Cheap way to make mash tun
- Thread starter Kmcogar
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I use a round 10 gallon Rubbermaid cooler that I got from Lowe's for $45.00 and some copper pipe I had in the house. I used a gate valve I also had and some silicon washers I got at Lowe's. Here is a pic. I used to use a stainless steel stock pot when I was in the kitchen but went to 5 gallons in the brew room so it was to small. Depending on your DIY skills and what you have on hand and what you want for MLT it can be a little or a lot.
william_shakes_beer
Well-Known Member
Anyone ever tried deleting the valve and pipe ( just the cooler as it came from the hardware store) and instead dropping in a mesh bag with the grains? If the thread title is "cheap", seems this is the cheapest solution; paint bag costs 3/$5.00. Not asking to be biligerent, I'm thinking all grain may be in my future.
That would be one solution and I see no reason why you could not do that. I would think round, square and rectangle coolers would work with that idea. For the plumbing parts were in the shop and I use those silicon washers for many things and normally have them in the house. So for me, it was just the cooler. If you don't have plumbing stuff then a paint bag would be a good solution.
BrewThruYou
Well-Known Member
That's what the BIAB (boil in a bag) people do. They actually don't even use a separate MLT...everything is done in the boil kettle. They don't use paint strainer bags though...they use something else that's probably more durable. Those Lowe's paint strainer bags are pretty weak.
![Craft A Brew - Safale S-04 Dry Yeast - Fermentis - English Ale Dry Yeast - For English and American Ales and Hard Apple Ciders - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [1 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41fVGNh6JfL._SL500_.jpg)
The very cheapest of tuns would be a cooler with a stainless braid filter and no metal parts like ball valve, etc. You can put a short piece of 3/8" OD copper tubing or even a 3/8" mending barb (nylon from Lowes) inside a drilled stopper with an OD larger enough to jam into the hole at the bottom of the cooler. Inside you clamp the stainless braid. Outside you clamp on some 3/8" ID clear tubing. Instead of a valve, you just lift the end up and clip it to the cooler handle to keep liquid from flowing out.
The grain bag and stock drain idea is also fine but you should find a way to keep the bag from sitting dead flush on the bottom of the cooler to allow some drain channels. A stainless wire trivet would do it.
The grain bag and stock drain idea is also fine but you should find a way to keep the bag from sitting dead flush on the bottom of the cooler to allow some drain channels. A stainless wire trivet would do it.
bovineblitz
Well-Known Member
My buddy did this for a while before he converted his cooler. Basically he did BIAB mashing but in the cooler for better temperature stability.
Worked well but was kind of a pain to drain the wort as it took a while.
I built mine the cheepo way by getting a free 48 qt Coleman cooler which I was able to salvage just prior to being tossed away. I then built a CPVC manifold for under $20 with hardware included. I've been getting around 75% efficiency which is nice considering how much this cost. I only noticed a few degree temp drop in an hour mash so it seems to hold well. I have been looking for a larger cooler perhaps a 70 qt due to wanting to be able to lauter 10 gal batches.
beerloaf
beerloaf
scoundrel
Well-Known Member
+1. I love my BIAB setup.
steelersrbrun
Well-Known Member
Just save up and find a nice 10 gallon from Home Depot or Lowe's....I'm only on my 5th batch using mine I'm loving it. On a 60 minute mash I have not lost more than 1 degree. Enjoy
mikeysab
Well-Known Member
I use a 5g round cooler, no modifications. I biab in the cooler, dunk sparge in my 30 qt pot, then dump the wort from the cooler into the pot. Get great efficiency, and its cheap.
Butter
Well-Known Member
Get a 6 gal bucket, add a spigot and a false bottom, and wrap it in some kind of insulation like a blanket. Other than BIAG, I think its the cheapest.
RCCOLA
Well-Known Member
Go to yard sales this weekend. I picked up an ice cube for $1 and made my tun out of it.
Soaked it for a few days in bleach just to make sure it was clean.
Soaked it for a few days in bleach just to make sure it was clean.
