A new mash tun required, upgrade options

[gnelson]

Hi All,

My rather old ice box mash tun is finally dying, as the skin is cracking around the top. Time to build a new one. I am in the rather nice position of being richer than I was when I bought that about 17 years ago.

I've been reading the nice thread on modding a buffalo boiler to make a mashtun/boiler. This has got me thinking. I don't want to heat inside the mash tun (had terrible burned on problems with wheat beer going that route with an old Burco), but especially my more adventurous brews (eg wheat beers) would really benefit from a step infusion mash.

So my idea is to build/ buy a SS boiler with a tap at the bottom and a false bottom, plus a tap at the top for recirculating. In between these, I'll build a recirculating pump and heater, based on this:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-your-own-Stainless-Steel-RIMS-tube-Round-2/
which contains the element and a temp probe. If I put three way taps on this, I can use the whole system to pump the mash liquor in from my boiler, then let it settle, then begin recirculating the mash and optionally change/ maintain temperature with this RIMS system. Once mashing is complete, I can use the same pump to sparge the mash whilst draining into the final boiler. Obviously this requires a three tank system, but I already have a boiler from mrlard for the final boil, and a very old Hop and Grape plastic boiler that I currently use for heating my sparge liquor.

I mostly brew 10 gallons, so am thinking a 50 litre tun should be ample big enough. Having controlling electrics will be all new to me, the most I currently do is have a pump to get the cooled wort up to the fermenter after the boil.

First off, does anyone see flaws in this plan? Can I design a better system?

Secondly, I've been looking at buying a SS pan, taps, false bottom and insulation, and actually, angelhomebrew basically sell a system that has everything I want except the top tap for about the same cost as me buying the parts and building it myself. Am I missing some great bargains out there? If I was feeling super rich there are some lovely thermos systems out there too, but that is a pretty penny...

 

[Fil]

#1 for a good price email the german sellers on ebay.fr of 'inox marmite 50l' (afaik french for stainless steel stockpot /thermopot 50l) pm me for an addy if you cant find one.. (off ebay you should pay less than the ebay.fr cost for pot and delivery to the uk.. )

Why do you want heat? what brews you want to brew need stepped mashes?
if you only want to brew the odd stepped mash beer (generally totally unnecessary due to modern well modified grains, so unless your using ancient home grown malt strains? why?? )

If you dont have any 'need' for heat input other than maintaining mash temp I would strongly suggest go thermopot with a FB, with sufficient preheating (takes a darn sight more preheating than a cold box!!) you should maintain a good mash temp regardless and if you do need to step a mash, add a pan of extra hot liquor as n when needed..

its a simple build, especially with the low profile drain kits available these days, but it just takes a lil patience and thick gloves to use a belt sander to trim down a standard SS elbow fitting And thermopots trump any stockpots in my deck of top brew trumps

You can always add a rims or herms component to a thermopot tun if you do end up needing to change mash temps frequently. and heating up a mash within an excelant heat retaining vessel like a thermopot wont require the energy input needed to heat a less efficiently insulated tun.

just my take after spending a little too long fine tuning my own herms system that now gathers dust rather well,,

 

[Bigcol49]

Why do you want heat? what brews you want to brew need stepped mashes?

Hi @Fil
All of my mashes are stepped mashes - I can choose exactly what characteristics the final beer has.

 

[simon12]

Personally I would go for a thermo pot and only passive insulation as theres so much more to go wrong with a pump and element. If you don't mind elaborating what do you get with a stepped mash Col is there that much difference?

 

[Clint]

Check out powell brewing...

 

[gnelson]

Thanks all for your help and advice.

@Clint yes, I saw Powell brewing too, and was impressed with their website. Any experience of using them? I thought their Thermos pot looked rather nice (if at the top end of costs!).

@simon12 and @Fil I am thinking to only use the heating when doing step infusion mashing: this is comparatively new to me- I currently only use it in my wheat beer recipe, which was one I gleaned from 'tinternet. I understand the principles behind it, and I think @Bigcol49 is right, it can give you a lot more control of the process. This does appeal to me. The second reason I was thinking of a heater is I am tempted by the recirculation during mashing (no more stirring!), and I worry that there will be a lot of temperature loss if I did recirculation. My thoughts with my plan was that I can still use the whole system as I currently do (ie a three pot system with a single step mash and sparge), which essentially obviates any pumping and uses gravity except the final step of getting the wort to the FV (I am not lifting 10 gallons from the floor up to the bench any more!)

@Fil , your advice sounds good, and the fact that you don't bother with RIMS etc any longer makes me wonder how much I would notice a difference.

So, wonder if I convince the owner of the purse strings that a thermopot is the way to go...

 

[gnelson]

Actually, just seen this 40 litre one on PowellBrewing (I'd only looked at the 50 litre before):
https://powellbrewing.co.uk/product...rmopot-with-fase-bottom-and-temprature-gauge/
Looks really nice and a very good price in my opinion. If i got a tap added at the top too for any possible future upgrade to RIMS, it would be ideal. 40 litres is still bigger than either of my current mash tuns (28 l cool box or 4 gallon baby burco).

Anyone got one to comment on?

 

[Fil]

If at all diy inclined? perhaps you should get a quote for a thermopot from the german folk ([email protected]) my last 80l pot cost circa £95 delivered about 5 years ago iirc, price up a ball valve and fittings (1/2" bsp Stainless steel thru deck flange, elbow, nipple and washers) and a perforated SS FB (?£30 cut to size??) add £12 for a 20mm qmax punch, and if you have a belt sander and drill your set to go.. the SS skins of a thermopot are even thinner than the skins of the catering SS pots.. and you can make a real; pigs ear of the base underside as no one will ever see it, or simply clad it all behind a skin of 3mm ply when your done tho some folk manage to make a neat job of the base too (I didnt)

 

[Fil]

Thanks all for your help and advice.

@Fil , your advice sounds good, and the fact that you don't bother with RIMS etc any longer makes me wonder how much I would notice a difference.

So, wonder if I convince the owner of the purse strings that a thermopot is the way to go...

Just to clarify i had great fun building my herms coil and controller for use with my original placky brewery, but once it was working as expected it was a relief to brew without its 'complication' and without the extra clean up it needed too.
And FYI since treating myself to a grainfather for small brews i do currently brew with a kettle rims machine..

 

[Clint]

Not used Powell although I did consider when looking as they are fairly close to me.
I believe forum member Druncan had custom pot (s) made but can't remember where from. ...

 

[gnelson]

the SS skins of a thermopot are even thinner than the skins of the catering SS pots.. and you can make a real; pigs ear of the base underside as no one will ever see it, or simply clad it all behind a skin of 3mm ply when your done tho some folk manage to make a neat job of the base too (I didnt)

That is good to know, I was veering away from the double skin as I thought it would be even harder to cut. I've only made one SS so far: an FV with tap for my Dad. I've bought my other two pre-made (boiler and FV). Think I'll price it up with the couple of EU sites that have been suggested and see where I get to compared to Powell Brewing, since I already have a cutter.

On that question, does having a base drain make that much difference in lost wort? My thinking is that there will be quite a lip from the nut that there will eb a significant amount of waste left in the bottom: at least with a side tap I would be able to tilt the vessel...