Homemade mash tun advice.

[JonathanMSE]

I'm about to try my first all grain brew, the only piece of equipment that I don't have is a mash tun, so I made my own. It's a bit bodged together out of a fermenting bin, and then alternating layers of bubble wrap and silver foil.
I ran a quick test filling it with 68c water for 90 mins. The temperature dropped to 65c. (I didn't pre-warm it either) So I think it works and will hold temperature just fine. (It might not last too long, but I had the materials hanging around, so if it saves a bit of money, why not?)

However, I am using the spigot from the bucket as an outlet, is that going to be sufficient? Or will it get blocked during first runnings? Or would Ibe better off just adding a ball valve?

Thanks

 

[Drunkula]

I've got almost the same thing. I've got the grain in a bag and at the bottom used to have a frying pan splatter guard resting on the tap nut inside, now I use one of those folding steamer basket things. Having a false bottom of some sort will mean there's less channeling of wort straight to the tap and you'll get better efficiency.

I've been doing a vorlauf for the past few brews and floating a plastic colander on top and it's really cleared up the wort.

 

[JonathanMSE]

I was gifted a proper false bottom, which I've connected to the spigot with a barb, so hopefully the wort will be fairly clear.