Cheap & Easy 10 Gallon Rubbermaid MLT Conversion

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Charlieatthedisco said:
Anyone have success making a copper manifold instead of the braid?
Click to expand...

I used a rectangular cooler but I made a copper manifold for it that seems to be working great.

IMG_20111218_174222.jpg
 
I had alot of trouble looking for cpvc, the guys at hd couldn't even figure it out so I needed up going with copper for a manifold, my question is I see some guys drill the holes on the bottom and some on the top, wouldn't it be best if the holes where on the bottom for maximum wort?
 
Charlieatthedisco said:
I had alot of trouble looking for cpvc, the guys at hd couldn't even figure it out so I needed up going with copper for a manifold, my question is I see some guys drill the holes on the bottom and some on the top, wouldn't it be best if the holes where on the bottom for maximum wort?
Click to expand...

I did the same thing that you're proposing. I've noticed that I still have wort in the mash tun after running off that stops at the top of my manifold. It's not that much wort, and honestly, it's the wort that you really don't want anyways since that is most likely the stuff containing tannins that will lead to astringency.

In my opinion, going with the holes on the bottom helps to clarify the run off quicker. Again, that is just my opinion.
 
Well, I'd like to thank FlyGuy and everyone else who contributed to this thread. It was a nightmare finding 5/8 fender washers...(6 hardware stores), 2 returns for items that wouldn't work out, countless amount of headaches, and about a week of stress wasted of my life for the washers to be at the Dome Hepot I initially started looking for everything.

I scoured the HD and couldn't find the washers, so I went to others to no avail. Finally, once I was about to give up and buy them online, which wouldn't have allowed me to brew last weekend, I looked them up on HD website. It said they had 36 Crown Lock "Create-a-Bolt," so I bought 8 packs online for a in-store pick-up. By looking at the packs themselves, they looked as if they had been either sitting in a shelf way above my reach or in the back storage doing nothing since no one purchases them besides homebrewers. They had so much dust all all over them.

Anyway MLT construction went perfect, I brew my 1st AG American IPA last Saturday, and even got a 82% efficiency on the first try (beginner's luck). Thanks everyone for the knowledge and confidence that AG doesn't have to be that difficult.

Cheers!!!! :mug:
 
I am going to try and make one out of my 2 gallon water cooler I used to use when I worked outside. I took off the spout and there was this rubber insert:


ForumRunner_20120127_085103.jpg

Here it is inserted in the cooler:


ForumRunner_20120127_085151.jpg

The smaller lip fits between the inner and outer skin of the cooler. The rear larger lip is inside the cooler as shown in the pic above. My question is, is this OK to leave in? I imagine the stainless washer on the inside will just compress this rubber thing which may actually give me the best seal I can think of. I guess I am not sure how this rubber material will hold up. Any thoughts?
 
What is the reasoning for using a manifold vs. the stainless tubing as described?

Also, I can't say that I read all 205 pages of this thread, but was lead content in brass parts discussed at all? I see John Palmer talks about soaking brass parts in vinegar and hydrogen peroxide to remove lead from brass.
 
JSGT09 said:
What is the reasoning for using a manifold vs. the stainless tubing as described?

Also, I can't say that I read all 205 pages of this thread, but was lead content in brass parts discussed at all? I see John Palmer talks about soaking brass parts in vinegar and hydrogen peroxide to remove lead from brass.
Click to expand...

It's better for fly sparging because it causes less channeling. For batch sparging both are good.
 
Any thoughts on my rubber washer from above? I went ahead and put everything together with it in there. I used nylon washers that I drilled out rather than stainless. Hope that is OK as well. I'm going to be using this in about an hour so we'll see! It all leak tested good. Here are some pics :


ForumRunner_20120128_094229.jpg



ForumRunner_20120128_094249.jpg



ForumRunner_20120128_094304.jpg
 
The one piece that has been discussed, on this thread and many others, is the debate on fly sparging. Consensus, IMO, is as long as you keep the water level one to two inches above the mash channeling shouldn't occur. Therefore, the SS braid is sufficient and silicone tubing to run your "fly sparge" will work out. I got 85% eff on my IPA last week.

But this coming from a first time AG brewer, so likely beginners luck. Brewing up a Irish Red either today or tomorrow so we'll see... Cheers!!!
 
Just built one of these using the bargain fittings kit and a 3/4" water heater stainless braid. I used one of these PEX plugs instead of the square plug, just looks cleaner and it was the same price. http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

img20120127202840.jpg


img20120127202912.jpg


One question, both of the 10gal coolers that were at lowes had this ring all the way around the liner, almost as if it was some scribe or something from a mold. You can just barely see it around the 2 gallon mark on the second picture. I haven't used it yet besides filling it with water to check for leaks. I found one other post on another thread of a couple people noticing the same thing.

Can anyone else look in their cooler and see if theirs is the same? I don't think it's cracked all the way through, just thought it was strange.
 
