Finally built my mashtun

[broadfordbrewer]

I built this on Saturday and used it for a brew on Sunday (sounds like Craig David!). Brewday write up to follow in the appropriate thread.

I decided to convert a cheapo 24L coolbox with a copper manifold. At a total cost of about £25.
Tools needed for anyone thinking of doing the same: pipe cutter, hacksaw (or some sort of angle grinder if you can get hold of one), I also borrowed a pipe bending gizmo which I needed to accomodate my 'design'
I was concentrating hard when trying to bodge my way through this build so there are only a couple of pics.

Measured up for the tap and cut a hole through the outer/inner casing. Threaded the tank connector through from inside to out and using a small section of copper pipe attached the ball valve tap (all 15mm). Added an additional copper elbow to tap to form the spout.

Measured up inside the coolbox and cut the manifold to fit. Also had to bend the connecting pipe to allow the manifold to sit flat against the floor of the box.

Then put the manifold in a vice and went about cutting as many slots into it as possible, cutting approx half way through the pipe. I used a hacksaw mainly, but did use a dremel drill with a cutting tool on it (although it just overheated too often and because of the steamed up safety glasses I managed to cut some bad angles!)

Fitted it all together and tested it. No leaks and the manifold drained the water (although I would have worried if it didn't!) and reduced the deadspace from 1.3L (with just the tap) to 0.5L :)

P.s. It worked really well in the brewday the following day and no stuck mash :thumb:

 

[Wez]

Brilliant :thumb:

Great write up and pics, glad it worked well on your brewday :thumb:

 

[dorset brewer]

sweet, is that one of those coolboxes from Asda?

if so any chance i could "steal" your measurements for the copper piping?

 

[StubbsPKS]

sweet, is that one of those coolboxes from Asda?

if so any chance i could "steal" your measurements for the copper piping?

I was wondering this same thing. The coolboxes are around £8 at ASDA atm last I checked. I've been so tempted to pick one up, but I just don't have the tools to hand to do this sort of work.

 

[broadfordbrewer]

Brilliant :thumb:

Great write up and pics, glad it worked well on your brewday :thumb:

Cheers Wez. It's been a long time in the talking stage!
It only lost 1C in the mash as well over 90mins. So a little bit of padding next time and all will be sweet.

 

[broadfordbrewer]

sweet, is that one of those coolboxes from Asda?

if so any chance i could "steal" your measurements for the copper piping?

I was wondering this same thing. The coolboxes are around £8 at ASDA atm last I checked. I've been so tempted to pick one up, but I just don't have the tools to hand to do this sort of work.

Guys,
It's not the Asda one, it was from Blacks http://www.blacks.co.uk/brand/Conna...6065/trinidad-wardrobe.html?attribute=3727689 and they're £14.99 now plus p&p, so not as good value anywmore (I paid £10 with no p&p). The make is Connabride and I'm sure they do better ones, but this is quite flimsy. When I drilled the tap hole I was expecting a second plastic wall before the polystyrene filling, but it only has one skin. It turns out this isn't such a problem to it's heat retention, just more for fitting your tank connector. What should happen is that you drill a 21/21mm diameter hole in the outside wall and stop. Then drill a 15mm hole through the second wall and all the way through to the otherside.

The reason for this is that if you have a better coolbox i.e. thicker/rigid plastic and more than one skin, then you will struggle to push the tank connector all the way through. What others have done to overcome this is to cut the larger diameter hole on the outside wall to allow you working space to tighten the tank connector fitting. Hope that makes sense. With mine, as I said only one wall and thankfully I drilled the 15mm hole first and realised what I had to play with (if I hadn't then it would have been ruined). Then it was a case of pushing the tank connector through as far as possible, and tightening it to the point where it actually distorts the outside wall of the box, it's just squashing it as it has nothing to push against. It works fine but looks a little funny.

I worked on very crude measurements for the manifold, just stick a tape measure in and then approximate the space you will need around it, son't worry to much about perfection, as you can see I didn't and it worked out fine...and it just depends what design you go for with the manifold. You can just do a simple square, but by the time you start buying copper etc you may as well do a couple of loops. I didn't solder any of it and it holds together well after you have cut all your slits into it. I constructed the manifold and put the whole thing in a vice and cut it that way. This seems to have helped squash it together. I can still take it apart and clean when needed.

I'll stop waffling now, but anymore questions just ask.
Cost wise it was £10 for the box, about £5 for the tap, £2 for the tank connector, £7 for 3 metres of copper (but you don't need all that). I had the copper T's and elbows, but they're about 35p each. I borrowed any tools I didn't have.

Dave

 

[broadfordbrewer]

sweet, is that one of those coolboxes from Asda?

if so any chance i could "steal" your measurements for the copper piping?

I'll happily measure the manifold, and take some more pics if that helps, and let you know what I worked to, but check that the measurements suit whichever coolbox you buy.

 

[dorset brewer]

sweet, is that one of those coolboxes from Asda?

if so any chance i could "steal" your measurements for the copper piping?

I was wondering this same thing. The coolboxes are around £8 at ASDA atm last I checked. I've been so tempted to pick one up, but I just don't have the tools to hand to do this sort of work.

£6 now :)

 

[broadfordbrewer]

£6 !!! I'm going to get one and build another