3 gallon mash tun

[Ren]

Greetings fellow brewers!

I have done only 2 x 5 gallon batches (kit, extract brew) so i am still green. I am thinking to try my hand in AG brewing, but I have really limited space and a weak electric stove. So I was thinking to buy a 3 gallon igloo cooler and turning it into a mash tun (condo style). I would like to do max 2.5 gallon batches as I like variety and if I do 5 gallon brews I will run out of space pretty soon.

What would be your suggestions on building? False bottom or stainless braid? What would be my limitations?Maximum volume of extracted wort?Limitations with big beers?

Cheers

 

[pittsy]

Hi , False bottoms are the best but expensive and not worth the cost for your set up .So i would (did) use a copper strainer (bit of 15mm pipe with slots cut into the bottom ).
To give you an idea of sizes let me explain my set up for a 23 litre batch ,
I have a 25 litre mash tun , i have a 33 litre boiler . When brewing your grain sucks up around 1 litre for every kg used .
For a 5 gallon batch at around 5% strength needs around 5 kg of grain . You are doing around 50% so would need approx 2.5 kg of grain and usually you would use 2.5 litres per kg of grain so you need around 6.25 litres of water with the grain making that approx 9 litre mash tun needed (you just sparge the rest , running water on grain while slowly draining from tap)
Some brews require more liquid in the mash , this is usually no more than 3.5 (it can be more but rare) so 3.5x2.5 plus the grain = 11.25 so 12 litres would be ideal ( i think that's 3 gallon ) :thumb:

 

[Ren]

Thanks for clearing that out for me.

 

[Dads_Ale]

This may be of interest.
http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/aca ... u5t9aTiuM8
I have not used one myself but at the price it may save the hassle of making one.

 

[mickthetrick]

ive one of these that i'm going to use as a mash tun. its an igloo 5 us gallon drinks cooler. on wheels with telescopic handle and also a tap fitted. should be easy to convert and available on ebay. i paid £27.99 with free home delivery. think igloo have good heat retention so should be just the job.

 

[abeyptfc]

that would be ideal as a fermenter!

 

[mickthetrick]

that would be ideal as a fermenter!

sure would.
they are a realy well made sturdy bit of kit. :thumb:

 

[tazuk]

here is how i did mine same thing all ways better to think bigger :thumb:

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filter is a smaller version of this

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[Ren]

If I would go for 5 gallon wouldn't it loose temp more rapidly as I would use it for smaller batches. It turns out that 3 gal igloo has larg diameter so I am afraid that grain bed in it will bee too shallow.

 

[Ren]

Are there limits how deep the grain bed should be?

 

[pittsy]

Yes but i can't remember how much , i think it does matter but more for fly sparging than batch sparging . So even if not ideal you can still use by batch sparging (just filling waiting then draining and filling again after ).

 

[pittsy]

Yes but i can't remember how much , i think it does matter but more for fly sparging than batch sparging . So even if not ideal you can still use by batch sparging (just filling waiting then draining and filling again after ).

 

[mickthetrick]

if you cut a piece of polystyrene the right diameter and place that on top of your grain when mashing it will solve the headspace problem and should help retain heat?
also the one i posted is 5 US gallons which is less than 19 liters so you wont have too much head space.

 

[Ren]

Thanks everyone!I am still not sure, but probably will settle for a 5 gal. Thanks Mick for the tip

 

[tazuk]

i have done over night mash with mine the temp loss was only a few deg c loss like other guy said layer of foil on mash then make a polystyrine lid mine was about 3 inch thick and cover it in cling film to slot in side mash tun the it dont matter if you have a larger mash tun :thumb:

If I would go for 5 gallon wouldn't it loose temp more rapidly as I would use it for smaller batches. It turns out that 3 gal igloo has larg diameter so I am afraid that grain bed in it will bee too shallow.

 

[Ren]

Brilliant. Thanks, i have ordered 5 gal Igloo