Mini All-Grain Trial Runs - Mash Tun

[Lowry0031]

In order to fine tune recipes, I am looking into doing small, 1 gallon AG brews.

What size of mash tun would I need to do a 1 gallon AG brew?

 

[brandonhagen1]

your boil kettle should work for a batch that small

 

[dcHokie]

Lowry,a lot of folks use a 5 gallon cooler for their standard 5 gallon batches, so I guess theoretically you could do 1 gal batches in a 1 gallon cooler or your kettle, even a small dutch oven type pot on the stove.

But I probably won't be the only one to suggest just building a 5 gallon mash tun to start. The cost of materials and time to put together a DIY cooler mash tun will be the same and you'll be able to use it when you step up to full 5 gallon batches. In that vein, I'd also recommend stepping up the recipes a little larger than 1 gallon. You'll expend the same amount of time brewing 1 gallon as you would 3, 4, 5 gallons, but you'll lose alot of volume to hops, transferring, bottling etc. Plus, you'll need some pretty precise measuring equipment with grain/hop quantities that small. My 2 cents

 

[iijakii]

I used to do 2.5 gal AG BIABs in a 5gal pot on my stovetop.

 

[Revvy]

I've put together a bit of a primer on small batch brewing here. I show a couple options for minimash tuns, including an unmodified 2 gallon cooler, and one of those 5 liter minikegs. Check it out.

 

[Scottanooga]

I built a mini mash tun following this wiki. I brewed a 1 gallon batch last weekend and it worked fine. I already had a 10 gallon Igloo mash tun, which I figured was overkill for a 1 gallon batch.

Making a Partial Mash mash tun - Home Brewing Wiki

I'm brewing another 1 gallon batch this weekend. I think the small batches will be great for developing recipes.

 

[dcHokie]

hey Lowry, I just reread my post and my intent wasn't to dissuade you from doing small-batch brews, just thought you might save a few bucks building a mash tun you could use for small batches and 5 gal batches alike

 

[derekge]

What about fly-sparging? Do you just do a similar setup?

 

[derekge]

I built a mini mash tun following this wiki. I brewed a 1 gallon batch last weekend and it worked fine. I already had a 10 gallon Igloo mash tun, which I figured was overkill for a 1 gallon batch.

Making a Partial Mash mash tun - Home Brewing Wiki

I'm brewing another 1 gallon batch this weekend. I think the small batches will be great for developing recipes.

This is an awesome setup but for those, like me, who aren't handy and can't stand building stuff I found Home Brew Stuff online with this setup ready to go. http://www.homebrewstuff.com/2-gallon-mash-tun.html

It's $40 for just the 2 gal. mash tun (see attached pic) but I needed an HLT for fly-sparging. So I called them and they are building me a custom setup: the 2 gal. mash tun (link above) plus a sparge arm in the mash tun and a 2 gal. HLT with hosing! Total cost: $78 (includes tax and shipping).

Before you balk at the price let me share with you the total cost in parts alone that I was spending at Home Depot and Lowe's (not one place had all the parts) while trying to do it on my own: $88 - that's $44 per cooler setup. The total cost for the mash tun from the wiki link is $37 (before tax). If you add the $8 shipping cost to one from Home Brew Stuff you get a total of $48 (before tax). So for $11 more you can have a 2 gal. mash tun built for you! And for ~$40 more you can fly sparge with the added 2 gal. HLT!

 

[sa1126]

I built a mini mash tun following this wiki. I brewed a 1 gallon batch last weekend and it worked fine. I already had a 10 gallon Igloo mash tun, which I figured was overkill for a 1 gallon batch.

Making a Partial Mash mash tun - Home Brewing Wiki

I'm brewing another 1 gallon batch this weekend. I think the small batches will be great for developing recipes.

Nice wiki. Quick noob question--do those stainless hoses actually let water/wort in?

 

[Scottanooga]

I can't say how well the braided hoses work with large batches and big brain bills, but for small batches, they work just fine.

 

[logdrum]

Nice wiki. Quick noob question--do those stainless hoses actually let water/wort in?

You need to cut off the ends & remove the inner tubing first and use the braided stainless sheath as your false bottom/manifold. And yes, they work great.

 

[sa1126]

You need to cut off the ends & remove the inner tubing first and use the braided stainless sheath as your false bottom/manifold. And yes, they work great.

Got it setup, works like a charm!