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Metal Mash tun questions

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Leithoa

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Joined
Aug 25, 2012
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Location
Akron
So I am looking to put together a metal lined mashtun for mostly 5G batches with the option for 8(10?). Since I am investing in insulation this will not be a direct fire tune, I will use either decoction or an immersion element to adjust temperatures. I'm probably going to end up using a stock pot for the inside but was curious what everyone was using for insulation and if people were covering their tuns.

I've seen Reflectrix and hot water heater insulation used as well as the keg quilts. I want the mashtun to look like a finished product not a work in progress. I've seen Ryan , Andrew's, and Phil's mash tuns and while I'm not opposed to them I want to see what else people are doing.

My other thoughts were to cover it in aluminum flashing as others have done, but I was considering making proper folded seams or possibly riveting the layers together. My end goal is a 'clean' looking mash tun that holds stable temperatures for 60min mashes.
 
Just curious why you are hung up on the metal part of it, if you are going to modify it with insulation and not use direct fire anyway. You might as well save your self a lot of time and money with a cooler and add an element to that.

OR you could use one of those electric turkey fryers, they work well if you use your own controller instead of the one on the unit, they are too variable.
 
A) don't like the look of orange cooler mash tuns. I would like my brew station to look semi-professional. and B) I don't like plastic in the hot side of my process. While I'm not frantic about leaching plasticizers I like to minimize it where possible. I am concerned about coolers delaminating, warping and in general not having the longevity I want in my equipment.
C) Because I can.
 
What about a stock pot w/ a flashing jacket (even seen a few w/ cool buckle clasps riveted on so it can be removed easily if need be) and spray foam insulation? You could even sandwich the foam between reflectix...now you got me thinking! Check out the jarhill pots on eBay. Super cheap for what you're looking to do and you have several big ass pots for less than the cost of one elsewhere.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-4-sets-.../251317822016?pt=Cookware&hash=item3a83b5a240
 
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