Building a mash tun

[rickthebrew]

I`m only one bit of kit away from the darkside :)

Just need to build my mash tun!!

I haven`t got a cool box yet and the best deal i can find is on amazon just under 18 quid delivered for a 30litre one, should of got one for 7 quid in asda in the summer!!

so a few questions:

1 - is this the best way forward for a cheap setup ( i got my boiler of freecycle :party: )
2 - what size copper pipe is best to use 15mm or 22mm
3 - should i solder the copper together or use pushfit ones so i can disasemble for cleaning
4 - how do i make it exactly?

any help or links would be much appreciated - i`m itching to do my first AG brew!

:twisted:

 

[Wez]

1 - is this the best way forward for a cheap setup ( i got my boiler of freecycle :party: )

Yes, i think you cant beat it as a good solid starting point that wont cost the earth.

2 - what size copper pipe is best to use 15mm or 22mm

I used 15mm and it was fine

3 - should i solder the copper together or use pushfit ones so i can disasemble for cleaning

Don't bother with solder or buying pushfit stuff, just push the pipe into the elbows 'loose'

4 - how do i make it exactly?

You will need to cut a hole in the outer skin of the coolbox with a holecutting drill bit of a size to suit your tap or ball valve
Remove the foam insulation from that area
Cut a hole in the inner skin
fit your tap and make sure it's watertight
for the manifold.
make cuts in the pipe that go almost halfway up the pipe at ~3mm intervals
arrange the lengths of pipe using 90' elbows to make a good fit for the base of your tun (cut-slots pointing down)
make sure you have a 'T-Piece' that goes and fits into the back of the tap and that it's air tight*

Thats the basics.

*needs to be airtight as the manifold replies upon a syphon effect :thumb:

 

[Muddydisco]

Try here Clicky
I used 15mm piping and the joints are not soldered so it can be stripped for cleaning just pinch them with some pliers for a tight push fit.!

 

[rickthebrew]

cheers wez and MD,

i see MD has drilled his pipe and wez you say to cut slots? any reason for the difference or does it not really matter?

nice set up md!! :clap:

 

[Aleman]

Cut slots with an angle grinder and a slitting disc . . . makes easy work of it . . . Drilling is hard work

 

[Moley]

I haven`t got a cool box yet and the best deal i can find is on amazon, just under 18 quid delivered for a 30litre one, should of got one for 7 quid in asda in the summer!!

Don't penny-pinch on the coolbox, remember it's supposed to hold within 1°C for 90 minutes. I think I paid £15 for a 19 litre but it's a well made box and has decent insulation. I could of (sic) got a bigger one for less money but the walls were thin and the insulation was ****, something like 1cm of expanded polystyrene.

That Coleman one looks like it should do the job, but it might be bigger than you actually need if you're doing standard 5 gallon brews.

 

[rickthebrew]

yeah i reckon my first brew will be 5 gallons - keep things simple(ish) for the first one!
My boiler can hold at least 45 - 50 litres safely so i hope to be able to scale up to 7 1/2 gallon brews to give me around 60pints a time! As i`ll have to do my brewday in the backgarden (my boiler is huge, old, not pretty and on wheels!) it`ll make sense to brew in quantity - i`ve a want on freecycle for a coolbox but will order one if i get no replies - then build my manifold and order my grain/ hops and hopefully be on my first brew on a dry day in the near future!!

i think i`m pretty near the bottom of the `cheap end of the brewing scale` !! :thumb:

 

[rickthebrew]

sorry meant to ask - is a simple rectangle design sufficent for the manifold or would another pipe across the middle be best?

 

[tubby_shaw]

Add a cross piece if you can :thumb:
It'll help with efficiency and run off as there will be less chance of channelling.

 

[rickthebrew]

as moley pointed out a 30litre box may be to big - if i did a 5gallon brew with around 4kg of grain and 10litres of water in the mash tun would this be unefficient and cool below the temp i need? Would i be better of doing a bigger brew to fill the mash tun ?
I suppose i`m asking if the mash tun has to be full to hold its temp? - if i added extra insulation would this be OK

- sorry for all the basic questions i just want to get it right and get that first brew on!!

 

[jamesb]

No, it'll be fine. Just remember to preheat the mash tun with some hot or boiling water before you start doughing in. Covering it with a sleeping bag or blanket during the mash will also help.

As a side note, there have been more reports of stuck mashes or slow run-off from people who use 15mm pipe so I'd recommend using 22mm. YMMV.

 

[rickthebrew]

cheers for the help so far!!

umm.. sparge arm? - worth doing - whilst i`m there