the journey begins

[PD]

Well for better or worst I've gone and purchased a bit of stainless from one of the sponsors of the site.
I've ordered a 30 litre boiler..............
Its a beginning and will be large enough I hope for brews around 19 litres or so.
So..... passes cap round....

I'm having to do the buying in bits and over a few months so no AG mashing yet. but wanted to make a purchase to get the ball rolling

Might have to use a well wrapped FV for a mash tun at the start, and a visit to the Range for a couple of their silver coloured insulated camping mats.

Ice pop bottles and a water bath to cool...........

 

[Mark1964]

a good but to isulate your mash tun would be a tank jacket £3 from b and q :thumb:

 

[PD]

already got one.......... :whistle:
but I thought I'd wrap the tun in silver to match the boiler ha haaaaa

 

[PD]

correction the boilers 28 litres not 30

 

[EskiBrew]

Nice one PD :party:
Post a pic when it arrives :

 

[PD]

will do I was going to put link in but I must have got last one its not in listings anymore. Order confirmed though

 

[PD]

My shiny arrived this morning looking all clean and bright.

Its not as sturdy as I hoped but it looks ok and I can't really grumble at the price.

However the tap looks a little flimsy, we will see when I've filled it with some water and given it a run through

 

[PD]

oooh like my portrait !


off to put it through its first sea trials. Find any leaks, check dead space and see what its like boiling some water. ( might drop a couple of eggs in for a late breakfast ! )

 

[Mark1964]

Very shiny indeed I would be itching to use it :thumb:

 

[BrotherMalice]

Looks very shiney, must resist the urge to buy shiney...

 

[PD]

well no leaks ! has a dead space of 3 litres below the tap which I notice is not fitted with a hop strainer...

First boiling with 23 litres of water (all told). Fingers crossed that it will give a GOOD boil. plenty of head space left will check max amount of liquid it will safely hold after the boil.

 

[PD]

well it took precisely 1 hour to get to this click on image.



I think thats rolling.....yay !

That's with no insulation obviously and with the garage door wide open on a cold miserable rainy day.

 

[31bb3]

you can always leave the lid on to speed up the boil time then remove it while boiling another idea is to add a nice long extesion to the tap to act as a syphon :thumb:

 

[Baz Chaz]

and if you've a combi boiler fill the boiler with pre heated water from the hot tap :thumb:

 

[PD]

unfortunately we have ordinary hot water tank boiler.
The tap looks like it won't take much messing about with and may need altering has a lock nut behind it so will try releasing it when the " newness " has worn off a bit and see what size oil we got..... needs some tubing and some type of strainer fitted

 

[PD]

Also investigating the possibility of using the boiler itself as a mash tun, grain suspended in a bag etc, drained off after mashing, grains removed and the liquid returned and made up to req. amount and boiled. Will need to do a run and see how well I can insulate the boiler to keep the temps steady during mashing. That would let me brew while I saved up for a proper mash tun as I'm hanging by a slender thread with the wife at the moment....

Oooh play time will have to wait though till I finish night shifts....

 

[Wezzel]

I always used to use a plastic FV as a mash tun and borrowed the duvet off the spare bed to wrap it in. IIRC it only lost a degree or two in an hour.

 

[PD]

yes I think I'm getting a little anal re having a mash tun before I start....

Nothing wrong in making do with plastic fv etc. now I wonder if daughter would notice her duvet missing...

 

[Andyhull]

I'm hanging by a slender thread with the wife at the moment....

Me too, so i can totally relate to you.
Why is it that some THMBO are so against it? :wha:
I made my mash tun from an £8 cool box from tesco's but im guessing your after a shiney one :thumb:

 

[PD]

no a coolbox one will do me fine for the moment. I just never seem to be lucky in seeing them that cheap 30 litres for a tenner.... not asking much is it ?
and I got a tame plumber gnashing at the leash to build a manifold.... if I can't get one already converted....