as long as we're posting dick pics....here's mine, my cooler is 20 years old, being used once a week....but no bubbles or leaks....
Whether you picture them up or down, you always get a guy (or girl) asking why not show it the other way.i just gotta ask, why do you guys with the slot ports, always post pics of it upside down?
edit: and damn, i can't even keep my coffee pot as clean as you guy's mash tuns!!!
as long as we're posting dick pics....here's mine, my cooler is 20 years old, being used once a week....but no bubbles or leaks....
View attachment 693038
Ansel Adams' Nightfall in Mash Tun. ^
i just gotta ask, why do you guys with the slot ports, always post pics of it upside down?
LOL!!! Like Island lizard said - we like to show off -Whether you picture them up or down, you always get a guy asking why not show it the other way.
But seriously, we like to show off our handy work.
When buying a new cooler, make sure the drain is flat with the bottom or better yet, recessed into the bottom, or the deadspace might kill you (well, your mash efficiency that is, but when brewing it comes down to almost the same).
Some modern coolers look good, but the drain is 3 inches up from the bottom.
I built something like that for my MLT (48-qt cooler) whenever it was, and it's still running like a champ. I got a length of copper tubing, a handful of connecters, and a tube cutter.
I used my Dremel with a cutoff disk to cut the slots, and a quick sanding just to get the rough edges off.
It's upside down from usual - the slots face down for use. I haven't yet had an issue with parts falling off in use.
View attachment 693037
As long as there's a diptube connected to the drain and reaching the bottom underneath the false bottom, it should siphon out the deadspace. That is, as long as the siphon doesn't get broken, which is often a problem in mash tuns.See I need something like this. My round cooler with the false bottom leaves like 1-2 gal under the false bottom and I just know that’s always been killing my mash efficiency. I like the round but their drains/spouts are always 2” above the bottom of the cooler.
As long as there's a diptube connected to the drain and reaching the bottom underneath the false bottom, it should siphon out the deadspace. That is, as long as the siphon doesn't get broken, which is often a problem in mash tuns.
Are you recirculating the mash? Fly sparging? Hence the false bottom and ample deadspace.
I envisioned the lack of stirring space in round coolers to be a real problem. So I opted for a rectangular cooler. They're very easy to stir (more space) and most come with bottom level or recessed drains. A slight tilt at the end gets the last few ounces out. The only possible drawback is shallow grain depth in 5-6 gallon, low to medium gravity batches. But with some care, clear wort can be lautered.
I usually mash at a water to grain ratio of 1.5 qt/lb. After completely draining, I do 2 batch sparges (good stirring) with full drains. About half the brewing water is used for sparging in a 1.060 batch. Mash efficiency is 80-85%.
Step mashes and cereal mashes get done in the brew kettle, then transferred to the cooler mash tun for lautering and sparging. I prefer that over trying to heat the grist in the tun. There's so much heat loss while the lid is off, it becomes like the gopher game.
As long as there's a diptube connected to the drain and reaching the bottom underneath the false bottom, it should siphon out the deadspace. That is, as long as the siphon doesn't get broken, which is often a problem in mash tuns.
Are you recirculating the mash? Fly sparging? Hence the false bottom and ample deadspace.
I envisioned the lack of stirring space in round coolers to be a real problem. So I opted for a rectangular cooler. They're very easy to stir (more space) and most come with bottom level or recessed drains. A slight tilt at the end gets the last few ounces out. The only possible drawback is shallow grain depth in 5-6 gallon, low to medium gravity batches. But with some care, clear wort can be lautered.
I usually mash at a water to grain ratio of 1.5 qt/lb. After completely draining, I do 2 batch sparges (good stirring) with full drains. About half the brewing water is used for sparging in a 1.060 batch. Mash efficiency is 80-85%.
Step mashes and cereal mashes get done in the brew kettle, then transferred to the cooler mash tun for lautering and sparging. I prefer that over trying to heat the grist in the tun. There's so much heat loss while the lid is off, it becomes like the gopher game.
I outlined my Vorlauf and Lautering process in #32.Do u find the slits in the manifold filter well? I still have bits of grain that sneak through the false bottom but a couple vorloufs and the wort runs clear so I know nothings foolproof.
I used a 48-qt cooler I got at Home Depot. The spigot I ordered from one of the HB supply shops online - I don't remember which one, but it was an easy enough install. The hardest part was getting the stock one out.Would u mind pm’ing me the dimensions and size of the copper tubing and what u used to make the spigot connection. I think rather than buy a new round cooler I’d like to move to something like this to hopefully help my mash efficiency. Do u find u get good extraction using a manifold like this.
See I need something like this. My round cooler with the false bottom leaves like 1-2 gal under the false bottom and I just know that’s always been killing my mash efficiency. I like the round but their drains/spouts are always 2” above the bottom of the cooler.
wouldn't splitting your batch sparges into more, work to reduce how much sugar is lost in the 'dead space'? i fly sparge, so i don't think i lose much in the dead space.....
using to much water and leaving slot of sugars behind under the false bottom
that was what i was trying to say, batch sparging you drain completely right? so if instead of only doing 2 drainings, you did 4 or something....the average loss in the dead space would be less wouldn't it?
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