Building a mash tun soon, have some questions

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all_about_stouts

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I just finished reading Palmer's Appendix D about building a mash tun and manifold, and I want to start building my mash tun.

I mostly brew 2.5 gallon batches and I might one day do a 5 gallon batch, but I'm most comfortable with 2.5 gallons.

I returned a walmart 5 gallon drinking cooler because it dropped temperature to much in the hour. Does anyone know a better insulated 5 gallon drinking cooler?

Also, is there a way to build the manifold to reduce deadspace as much as possible? Is it a big deal? I have beersmith so I know I can account for the deadspace in the program, but would it be better to have less deadspace?
 
I use the 5 gal beverage cooler from Menards....picked them up on sale back in May for 15.99 each with a 6.00 rebate :)

I have less than 2* drop in a 60min mash

I just have a Stainless steel braided line for manifold
 
You might want to consider a 10 gal. I do 3.5 to 4 gallon batches, so 8 to 11 lb of grain most the time. I have a Home Depot 10 gal round water cooler and only drop 0 or 1 degree on an hour mash. 5 gallon cooler will get tight if you go to 5 gallon batches.

As for dead space, if you tip up the cooler a bit it is minimal. My last batch was 10 lb of grain, so I expected 1.2 gal of absorption. I used 3.7 gallons of mash water and had 2.4 gal in the pot for first runnings. That leaves only .1 gal in the mash tun. I am using a water heater hose braid made in a circular fashion as shown in "How to Brew" I put a short piece of 2X4 under the back edge of the cooler when I drain.
 
Yeah man, Coleman rectangular cooler with toilet braid. Works like a pro with basically no temp drop. At least ive never seen one even in a 90 min mash.
 
all_about_stouts said:
I returned a walmart 5 gallon drinking cooler because it dropped temperature to much in the hour. Does anyone know a better insulated 5 gallon drinking cooler?



?


I have realized that testing with water is not a valid test, a mash will hold heat far better than water. I have also found just about any cooler, if preheated well will hold heat adequately within a couple few degrees over an hour mash, good enough IMHO.

You can install a down tube in the cooler to reduce dead space, or you can just tilt the cooler to get the last runnings.

Realize that 2 quarts of dead space is not 2 quarts of lost wort as the dead space is also packed with grain and much less wort. With batch sparging the small volume of second runnings wort left behind will also be low gravity and not really worth fretting over, 10 - 20 cents worth of grain?

Don't over analyze it IMO.


Wilserbrewer
Http://biabbags.webs.com/
 
wilserbrewer;6240260[COLOR="DarkRed" said:
]I have realized that testing with water is not a valid test, a mash will hold heat far better than water.[/COLOR] I have also found just about any cooler, if preheated well will hold heat adequately within a couple few degrees over an hour mash, good enough IMHO.

You can install a down tube in the cooler to reduce dead space, or you can just tilt the cooler to get the last runnings.

Realize that 2 quarts of dead space is not 2 quarts of lost wort as the dead space is also packed with grain and much less wort. With batch sparging the small volume of second runnings wort left behind will also be low gravity and not really worth fretting over, 10 - 20 cents worth of grain?

Don't over analyze it IMO.


Wilserbrewer
Http://biabbags.webs.com/

GREAT point!!



This is a personal preference thing... but I'm a huge fan of Round HD 10g coolers with a false bottom. Minimal fussing, great efficiency, easy to clean, great longevity, etc...
 
Vanilla or chocolate?
I'm a fan of rectangular coolers with a braid fwiw, cheaper, larger, easier to stir, clean....
The both work well, as you said personal preference and learning how to use what you have...IMHO a couple few degrees temp loss means nothing if you plan for it and mash at say the midpoint.

You could mash in a plastic bucket and throw a blanket over it if you wanted to, all about process.

I love the expression that, "a good brewer could make a nice beer in his hat"
Haha cheers'



Wilserbrewer
Http://biabbags.webs.com/
 
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