Can a Bazooka screen work for a mash tun?

[Brew_Dude41]

My wife has set me down the path of Home Brewing this past Christmas, and I am hooked. So far, I have bottles (and drank) 3 extract batches, and the next two are ready to bottle and rack to the secondary (respectively). I have a few more extract kits (including a lager) and then I am getting ready to move up to AG, and have started to gather needed equipment for that jump.
Long story short, I have a 5 gal Igloo cooler that I am going to convert to a mash tun and I am wondering what the pros/cons are of using a false bottom vs bazooka screen. Obviously a cheap option but is it a good one?
Thanks,

 

[Northbanu]

Look at the pros and cons of batch sparging vs fly sparging. If you plan on batch sparging (It's what I do) the bazooka screen works great. I've only a few all grain batches under my belt, but I'm getting 75ish% efficiencies.

 

[ChocolateMaltyBalls]

I used a bazooka screen plenty in my 10 gallon cooler before I went HERMS, no problems as long as you batch sparge. The biggest con is lack of flexibility, you aren't going to be able to fly sparge like with a false bottom or a manifold.

 

[CA_Mouse]

The biggest con is lack of flexibility, you aren't going to be able to fly sparge like with a false bottom or a manifold.

I disagree with this. Both of my cooler mash tuns I used a SS Braid and can fly sparge just as well as any FB or manifold unit can. My very first fly sparge I got 85% efficiency.

 

[CA_Mouse]

I have a 5 gal Igloo cooler that I am going to convert to a mash tun and I am wondering what the pros/cons are of using a false bottom vs bazooka screen. Obviously a cheap option but is it a good one?
Thanks,

I created a 5 gallon cooler as my first mash tun. I used a brass ball valve and a stainless steel toilet hose braid. I think I paid about $40 for the whole setup and got 85% efficiency on my first batch (fly sparging) and 82% on my second batch (batch sparging). A manifold drains faster, but if you are going to fly sparge, you don't want to drain too quickly anyway.

 

[ChocolateMaltyBalls]

I disagree with this. Both of my cooler mash tuns I used a SS Braid and can fly sparge just as well as any FB or manifold unit can. My very first fly sparge I got 85% efficiency.

SS braid and a bazooka screen are different beasts. The bazooka screen is rigid and in the 10 gal cooler I used there was a lot of dead space below the screen.

I don't doubt that you can get good efficiency fly sparging with braid especially going slow, but with a manifold or false bottom the chance of channeling is much lower.


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[Indian_villager]

I used to have a bazooka screen and do batch sparges, It works really well. The only comment I'd have is to possibly invest in a 10Gal cooler. You have way more flexibility and you will inevitably want to do higher gravity brews. Remember this addiction is progressive.

 

[DAJDive]

Something to keep in mind... I picked up a 5 gal cooler at Menards when they had them on sale. The bazooka screen is much longer than the diameter of the cooler. I will have to shorten the bazooka screen.

 

[Brew_Dude41]

Thanks,
A lot of good points from everyone. I hadn't thought about the screen not fitting in the cooler, and will have to look at that.

 

[Indian_villager]

Thanks,
A lot of good points from everyone. I hadn't thought about the screen not fitting in the cooler, and will have to look at that.

You can pinch off the last bit of the tube to make it fit the tun. I think a bazooka screen works well for starters. I have since switched to a false bottom to get ready for my RIMS setup.

 

[CervezaMaLa]

I use a bazooka screen in a 10g cooler and batch sparge - and love it.

My screen was a little long for the cooler, but I just 'rolled up' the end a little more and it fit just fine.

The screen does let a little more through than the water-line braid, but the grain provides a good enough filter. If I still have a little husk bits coming through, I run it through a filter (hop bag/paint strainer) to be extra safe. If you have a paint-strainer hop spider set up, you can also use that for double duty as a stainer for those tiny bits...but the grain does a good job at filtering.

 

[Darwin18]

I've been using the same bazooka screen in my 10-gallon cooler for the last six years. Installation was easy and it works great.