mash tun too big?(pictures)

[topgear]

hi guys my mash tun was losing a lot of heat, so I have invested in a new one(58litres)
1st reason I got this model is it allready had a hole for tap, 2nd reason is it had wheels,
so I can pull it down to my veg plot and empty it, but looking at different posts on the forum
I am starting to think its too big and wont make a deep filter bed what do you all think :sick: :sick: :sick:

 

[robsan77]

I think it looks great. Maybe worth trying to get some kind of false bottom in there though. :thumb:

 

[rickthebrew]

It all depends how much grain your gonna put in it, 5kg would probably look a bit lost but half full should hold the temp fine I reckon, you can always half fill it and place some tinfoil over the grain inside the tun :hmm: or best just fill it up and brew more

 

[topgear]

It all depends how much grain your gonna put in it, 5kg would probably look a bit lost but half full should hold the temp fine I reckon, you can always half fill it and place some tinfoil over the grain inside the tun :hmm: or best just fill it up and brew more

last 2 brews have been about 5kg so i am thinking its too big i only do 5 gal brews might take it back and get next size down :sick: :sick:

 

[rickthebrew]

temp loss would probably be an issue with 5kg, where did you get it looks great for a bigger setup :thumb:

 

[31bb3]

This may be a stupid question but does it have much insulation ? Have you tried filling it with hot
Water then checking the temp after 90 min to see how much it has lost

 

[topgear]

temp loss would probably be an issue with 5kg, where did you get it looks great for a bigger setup :thumb:

right guys you see whats playing on my mind here is, :hmm: a deep bed is good but this bed will be low and wide is that cause for concern??? :hmm: i have done a temp test and over a hour, it did not move a gnats cock!!! :thumb:

 

[rickthebrew]

how did you do your temp test? Did you fill completley with water? I have a 30litre tun and it is spot on with temp but i did a brew with only half full and it lost a little more temp than normal, i can only guess that with loads of air space in your tun it would loose more temp?

 

[topgear]

hi rickthebrew, no just put 3 gall in and it never moved! warmed it up first, i will test it again 2mo at a higher temp and let you know!

 

[rickthebrew]

cool sounds fine, I would keep the bigger tun then you may want to do bigger brews in the future :thumb:

 

[unclepumble]

as longs as you have 3-4 inches of bed then you will be fine, any less and it will be trouble.

Tin foil over the top will help greatly, as will a proper false bottom the stainless strainer you have in there will not be much cop you will get plenty of stuck mashes, I did with mine when I had one.

UP

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Is this your grain filter?

 

[topgear]

as longs as you have 3-4 inches of bed then you will be fine, any less and it will be trouble.

Tin foil over the top will help greatly, as will a proper false bottom the stainless strainer you have in there will not be much cop you will get plenty of stuck mashes, I did with mine when I had one.

UP

hi guys strange thing is, done 3 all grain's with the stainless steel filter in the picture now, and not had a problem with a stuck sparge :wha:
I can nock up a false bottom no problem but wont that make that grain bed shallower :cry:

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Make a copper manifold with slits. :thumb:

 

[topgear]

It all depends how much grain your gonna put in it, 5kg would probably look a bit lost but half full should hold the temp fine I reckon, you can always half fill it and place some tinfoil over the grain inside the tun :hmm: or best just fill it up and brew more

Did first brew wit new tun! Everything went ok! Lost allot of temp only had 4.5 kg of grain, but never covered the grain with foil (like Rickthebrew and unclepumble told me :x ) noticed asda are doing 24ltr cool box's for £8 think I will get a small one as well

 

[Cyclops]

I bought one of these from Costco, not used it yet, i want to be doing brews of about 24 litres maybe 30. will this be too big for me you think?

 

[topgear]

I bought one of these from Costco, not used it yet, i want to be doing brews of about 24 litres maybe 30. will this be too big for me you think?

Hi my brew turned out ok :thumb: its just a bit big for 5 gall brews but i think i will be doing 10 gall brews soon ,a 5 gall ag does not seem to last long :wha:

 

[rickthebrew]

The answer is simple , brew

BIGGER

:whistle:

 

[topgear]

The answer is simple , brew

BIGGER

:whistle:

yep thats the plan :) transfering all my naf kit brews from corny's to bottles struggle to drink the kits now compared to ag thanks to this forum :wha: