Home Made Mash Tun

[Old Hooky]

I'm building a cheapo Mash Tun using a 30 litre food grade bucket. I'm making a copper manifold to filter the grain and I'm cutting slots every centimetre and facing the slots downwards. What I want to know is whether this is sufficient or do I also need to add a false bottom to the tun. In the past I used a grain bag but wanted to build my kit on the cheap as money is very tight.

[jaberry]

The cheapest way with very little if any compromise would be to Brew In A Bag. One vessel and a mashing bag

[brewjohn]

I can assure you they do work ok. I used a 5 gal fermenting bin and fit a false bottom made from a plastic plate as per Dab's method on the forum. I wrapped 2 layers of insulating wool left over from the attic and then wrapped it in a large plastic bag sealed around the top with duck tape. I sit it on an old quilt and draw that up and round the top. it does not loose more than a couple of degrees in 90 minutes normally. you could make a neater job with a camping mat instead of the insulation wool.

[Old Hooky]

I know the brew bag works but when I was using one I could maintain the mash temperature as I was using my boiler with the temperature controlled to maintain the 65 degrees for the mash. As I'm making a new tun I will have a lid fitted and the whole lot will be insulated. I've just tried the new installed manifold with cold water and it works a treat, I'm just concerned with the slots getting clogged up and don't want to have a stuck mash on brew day. As I said the slots are underneath so I'm hoping this will suffice.

[Dave S]

I know the brew bag works but when I was using one I could maintain the mash temperature as I was using my boiler with the temperature controlled to maintain the 65 degrees for the mash. As I'm making a new tun I will have a lid fitted and the whole lot will be insulated. I've just tried the new installed manifold with cold water and it works a treat, I'm just concerned with the slots getting clogged up and don't want to have a stuck mash on brew day. As I said the slots are underneath so I'm hoping this will suffice.

I've been using such a manifold for 25 brews with no problem - go for it.

[Old Hooky]

Many thanks Dave I will give it a go. Can't believe how I've done all this so cheap and not even purchased an expensive cool box. This has all cost me just under £20 so far.

[Fil]

Sounds like a winner, so where are the pics???

if concerned about the manifold hedge your bets and pop your grain bag round it im sure it will be fine tho..

[Old Hooky]

I'll post some pics when I have finished it all as I'm not sure how to post pics on here. Basically the cost for the Mash Tun breaks down to... £7.40 for the 30L bucket with lid. £4.32 for the elbows and T pieces. £4.00 for the tap. £1.55 for the tank outlet. 15mm Copper pipe I had left over from installing my shower and khazi. Insulating material left over from when I laid my floor. I've just butchered the heater for my chip pan because this allows me to hang it over the side of the mash tun into the water to heat up. It's 2000w and takes about an hour to heat up 30l of water to 75 degrees strike temp. I was going to buy a cheap kettle and use the heating element in my HLT but thought this was better as I can move it. I still might make a false bottom using an old lid from a pot of emulsion.

[Andymick01]

Any chance of some pictures as I am just looking at doing the same to get me going. What did you use for the second stage

[seymour]

Any chance of some pictures as I am just looking at doing the same to get me going. What did you use for the second stage

John Palmer's free How To Brew website is still a great reference whenever this topic comes up. There is an appendix with lots of good instructions, diagrams, pictures: http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixD.html