I don't think there's an advantage to using the larger diameter braid. If anything it will collapse, or make it easier to break the syphon
 
bottlebomber said:
I don't think there's an advantage to using the larger diameter braid. If anything it will collapse, or make it easier to break the syphon
Click to expand...

I went with the larger water heater braid when I first built mine. I had one good mash and then stuck three times in a row. I switched to the smaller sink size braid and haven't had a problem since.
 
I am looking to make a mashtun for stove top batches of 1-2.5 gallons. I have 2 rectangular cooler mashtuns already (48 qt and 60 qt) that I use when I brew outside. I was wondering what brewers might think of using a 5 gallon cylindrical cooler for these brews. Would that be too big or meet the right minimum grain bed depth? [I currently batch sparge so grain depth might not be a huge issue.] Has anyone successfully made a mashtun from a cylindrical cooler that is less than 5 gallons?

I was thinking of using one of these two..(Rubbermaid or Igloo)..anyone have an opinion on which might be better?

http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay...elshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1#BVRRWidgetID

http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay...gId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1
 
msa8967 said:
I am looking to make a mashtun for stove top batches of 1-2.5 gallons. I have 2 rectangular cooler mashtuns already (48 qt and 60 qt) that I use when I brew outside. I was wondering what brewers might think of using a 5 gallon cylindrical cooler for these brews. Would that be too big or meet the right minimum grain bed depth? [I currently batch sparge so grain depth might not be a huge issue.] Has anyone successfully made a mashtun from a cylindrical cooler that is less than 5 gallons?
Click to expand...

A friend of mine uses a 5gal round igloo for 2.5-3gal batches. For anything smaller than that I'd personally just BIAB.
 
brickout said:
got mine built today and did a leak test. All good!

All the ss parts came from bargainfittings.com

here's the bulkhead kit i went with. I went with the standard coupling as the inside fitting, 1.5" nipple, 3 piece ss ball valve, no hose barb and one extra ss washer. From the outlet of the ball valve i have a 1/2" street elbow attached to a 1/2" ss camlock f style fitting. then i have a 1/2" ss camlock b style fitting attached to a 1/2" npt female x 1/2" hose barb. which is attached to the hi-temp tube with a hose clamp.
Click to expand...

Finally got to use this yesterday. Batch sparge method, worked perfectly!

Mash-Tun 001.jpg


Mash-Tun 002.jpg
 
I assembled mine tonight. After the second try it's held water without a drop for about 2 hours. Pretty excited to put it to use soon.
 
After I cut off the 3/8" compression connector on my SS braided hose, I found that the inner tube was just rubber. I took an Xacto knife and poked through the slits (of the braids) near the remaining 1/2" FIP connector -- piercing the rubber hose. (Don't cut too wide each time and end up cutting up some SS wires like I did.)

After enough holes, I bent the hose back and forth until the inner rubber hose broke loose. Then pushing the SS braid back up, I can remove the inner hose -- leaving the 1/2" FIP connector which I could screw directly onto the 1/2" nipple (without clamps or barbs).

Also a caveat for those looking for a cheaper ball valve (Grr), most of the ones on ebay are 1/2 the price... but being from HK or China, they're quoted in BSP (British Standard Pipe) which has a slightly different thread than NPT (National Pipe Thread) / FIP / MIP (Iron Pipe). Supposedly, you can force thread them but in the end, it probably wasn't worth it.
 
Has anyone tried making a manifold out of PEX? I don't know if it can handle that high of a temp for that long, tho...I know regular PEX is rated at 180* @ 80 PSI. Therma-PEX is rated at 200* @ 80 PSI. I'm not sure how it would do at 156* for 75 minutes @ 0 PSI.

EDIT...never mind...search is my friend...
 
I just made one of these and am trying to choose a recipe for my first all grain brew. I wanted to know what the max amount of grain the recipe can call for and still fit in this cooler. Does anyone know?
 
I am getting a lot of stuck sparges with this system it worked great for a while and now i feel like i have to clean it after every few batches, any suggestions or advice. I have the ss hose with about 16 cuts on the inner rubber hose. I let the liquid out really slow but it turns into a 1.5 hours for each mash.
 
i4ourgot said:
I am getting a lot of stuck sparges with this system it worked great for a while and now i feel like i have to clean it after every few batches, any suggestions or advice. I have the ss hose with about 16 cuts on the inner rubber hose. I let the liquid out really slow but it turns into a 1.5 hours for each mash.
Click to expand...

Ditch the rubber hose
 
i4ourgot said:
I am getting a lot of stuck sparges with this system it worked great for a while and now i feel like i have to clean it after every few batches, any suggestions or advice. I have the ss hose with about 16 cuts on the inner rubber hose. I let the liquid out really slow but it turns into a 1.5 hours for each mash.
Click to expand...

Replace the hoses.
 
bovineblitz said:
Ditch the rubber hose
Click to expand...

