Mash tun upgrade - ideas

[smartdev]

I currently use a cool box for my mash tun, along with a plastic bucket as my boiler. Its worked great, but I like projects and I would like to upgrade to something that will allow me to control the temperature of the mash so I can raise it lower it ect.

Would it be possible to accomplish this without taking up any more room? (Live in a small flat so anything I build would need to replace the cool box).

I have considered building something like a grain-father clone only problem is im fine with electronics but anything that is going to require welding is not going to be possible.

Any ideas would be appreciated

[aamcle]

Biab would work or a " Counter Top Brutus 20" (google it) if space is a important factor nothing will beat a Biab.

I've built a Breweasy type but even that takes up a lot of space compared to a recirculating biab or GrainFather type biab.

Atb. Aamcle

[AFewTooMany]

You could always try a small 3-4 litre Hermes pot controlled by PID. Then you have plenty of tinkering and you can keep the coolbox. All kit will fit inside when not in use and you can transfer it to other kit if you go shiny in the future

[smartdev]

Herms sounds like a good idea, any build threads I could look at? It dosent really matter how much space gets taken up during the brew day its more packing it away

[AFewTooMany]

I'm building mine at the moment for BIAB, the HERMS itself is really simple, it's the PID that was a little more difficult.



Asparagus steamer pot are a good size for "water bath". Hole cut in the bottom for kettle element.

10mm copper coil inside it with 1/2" hose barbs

Solar pump with 1/2" hose barbs

1/2" hose



PID diagram for a rough idea

[smartdev]

ok, looks good. BUT could I not just recirculate in the mash tun and have an element under the false bottom? Would this not achieve the same as the herms?

[AFewTooMany]

Think technically that would be RIMS but basically yeah. You could definitely do that and then add the HERMS pot later. You'll probably get a bit of a temp range across the mash ton as you are directly heating the bottom.

[smartdev]

Maybe I could do what the grainfather does and have 2 elements, one for the boil and a lower watt one for the mash?

Or maybe I can just control power output of the element and modify this? Maybe there is enough room at the bottom for all the electronics:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ACE-BEER-MASH ... 339973c708

[aamcle]

You don't need two elements the PID contains the 'bits' that can control the output of the element, reducing its power as needed.

I'd suggest that the simplest and smallest is a recirculating BIAB (note an inner basket is a must), next would be the Brutus 20 just as simple but slightly bulkier.

Its not that hard to build a BM clone I managed (Frankenbrew.co.uk) without any welding. I based it on a 27 litre Burco its an odd size too small to make a 40 pnt batch, I'm not fond of it so its currently in the eaves of my garage. BMs are not that flexible with respect to volume or OG.

A BrewEasy is an easy build its just a recirculating Brutus 20 although I used a GrainFather type constant head setup rather than an EasySparge (float valve).

A GF should be easy, you could ether use a stockpot if you can find the right size, or a length of Stainless Flue pipe as the malt pipe.

These might interest you -

http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/83760 ... n-upgrade/

http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/65735 ... breweries/

And the longest thread I've ever seen.

http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/57924 ... hl=nextgen

Good Luck. Aamcle

[AFewTooMany]

Think a low wattage element is a cracking compromise, just make sure you've got enough flow rate with the recirc pump

[smartdev]

Thanks for all the ideas, I think what I might do is build a small one gallon version before upgrading my bigger batch equipment. For this I might try a BM clone to have a "bread maker" style device for 1 gallon batches, I cant find evidence of anyone else doing this for small batch:

- Stock pot for main unit, already have a small one that I was intending to use for 1 gallon biab.

- A small stock pot for "malt pipe" with handles cut off?

- Solar pump

-Some kind of bendy element so as to stay out of the way of the malt pipe

- Elecontronics - Arduino controlled, probably based on an existing controller project such as some of the ones the aussie home brewers have cooked up.

- Threaded rod for the centre?

My open questions / thinks I need to figure out : -

- Sealing the malt pipe, Aancle I saw that you used a cam lock on the bottom rather than the usual rubber seal, how well did this work? How did you manage to drain the wort out of the grain at the end of the mash?

[aamcle]

The camlock works fine, a but fiddly to line up but after that it works well. Draining isn't an issue, it just drains.

A 5 to 10 litre unit (GF or BM) could be built from a 19 litre Burco.
I used a simple evilbay PID and a cycle timer to manage Frankenbrews BM pump breaks.

Its very achievable, the GF more so as the mesh supports can be made from Polypropylene sheet. PP is a total joy to work with compared to SS!! and it does the job just as well.


Atb. Aamcle