Easy mashing set-up for round thermos...

[simplecj]

I'm wanting to branch out to some all grain brews and I'm wondering if anyone has seen anything for sale that can easily convert a standard large round thermos into a mashing tun?

I'm thinking a sturdy mesh screen that is made to fit snug in the bottom of a round thermos. Something like that would be awesome! Easy to use, easy to clean and the host vessel is easily found and cheaply purchased!

I've looked at the EasyMasher, which is just a small cylindrical screen that fits on a tube that exits the bottom of a brew kettle... I think it looks like the screen would get plugged too easy because of the small surface area, and that would be bad!

All Grain sounds great and a lot cheaper! I just need a good way to branch out without spending too much more...

 

[Kayos]

LOL, you're in luck! There a a LOT of people around here using these.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=23008

 

[malkore]

Yep, follow the above DIY guide. works on the 5 or 10 gallon size Rubbermaid coolers. 5gal is easy to find, the 10gal is a bit trickier...check places like Home Depot, near the lumber isle as these coolers get used on construction sites year round...places like Wal Mart have already cleared out most of their inventory since its a seasonal item.

and Lowe's is the best place to find all the Watts part numbers listed in the guide.

Lastly make sure you get a real SS braided water supply line...they are plastic ones that have a loose weave of metal inside and are NOT the correct ones. the one you want is very obviously a stainless steel exterior.

(I've built both the 5 and the 10gal. 5gal cuz I thought I'd start doing partial mashes. One PM and I went directly to all grain, and for bigger beers like my porter, I needed the 10gallon cooler...and it was only 1.060 OG.)

The 5gal is about $20, the 10gal is about $50. Figure no more than $20 for the rest of the parts.
Next question though is do you have a way to boil 7-8 gallons of wort?
And, do you have a way to rapidly cool 6 gallons of wort?

the mast tun isn't the spendy part of AG brewing...its the big brew pot, the burner for the pot, and the chiller that add up the $$$. You also need a hot water tank for heating the sparge water (you can't really use the brew pot for this because its gonna have wort in it by the time you start sparging)

good luck!

 

[simplecj]

um... damn... well I only have a 4 gallon brew pot now, I was planning on getting a bigger one. I know they are pricey...

Also I have been boiling my extracts in the kitchen (my sister doesn't like the smell), and don't have a burner set-up. I suppose a turkey set-up with a 8-10 gallon pot plus burner would be perfect and I could just boil it outside. Any ideas on where to get this?

I made my own wort chiller for my 4 gallon pot, I'm sure for another $20 I could make a bigger one for the larger turkey pot.

Also, I was just planning on using my 4 gallon to heat the sparging water...

I really only want to turn out 5 gallon batches, I do have a 6 gal bucket and one 6 gal carboy, so I guess maybe one batch of 6 gals...

Uggg... looks like going all grain is going to cost me about $200 for equipment... might have to hold off on this, or maybe just slowly grab the pieces I need when I see a good deal. Those turkey set-ups can't be cheap... I wonder if I could find one used?

LOL, you're in luck! There a a LOT of people around here using these.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=23008

Do you know if people have had issues with the braid getting plugged up and not draining? It looks similar to the EasyMasher attachment and that was my concern with that unit.

Clogged drain = BIG PROBLEM --- right?

 

[Kayos]

This is what I have. Works GREAT! The braid plugs on rare occasion. Cup my hand around the drain tube and blow back in. Then full drain again. No problem at all. I have actually heard of more plugging from a false bottom.

Also, you can get a turkey fryer with 7.5 pot from ebay for $40 shipped to utah.
There are even some selling ss ones.

The copper for the wort chiller is a bit expensive, though. I found it cheaper to just buy the wort chiller from morebeer for $49 with free ship.

 

[simplecj]

The copper for the wort chiller is a bit expensive, though. I found it cheaper to just buy the wort chiller from morebeer for $49 with free ship.

Do you know if there is any difference in the copper tubing the wort chillers are made from and that which you can find at your local hardware store?? I mean, copper is copper right? It usually comes in coils which are easily bent to the desired shape... I have a 1/4 inch cooler, the tubing only cost me $15 and works great in my 4 gallon brew pot

 

[malkore]

Also I have been boiling my extracts in the kitchen (my sister doesn't like the smell), and don't have a burner set-up. I suppose a turkey set-up with a 8-10 gallon pot plus burner would be perfect and I could just boil it outside. Any ideas on where to get this?

all over the place this time of year. Sam's Club, CostCo, WalMart, Home Depot, Lowe's, Menard's, specialty catalogs, Harbor Freight, even Sears.

if you're lucky you'll find a burner/pot combo for $40 or so. try to get a pot with a drain spigot...you'll want it for draining the wort because 5-6 gallons is no fun to pour, and usually these cheaper stockpots have thin walls that'll dent easily making pouring hazzardous to the side walls of your brewpot.

or get a weldless spigot and install it after drilling your pot with a 13/16" bi-metal hole saw (note: 7/8" is too wide)

4 gallons is gonna be tight for sparge water, though I suppose you could try mashing in with a bit more water to account for that at least for now.

when you first gather everything for AG it is a little daunting, but the beers you end up making, with complete control over all aspects....its so rewarding.

 

[Kayos]

Do you know if there is any difference in the copper tubing the wort chillers are made from and that which you can find at your local hardware store?? I mean, copper is copper right? It usually comes in coils which are easily bent to the desired shape... I have a 1/4 inch cooler, the tubing only cost me $15 and works great in my 4 gallon brew pot

Exactly the same. A roll of 50' of copper at my hardware store is $55. Without the fittings or hoses.

 

[simplecj]

Exactly the same. A roll of 50' of copper at my hardware store is $55. Without the fittings or hoses.

That's a lot of tubing! I would think 25' would be plenty and cost about half that. Longer might allow faster cooling, but you have to pay for it plus make sure your kettle has room for the displacement... of course if you just boiled out 2-3 gallons you'd be fine.

My 1/4 inch ID wort chiller is only about 15' of tubing (~$15 @ WallMart) and it drops me from 200 to ~80 F in about 30 minutes, faster if I move it around a bit...

Seems copper tubing is priced at about $1 per foot, so it all comes down to cooling efficiency, too little won't cool it fast enough, too much is pretty much a waste except maybe when you get down to the last 20 degree drop... the first 100 go fairly quick!

I still say you can make one cheaper than you can buy one... just be aware your local hardware store might not have competitive pricing on copper, shop around..