Cheap and easy mashtun build

[Reddog68]

My old mashtun was showing some signs of wear, so i figured it was time to build a new one! I didn't see any threads on rectangular MT builds, so i figured I would document my project for you guys.
First order of business was to get a cooler, i got a igloo marine 48 qt--$25 (Walmart).
Other parts used:
1/4" Brass nipple X 2.5"
1/4" Brass 90
2- 1/4"X3/8 Hose barb
Misc 1/4" copper pipe fittings


[IMG="http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos4971/2/79/95/81/72/9/972819579209_0_ALB.jpg"]


[IMG="http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos4971/2/79/95/62/63/4/463629579209_0_ALB.jpg"]

The best part of this build is the simple bulkhead fitting, all you need is a 2.5" nipple and a couple of hose barbs.

[IMG="http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos4971/2/79/95/40/87/4/487409579209_0_ALB.jpg"]

All i did was just press the brass nipple into the bulkhead fitting, just heat up the plastic fitting and then press in the nipple. Then I took the bulkhead fitting and put it back into the cooler, using the original washers and locknut.
I had some extra copper pipe laying around, so i used it to make a sparge arm and manifold. I attached the sparge arm to the lid of the cooler to keep it out of the way.

[IMG="http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos4971/2/79/95/42/23/4/423429579209_0_ALB.jpg"]

[IMG="http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos4971/2/79/95/66/56/1/156669579209_0_SM.jpg"]

All said and done i have about $55 bucks in this, not bad!

 

[chenwood]

 

[Reddog68]

I am such a friggin noobie! What happened to my pics?

 

[chenwood]

My old mashtun was showing some signs of wear, so i figured it was time to build a new one! I didn't see any threads on rectangular MT builds, so i figured I would document my project for you guys.
First order of business was to get a cooler, i got a igloo marine 48 qt--$25 (Walmart).
Other parts used:
1/4" Brass nipple X 2.5"
1/4" Brass 90
2- 1/4"X3/8 Hose barb
Misc 1/4" copper pipe fittings

The best part of this build is the simple bulkhead fitting, all you need is a 2.5" nipple and a couple of hose barbs.

All i did was just press the brass nipple into the bulkhead fitting, just heat up the plastic fitting and then press in the nipple. Then I took the bulkhead fitting and put it back into the cooler, using the original washers and locknut.
I had some extra copper pipe laying around, so i used it to make a sparge arm and manifold. I attached the sparge arm to the lid of the cooler to keep it out of the way.

All said and done i have about $55 bucks in this, not bad!

Rehosted & can only do 4 pics at once

 

[chenwood]

Here is the last pic.
I couldn't see the pictures inline so I rehosted, but I'm on chrome so maybe I'm alone.

 

[Reddog68]

Thanks Chenwood, i need all the help i can get!

 

[TXCrash]

Nevermind.

Use a different hosting site ;-)

use

 

[Daddymem]

Change this:
[IMG="http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos4971/2/79/95/81/72/9/972819579209_0_ALB.jpg"]

To

by using the little mountain icon to insert your images.

 

[TXCrash]

The kodakgallery thing still doesn't work for direct linking, at least here.

Photobucket and flickr are the two I use, and I'm happy with both.

 

[Ogre7878]

I'm thinking about building one of these but don't know what size cooler to purchase. I have never done all-grain, but I will eventually want to be able to do 10 gallon batches. Will the 48qt cooler be large enough to hold all the grain necessary for 10 gallon batches?

 

[Reddog68]

I'm thinking about building one of these but don't know what size cooler to purchase. I have never done all-grain, but I will eventually want to be able to do 10 gallon batches. Will the 48qt cooler be large enough to hold all the grain necessary for 10 gallon batches?

Yes, I do 10 gallon batches with this setup. I can get about 25 lbs of grain in a 48 quart, which should be enough for even the biggest beers.

 

[niquejim]

I'm thinking about building one of these but don't know what size cooler to purchase. I have never done all-grain, but I will eventually want to be able to do 10 gallon batches. Will the 48qt cooler be large enough to hold all the grain necessary for 10 gallon batches?

Yes, I do 10 gallon batches with this setup. I can get about 25 lbs of grain in a 48 quart, which should be enough for even the biggest beers.

Not to disagree with Reddog, but it will be fine for normal 10 gallon batches but a Barleywine, Old Ale, IIPA and RIS would be out. I used 14lbs of grain for 3.5 gallons of Barleywine so 10 gallons would be 40+ lbs

So if I were doing it again I would get a 70qt

Read this
http://hbd.org/cascade/dennybrew/

 

[michaelm]

Not to disagree with Reddog, but it will be fine for normal 10 gallon batches but a Barleywine, Old Ale, IIPA and RIS would be out. I used 14lbs of grain for 3.5 gallons of Barleywine so 10 gallons would be 40+ lbs

So if I were doing it again I would get a 70qt

Read this
dennybrew

+1 to this post... Though....... I would hate to think of trying to drink 10 gallons of a big brew like that LOL I still have 16-18 bottles of a barlywine I brewed 3 years ago and it was just a 5 gallon batch...

 

[jonbrout]

I made one Exactly like this 2 weeks ago. Cooler and all. lol. I need to use it soon...First AG here i come.

Ps: let me know how it holds temps!

 

[niquejim]

Not to disagree with Reddog, but it will be fine for normal 10 gallon batches but a Barleywine, Old Ale, IIPA and RIS would be out. I used 14lbs of grain for 3.5 gallons of Barleywine so 10 gallons would be 40+ lbs

So if I were doing it again I would get a 70qt

Read this
dennybrew

+1 to this post... Though....... I would hate to think of trying to drink 10 gallons of a big brew like that LOL I still have 16-18 bottles of a barlywine I brewed 3 years ago and it was just a 5 gallon batch...

Barleywines and RIS's might take awhile but I can drink me some IIPA's

 

[boneman]

What about a build using a 60 quart igloo cube? 15 gallons to hold plenty of grain for high gravity, and the taller aspect still allows enough depth for small batch sizes.

 

[lstrowge]

I just built a 60qt cube mashtun, brewed a 10 gal 8% batch of Black IPA (35 lb grist) and it could have taken more.

 

[hopjedi]

I would recommend to go big or stay home. I was using a friends Keggle a few weise ago to do a 10 gallon batch of American IPA.
For the mash in I used 1.5 qts of water per lb of grain, with 34 lbs of grain. So with the 8.5 gallons of water and 34lbs of grain, I was spilling over top of cutout in the keg. Had to draw off a quart or so until grain absorbed the water a bit, then added it back in. Too much for a 15.5 gallon keg so I would go bigger than 60quart if you ever wish to do a 10 gallon high gravity batch.