Buffalo lagged... But still shiny

[johnnyh]

I just figured the lid is the best fit going, so lagging it would give me an insulated vessel for the mash. First time out it worked like a charm.

I'll test it twice more tomorrow as a day of brewing planned and two batches to be made :party:

 

[bunkerbrewer]

The two holes in the lid are very small so I'm not sure how significant they are. I wasn't planning to attach insulation to the lid but to make a lid out of insulation for use while mashing.

I've cut four circles of thermowrap and stuffed them inside the lid, that works pretty well too. That's two more layers than I've got around the boiler as the heat is trying to escape upwards.

 

[johnnyh]

good idea that, I just double layered the outside of the lid, but a couple of layers inside is a fine idea - how did you fix them in?

 

[rpt]

So with two layers of thermawrap around the boiler and on the lid, are you keeping the temperature for a 90 minute mash? I was expecting to need additional layers while mashing. I'll be doing this in a cold garage so I may need more insulation if you are mashing inside.

 

[bunkerbrewer]

good idea that, I just double layered the outside of the lid, but a couple of layers inside is a fine idea - how did you fix them in?

I didn't! I drew a market pen line around the lid onto the thermowrap and cut to that. The circles fit snugly inside the inside "lip" of the lid all by themselves.

I figure if one drops out onto the mash it doesn't matter too much.

 

[johnnyh]

Cool, I shall be cutting some more Thermawrap later :thumb:

I mash out in the garage, so out in the cold too. I heated to 72, added the grain into the bag which lowered it to 66C, and I put the temp dial to 60C. I only mashed for an hour but is was 66 at the end. During the hour I took the lid off every 15 mins to give it a good stir.

 

[rpt]

and I put the temp dial to 60C.

So you are keeping the Buffalo on to heat the mash?

 

[johnnyh]

Set to 60c yes, but it didn't drop below 66c during the hour, so don't think it came into play.

 

[rpt]

How accurate is your Bufallo's thermostat? I haven't done extensive testing, but when I set it to 70C it heats to nearer 80C.

 

[johnnyh]

I set mine to 80 to achieve the 72C strike temp, so I think mine is a bit under the set value.

 

[bunkerbrewer]

I think the Buffalo instruction manual says it cuts out the element around 10°C of the target temperature...

 

[johnnyh]

Instructions, you mean read the manual? :shock:

We'll have none of that unmanly sensible behaviour around here!

 

[bunkerbrewer]

Instructions, you mean read the manual? :shock:

We'll have none of that unmanly sensible behaviour around here!

:lol:

I tell you what though, on that magic day when I first got my boiler to do AG, that test boil seemed to take forever! There's probably a saying about that... :)

 

[johnnyh]

:rofl: :clap:

 

[Baz Chaz]

Wasn't he that waiter chappy in Fawlty Towers :wha:

 

[johnnyh]

I can happily report the lagged boiler with ball valve tap completed its first brew yesterday, no cut out, no issues, good brew :thumb:

 

[Baz Chaz]

Excellent result there J :thumb:

 

[johnnyh]

Here we are at a nice rolling boil :thumb:

 

[bunkerbrewer]

good idea that, I just double layered the outside of the lid, but a couple of layers inside is a fine idea - how did you fix them in?

A little update to this - a wire coat hanger clips inside the lid, holding the insulation in place really well:

This has now got 6 layer of insulation inside the lid.

 

[Pearlfisher]

Saving up for a 40L buffalo , when I get it ,where's the best place to buy thermowrap from please?