Kettle or Mash Tun Cozy

[atcsat]

Has anyone done something like this? Any good results?

Mash Tun Cosy

My technique has been use false bottom of 8 gal kettle to protect my bag and keep burner on low to maintain good mash temp. I want to remove the false bottom for more grain space and not use flame to maintain temp. I've tried the towel/blanket/sleeping bag tricks, and they help, but this looks very efficient (more so than Reflectix also).

 

[csurowiec]

Never seen that before. I'm sure it works awesome but I would be scared of using that foam anywhere near my kettle. Until it cures it is quite adhesive and sticks to everything. Somehow some way if I did that I would miss the foil and get that stuff on my kettle.
I used Reflectix in a double layer with all seams foil taped and put sticky backed Velcro on it to get it nice and snug on the kettle with more fitted to the lid. I haven't lost more than 3 degrees an hour yet. I'm good with 3 since this isn't critical, it's beer brewing.

 

[tektonjp]

I do 10l and 20l BIAB batches. The 20l is recirculated, the 10l gets a tea cozy similar to this photo.

 

[enkamania]

I use a water heater blanket around the sides, towel and blanket on top and then cover with a sleeping bag

 

[beernutz]

For many years I wrapped an old down jacket around my mash tun to hold the temp and it worked surprisingly well. I would zip it up and also do the snaps plus I used the hood to cover up the neck hole so that the temp only dropped over the course of the mash time by maybe 2 or 3 degrees.

 

[RM-MN]

Has anyone done something like this? Any good results?

Mash Tun Cosy

My technique has been use false bottom of 8 gal kettle to protect my bag and keep burner on low to maintain good mash temp. I want to remove the false bottom for more grain space and not use flame to maintain temp. I've tried the towel/blanket/sleeping bag tricks, and they help, but this looks very efficient (more so than Reflectix also).

Before you do all that, get a bottle of iodine and take some samples at various times to test for conversion. You may discover that you don't need the false bottom, the flame, or the insulation because conversion can be much faster than you've been led to believe.

 

[Magnus314]

a single wrap of Reflectix made temp loss go as low as 2 degrees in an hour. With a double wrap I lose less than one. And Reflectix is cheap and easy.

Don't leave the burner on, though!

 

[Onkel_Udo]

Refectix + foil tape...two layers. Split so I can us painters to hold it together while mashing and boiling but remove it while chilling.

I have done this, or a single layer version, on my mash tun for my three tier (propane fired), my 8 gallon pot (gas stove), Keggle (electric) and now 20 gallon AL pot (electric).

With one layer in 18 F degree ambient and a thermal mass of 115#'s I lost 3 F degrees over and hour.

With two layers in 53 degree ambient and about 120#'s I lost about 1 degree...maybe.

All this without even bothering with top insulation on the latter.

 

[atcsat]

a single wrap of Reflectix made temp loss go as low as 2 degrees in an hour. With a double wrap I lose less than one. And Reflectix is cheap and easy.

Don't leave the burner on, though!

I use a water heater blanket around the sides, towel and blanket on top and then cover with a sleeping bag

Refectix + foil tape...two layers. Split so I can us painters to hold it together while mashing and boiling but remove it while chilling.

I have done this, or a single layer version, on my mash tun for my three tier (propane fired), my 8 gallon pot (gas stove), Keggle (electric) and now 20 gallon AL pot (electric).

With one layer in 18 F degree ambient and a thermal mass of 115#'s I lost 3 F degrees over and hour.

With two layers in 53 degree ambient and about 120#'s I lost about 1 degree...maybe.

All this without even bothering with top insulation on the latter.

My heat loss has been significant, the best (without burner, with sleeping bag) was 4 degrees/hour. Maybe because it's aluminum? Are y'all SS?

 

[atcsat]

Before you do all that, get a bottle of iodine and take some samples at various times to test for conversion. You may discover that you don't need the false bottom, the flame, or the insulation because conversion can be much faster than you've been led to believe.

I've had iodine in my bin for quite some time, but never used it. I think maybe just stuck on tradition? It's now on my to-do list!

 

[Onkel_Udo]

My heat loss has been significant, the best (without burner, with sleeping bag) was 4 degrees/hour. Maybe because it's aluminum? Are y'all SS?

My current one is AL and I have not brewed with it outdoors in the winter (nor will I). The huge thermal mass I have is part of the key...10 gallon batches (finished) are about 13 gallons of water and 20 # of grain. Even with a 100 F degree temp difference, it takes a lot to move it a degree if you have any type of thermal break between it.

Any chance park of your temperature loss is just normalization across the volume of the mash?

 

[atcsat]

Any chance park of your temperature loss is just normalization across the volume of the mash?

It may be. I give it a good stir at beginning and usually small stirs twice during so that must be it.

 

[Magnus314]

Every time you open the tun you lose heat to the air in the headspace.

 

[Onkel_Udo]

Every time you open the tun you lose heat to the air in the headspace.

This. Stir once...drop in probe or thermometer that can read with the lid on.

So again...any type of thermal break on as many sides as you can get plus giant thermal mass usually means homogenized, stable temperatures. If that is not what you are finding then you might need to evaluate all of the following:

Are you actually hitting the temp you intend with strike water temperature? Maybe the strike water is not a uniform temperature?
Where are you losing heat? Infrared thermometers are down to like $15.

I think you will find a hole in you thermal break that is leaking a lot of heat but it could be some sort of stratification in you strike water.

 

[PADave]

For many years I wrapped an old down jacket around my mash tun to hold the temp and it worked surprisingly well. I would zip it up and also do the snaps plus I used the hood to cover up the neck hole so that the temp only dropped over the course of the mash time by maybe 2 or 3 degrees.

This is what works for me. A winter jacket, not much head space in the kettle, and keep it closed up. Doesn't drop more than a degree or two.

 

[plepper]

I use a yoga mat cut to size and used spray adhesive to bond reflex insulation around the kettle and made a top also. brewed yesterday in 50 degree weather and only lost 1 degree in a 60 minute mash for my BIAB setup. very cheap and easy to make and does the job just fine.

 

[Magnus314]

I had a hard time cleaning my kettle with a wrap on it, so I literally just cut two rectangles of reflectix, wrapped them around my kettle, and used bungees to hold them on.

Worked perfectly, and easy to remove when I want to chill quickly with my immersion chiller or to clean the kettle, etc.

 

[20grit]

I have a single layer of reflectix for my SS Brewtech 10g kettle. The temp probe doesn't stick out very far into the kettle, so the temperature readings aren't always accurate. My temp will drop a bit, so I open and stir. Usually, after stirring, my temp is right back where I started. It's just a matter of things at the exterior getting a bit cooler, but on the whole, I don't lose more than one or two degrees in an hour.
I'm sure a second layer of reflectix would help more, but I'm viewing that as diminishing returns.

 

[atcsat]

So... more important to maintain mash temp than stir grains? No recirculator. My thermometer is center mounted so my thought was it gives a good average temp of the mass. I always stir water while getting to stike temp to help get accurate.

 

[Onkel_Udo]

To keep this all in perspective on how big a difference little things can make:

Second brew on my 20 gallon AL pot
First time on my new rolling stand (wood)
Forgot the chink of yoga mat under the kettle so It was directly on wood
Basement was 52 F instead of 60 F
One gallon less strike water

I lost 4 degrees over an hour this time instead of 1-2 degrees. Slip that yoga pad back in there and I would bet it would be back to 2 degrees.