Yep. I started with water heater braid (bigger is better, right?) I had one good brew day and then three stuck mashes in a row. I ditched that and went with the standard sink braid, but I outthought myself and drilled a buch of holes in the hose and put it into the braid. I had a stuck mash on the first brew with it. I dumped the mash, took off the braid, removed the hose and put the braid back on.

I've used it for 4 brews since and haven't had a problem.

I guess sometimes it's better not to try to imporve on a great design...:drunk:
 
The only improvement I think you could possibly make to this build is to acquire a 1/2" ss spring to slide into the braid.
 
Just a quick note...I built this exact mash tun as instructed in the original post using a 10 gal Rubbermaid cooler from Home Depot. I got 12 5/8" SS flat washers, (at Menards locally in 6 per pac containers), and it took 8 washers total to get a good seal (1 inside and 7 outside). The cooler wall may be thinner at the spigot hole than it was in previous models. I'm also gonna add the shortest 3/8" female/male union I can find on the outside to get the valve body a bit further away from the cooler. It shuts off now but is right against the cooler body and may not as the valve wears a bit. Thanks for the posts...it's fun to be able to put something together yourself AND save $$$!!!
 
CGVT said:
Yep. I started with water heater braid (bigger is better, right?) I had one good brew day and then three stuck mashes in a row. I ditched that and went with the standard sink braid, but I outthought myself and drilled a buch of holes in the hose and put it into the braid. I had a stuck mash on the first brew with it. I dumped the mash, took off the braid, removed the hose and put the braid back on.

I've used it for 4 brews since and haven't had a problem.

I guess sometimes it's better not to try to imporve on a great design...:drunk:
Click to expand...

so you are using the ss braid with nothing under it or supporting it from collapsing?
 
I've been following this thread for months now. It seems like everyone and their dog has come up with an "improvement" to prevent the SS braid collapsing... Improvements that seem unnecessary because in the months I've followed the thread I cannot recall ONE report of a collapsed stainless steel braid causing a stuck sparge. Someone correct me if I'm wrong..

Personally I used the braid for two brews just waiting on my SS false bottom because I intend to transition to fly sparging, and there was no problem sparging, and afterward the braid looked no different from when it went in.

Remember that the weight of the grain is distributed over the entire cooler bottom, not just on the braid. You would need much more 'targeted' pressure/weight on the braid to crush it, IMO. Even if the central lumen of the braid were somewhat smushed or even flattened, what matters in a batch sparge situation is that there are still gaps between the actual strands of stainless steel which are braided, and that liquid can still seep through. I can't imagine the braid being crushed so uniformly and so tightly that you could make it "watertight".
 
eyedoctodd said:
I've been following this thread for months now. It seems like everyone and their dog has come up with an "improvement" to prevent the SS braid collapsing... Improvements that seem unnecessary because in the months I've followed the thread I cannot recall ONE report of a collapsed stainless steel braid causing a stuck sparge. Someone correct me if I'm wrong..

Personally I used the braid for two brews just waiting on my SS false bottom because I intend to transition to fly sparging, and there was no problem sparging, and afterward the braid looked no different from when it went in.

Remember that the weight of the grain is distributed over the entire cooler bottom, not just on the braid. You would need much more 'targeted' pressure/weight on the braid to crush it, IMO. Even if the central lumen of the braid were somewhat smushed or even flattened, what matters in a batch sparge situation is that there are still gaps between the actual strands of stainless steel which are braided, and that liquid can still seep through. I can't imagine the braid being crushed so uniformly and so tightly that you could make it "watertight".
Click to expand...

After about 15 brews my braid flattened and also got stretched out where it connected with the hose barb, presumably from stretching while stirring. I didn't notice any ill effects but didn't like what I saw so got a new braid with a spring inside along with a T splitter (this was so I could angle the barbs downwards to reduce deadspace though). 20 brews later it still looks the same as it did when I set it up. I'm not sure if the streching was prevented by the spring or by the T, but I don't think I'll have to worry about it for a long time.

It probably can function while smushed. I think a flattened braid will probably slightly increase deadspace though. The way I have it now I have a siphon for an inch or so which yield a bit more wort.

Also you're more likely to have a stuck mash if there's less uniform 'surface area' for wort to pass through the braid. There's nothing more frustrating than a stuck mash.
 
@bovineblitz - Could you post a pic or provide more details on the "new braid with a spring inside along with a T splitter (this was so I could angle the barbs downwards to reduce deadspace though)?"
 
mervmurry said:
@bovineblitz - Could you post a pic or provide more details on the "new braid with a spring inside along with a T splitter (this was so I could angle the barbs downwards to reduce deadspace though)?"
Click to expand...

dscn1778z.jpg


I used to just have a simpler straight SS braid without a spring in it, I later added a spring. The last thing I did was just add a few more brass fittings so I could make the braid into a "ring". I tightened the street elbows to the point where they are angled downwards so the ends of the hose barbs are touching the bottom of the mash tun. It seems to do a good job. Same efficiency as before but I haven't had a stuck mash issue in a long time.
 

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