with another? Anyone out there who’s tried more than one of these methods?

Go with a bag. Clean up will be better for sure.

 

[kh54s10]

Go with a bag. Clean up will be better for sure.

I disagree. Now you have both a bag and a mash tun to clean out. I dump the spend grain from my mash tun then use a hose to rinse it out. 5 minutes tops. When I do BIAB it takes quite a bit longer to get the grains out of the mesh of the bag. Haven't tried a Wilser Bag yet though.

 

[Jako]

Hello everyone,

I'm about to make a mash tun out of a large cooler I have, and I would love to hear about your experience and thoughts of how I should go about making a filter to keep all the grain and sediment out when extracting the wort.

These are the current methods I've heard of:

• make a large ring with slits cut in the pipe that connects to the drain valve
• attach a mesh hose to the drain valve
• create a false bottom (I've heard these are somewhat pointless if you don't get a good seal between the false bottom and the cooler wall)
• buy some kind of bag that lines the entire cooler

Which of these methods are best, and what are the pros and cons of each?

Thanks again for your experienced advice and anecdotes.

i am late to the game but i thought i would add for anyone in the future. i used a SS hose it was okay... it was a $20 difference or less to just buy a false bottom kit that i wish i had done to start with.

 

[ktm250]

i am late to the game but i thought i would add for anyone in the future. i used a SS hose it was okay... it was a $20 difference or less to just buy a false bottom kit that i wish i had done to start with.

I feel ya.

It took me a while to learn that just spending the extra $20 saved me money in the long run. I didn't have to buy inferior equipment, then buy what I should have in the first place. I have a long history of being a tight ass, so it was difficult.

 

[Jako]

I feel ya.

It took me a while to learn that just spending the extra $20 saved me money in the long run. I didn't have to buy inferior equipment, then buy what I should have in the first place. I have a long history of being a tight ass, so it was difficult.

exactly. whats nice about brewing is you have some resale value in gear and it will last you until its time to upgrade.