Mash Tun size question..

[Espi]

I have a Coleman cooler around the house that I was thinking of converting to my mash tun. I have been looking around here and am thinking I am better off going with something a bit smaller.

Its a 54 quart, 13.5 gallon square cooler.

I did a search but didn't get the direct answer to my question...

The overall inside measurements are 21.5 by 10 wide... quite large.

My questions are, will my grain bed be too "thin" or spread out for an average OG beer, and a 5 gallon batch?

This could effect my efficiency in the end correct?

At this point I don't think I will go much larger than 5 gallon batches.

Thanks in advance.

Scott

Edit... added pics to page two of the cooler and something I was thinking of using.

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

If it is the old green plastic one I have the same one converted to a mash tun.....it is pretty damned big. The efficiency does not seem to be as much of an issue as thermal loss due to too much space in the cooler...today started at 152 and was at 146 by 60 minutes. IMO thats a pretty big drop in just an hour.

 

[thunder]

I have used the same cooler and has worked fine.try to use high temp hose though.
Look here:
http://www.donosborn.com/homebrew/mashtun.htm

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

I have used the same cooler and has worked fine.try to use high temp hose though.
Look here:
http://www.donosborn.com/homebrew/mashtun.htm

+1 on the high temp hose..... I had issues with my chiller hoses AND the mash tun drain hose...replaced the chiller hos with some stuff I had in the basement for waterlines. ALMOST too stiff but way better than collapsing hoses.

 

[Espi]

@ steve, Yes pretty much the same cooler only a touch newer. I never thought about the head space and holding the temp. The cooler walls/lid don't seem that thick... Thanks.

@ thunder, I am planning on building a copper manifold for it. Have you noticed a lot of heat loss due to head space with 5 gal batches..




BTW, this forum rules for all the quick responses!

 

[thunder]

@ steve, Yes pretty much the same cooler only a touch newer. I never thought about the head space and holding the temp. The cooler walls/lid don't seem that thick... Thanks.

@ thunder, I am planning on building a copper manifold for it. Have you noticed a lot of heat loss due to head space with 5 gal batches..



No i Heat it up with boiling water for about 20 min.then
During my mash/sparge i put a blanket over the top of the cooler
seems to hold temp well.You have to remember most coolers are insulated
to maintain internal temp.

 

[ddc]

If it is the old green plastic one I have the same one converted to a mash tun.....it is pretty damned big. The efficiency does not seem to be as much of an issue as thermal loss due to too much space in the cooler...today started at 152 and was at 146 by 60 minutes. IMO thats a pretty big drop in just an hour.

One thing you might try is to fill the lid with some spray insulation. I did this with my old 5gal MLT and never have any thermal loss issues with mash times up to 90 minutes.

 

[Espi]

thanks for all the quick replies....

any ideas on whether or not there will be grain bed depth issues for proper extraction? Maybe there are other things I should spend my time thinking about before this while making the transition to AG.

I have a tendency to over think these processes and make them more difficult then they need to be. Some one please step up and tell me to quit geeking out so much...

meh, I can always use the "my mash tun is bigger than your mash tun.". but I can be sure to get the "its not the size of your mash tun but the...." response.

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

@ steve, Yes pretty much the same cooler only a touch newer. I never thought about the head space and holding the temp. The cooler walls/lid don't seem that thick... Thanks.

@ thunder, I am planning on building a copper manifold for it. Have you noticed a lot of heat loss due to head space with 5 gal batches..



No i Heat it up with boiling water for about 20 min.then
During my mash/sparge i put a blanket over the top of the cooler
seems to hold temp well.You have to remember most coolers are insulated
to maintain internal temp.

I have no idea why I lose this much heat.. I preheat the tun with hot ( not boiling but around 150 degrees) water and I had 2 blankets piled on and around it.

 

[thunder]

[QUOTE=Espi; ....

. Some one please step up and tell me to quit geeking out so much...

I had no issues wih grain bed depth.Your batches are going to be
five gallons right?

By the way"quit geeking out so much"

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

One thing you might try is to fill the lid with some spray insulation. I did this with my old 5gal MLT and never have any thermal loss issues with mash times up to 90 minutes.

good idea......lemme ask this.. is a narrower taller tun better than a wide short one? I mean is a deeper grain bed more efficient than a shallow one?

 

[thunder]

I have no idea why I lose this much heat.. I preheat the tun with hot ( not boiling but around 150 degrees) water and I had 2 blankets piled on and around it.

Steve where do you use your tun?

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

Steve where do you use your tun?

In the kitchen setting up on two stools next to the stove....This exact same cooler has kept ice frozen for three days setting outside in the summer..no idea why I lost so much heat so fast.

 

[thunder]

In the kitchen setting up on two stools next to the stove....This exact same cooler has kept ice frozen for three days setting outside in the summer..no idea why I lost so much heat so fast.

Could heat be escaping where the lid seals on the cooler?

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

Could heat be escaping where the lid seals on the cooler?

only thing I can think of.

 

[Espi]

By the way"quit geeking out so much"

heh thanks..

I have most of the copper left over from a bathroom remodel and all that.. I am not expecting high efficiency for my first couple all grain batches so.. if I don't get improvement after a few maybe I will change that around after the fact.

Any additional opinions on this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Espi]

here are some pics....

The cooler I am wondering about...

The copper I cut up a few minutes ago..

Just another view of the manifold in the bottom of the cooler...

I am going to use 3/8 to the drain hole...

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

shouldn't the connector for the tubing be on the end rather than in the center? I am using a stainless braid and don't particularly like it as it floats up too much.

 

[Espi]

I was thinking.... just thinking. mind you...

wouldn't that more center how sparge water drains through the grain bed? water will flow more through the path of least resistance.. i was thinking if the actual drain was towards the center it would actually pull sparge water through the grain bed, not pulling it more through the drain side of the grain bed and not as much through the opposite side?

just wondering and something I was thinking might work a bit better.

 

[Espi]

just soldered it up... we will see what happens.

if anyone has any reasons why this wont work well, please let me know.

thanks..