National Homebrew Club Ireland

Brewing Discussions => Equipment & Chemicals => Topic started by: rukkus on July 01, 2013, 08:47:49 PM

Title: New Mash Tun
Post by: rukkus on July 01, 2013, 08:47:49 PM
Considering ordering a 60l one of these http://www.homebrewbuilder.co.uk/mash%20tuns.html thoughts.....?
Title: Re: New Mash Tun
Post by: Shanna on July 01, 2013, 08:53:34 PM
Hi Rukkus

You must have money to burn boy :-) over two hundred quid to buy a mash tun. Those are also uninsulated so I don't sew them working very well. Get a uk keg and convert it for a fraction of the cost.

See below for an example that I made from a 50 ltr ss container, a ball valve conversion kit, a metre of 10mm copper pipe, some angle joints, hex nuts and washers. I cut up insulated boards and glued them to the side of the keg. I then wrapped it in 70 metres of cling film. I have a 4" insulated cover. Savage job for retaining heat. Approx 4C from 12 midnight to 6:30am. Cost approx €50, about 6 hours of my time and you need the tools to drill out the drain.

Shanna
Title: Re: New Mash Tun
Post by: rukkus on July 01, 2013, 09:02:41 PM
Yea they have a double wall so they hold heat really well. They seem to be used for keeping soups warm and guys in the uk have been buying them and kitting them out with taps, bottom drains etc. i was thinking it should last a lifetime and since i'm not great at building stuff its ready to use out of the box. From what i've seen the containers are about £100 to buy on ebay without modifications.
Title: Re: New Mash Tun
Post by: rukkus on July 01, 2013, 09:07:57 PM
Birthday coming up dec ;)

This is an 80l one without mods http://cgi.ebay.fr/MARMITE-THERMOS-CAPACITE-DE-80-LITRES-ACIER-SPECIAL?item=350822135880&cmd=ViewItem&_trksid=p5197.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D5%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D8772366268496468953#ht_2537wt_929
Title: Re: New Mash Tun
Post by: Shanna on July 01, 2013, 10:13:59 PM
Not great at building stuff, I suppose that shows the difference between a builder and an engineer ;-) Naw but seriously I am sure they would be a really neat job especially with the double walls. If it turns out to loose heat you could always ruin it by adding external insulation.

Not sure how easy it would be to a mod job on a double walled pot. Given my limited experience of drilling out the 50 litre job I would be tempted to get a professional engineering shop with proper bench mounted tools to drill the holes for you.

Shanna
Quote from: rukkus on July 01, 2013, 09:02:41 PM
Yea they have a double wall so they hold heat really well. They seem to be used for keeping soups warm and guys in the uk have been buying them and kitting them out with taps, bottom drains etc. i was thinking it should last a lifetime and since i'm not great at building stuff its ready to use out of the box. From what i've seen the containers are about £100 to buy on ebay without modifications.
Title: Re: New Mash Tun
Post by: barkar on July 01, 2013, 10:48:23 PM
I converted one of those 80 litres one , easy enough to convert , ye need an angle grinder and something to cut the bottom drain hole (one of those allen key hole cutters- cant think of the name of it or drill saw ), I couldn't get the false bottom laser cut here so bought some for €35 precut from uk , sliced some silicon tube to cover any imperfections on the edging of the false bottom,

never really used to its full potential but it holds the heat well , well had 18 kg of grain in it for RIS brew  , tis a good piece of kit though

I actually bought a spare one incase i made a balls of the first one , was going to use it as a fermentor never got around to it. Their price seems a bit excessive  for the work involved
Title: Re: New Mash Tun
Post by: halite on July 02, 2013, 11:57:28 AM
I have a very similar MT to that one (got it in Hop and Grape). Its a great bit of kit, double walled and so retains the temp very well, I have never experienced more than a 1c drop in temp over a 60 min mash.

MT on right, BK on left

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-5aChvGqmW_g/T38JLD22pLI/AAAAAAAADFo/jHFGldSyNTI/s400/IMG_0233.JPG)
Title: Re: New Mash Tun
Post by: rukkus on July 02, 2013, 09:21:57 PM
Nice, great to see other are using them and like them. Very tempting. I see the malt miller also does them and has a very high price.