How to Make a Mash Tun

[Bigster]

Thanks again DAAB for excellent advice.

I think I will keep the cool box as I am sure I will convert it at some point after some trial and error brews

p.s I have now got all the gear needed for a 25m 10mm immersion chiller trademark DAAB - total cost £22 incl hosepipe and fixings! Now just got the small problem of fitting all that copper in my little electrim boiler

Cheers

[Bigster]

DAAB - should get round to making immersion chiller this week and will post picture.
Instead of trying to fit all that copper in to little electrim could I not run off the boiling wort in to my primary fermenter which is bigger and cool there? The primary and chiller could have been sterilised with VWP - or am I talking nuts cos the moment you sterilise copper ......

Cheers

[Bigster]

:huh: Back to plan A then. I think i will get a boil going and then see how much of the copper i can get in there just before man overboard occurs before I get too far with my chiller design..
thanks again

[Bigster]

DAAB Thanks for doing that - impressive stuff. Am I the only non plumber on this site

I am still keen on this immersion chiller of yours and think i will investigate converting one of those 33l bins you mentioned which would accomodate the full 25m

Having looked at my (tinytim) electrim I reckon I could salvage the element and temp control off that pretty easily.

Cheers

[Bigster]

25 m Copper for immersion chiller arrived ( 8mm instead of 10mm - pesky ebay traders ).
Anyway have gone ahead and coiled a lot of it around a demijohn ( 25 rings to be precise) and 2 problems:

1. I now have a very flexible copper spring ala those stair slinky things :rolleyes: I have tried keeping it all together with leftover bits of copper pipe but it is a bit heath robinson and isnt going to last. Any suggestions on keeping it in place ?

2. as it is 8mm it seems a lot of weight for the little arms aticking out the sides to support and as it has been bent I would imagine not a lot of water is going to get through. any suggestions ?

Cheers

[Road Runner]

Have you got a birthday coming up? Ask for a ready made one for a birthday pressy, saves having to buy it yourself

I've just got one of the smaller diameter coil immersion chillers. Seems to work great, cools my wort to 20'c in 20 mins.

It was a birthday pressy last year

[Andy]

I've got about 100m of bare copper wire! But I'm in sunny Surrey.....

[Bigster]

[I'd hold it together with the copper earting wire stripped from twin and earth cable ]

Good thinking - as my brother is a spark I should be ok for some. I dont think I will be posting a picture of the finished article but as long as it does the job.


[I've just got one of the smaller diameter coil immersion chillers. Seems to work great, cools my wort to 20'c in 20 mins.]
I will be happy with that

[I've got about 100m of bare copper wire! But I'm in sunny Surrey..... ]
Unfortunately I'm in not so sunny Bristol - thanks for the offer though

Thanks

[Bigster]

Hooray :pink my immersion chiller is finished. It started life as a 25m 10mm project and ended up as a 17m 8mm. Never minds it works and its maiden flight tonight cooled from 100 c to low 20's c in approx 20 mins and got though about 35 litres of water which I am very happy with. It wont win any beauty contest though

It may even go faster as I was messing around with the flow rate - any suggestions as at a trickle the hospipe was almost melting ( much to the concern of my lad who was holding on to it ) and just a notch or two up and it was luke warm?

I also noticed when sticking my hand in that it was very cold at the bottom , pretty cool in the middle of the coil and hot near the top. Do you stir it to try and get an even temp reading as it is cooling?

Now thats finished where did I put those instructions on converting a cool box....

Thanks all , especially DAAB

[Andy]

Well done Bigster ( + helper!)

The mash tun's easy to make!

[Bigster]

I think I will make a mash tun out of the old cool box I have. I have seen all your designs on this thread and they look great.
Does anyone have a phils sparger arm thing for a coolbox, if so what width does it fit (mines 10 1/2 inches - the coolbox that is ) dont know if thats a standard size?

Cheers

[Andy]

You want the http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/item965.htm

[Bigster]

Thanks for that - looks as though these would work on my electrim bin as well if needed.

Cheers

[Road Runner]

I use a Thermos Cool Box/Mash Tun also.

I bought a 10 1/2 inch Spinny Sparger as that was the only one the guy in my HBS had. But it had to be trimmed to 8 1/2 inches to fit nicely into the Cool Box without fowling on the sides.

[Bigster]

Andy

I like the look of your cool box manifold and think I will make one.I would be grateful for some advice please.
How have you got on with it so far?
Is the stainless steel braiding one of those units with the connections at each end cut off or are you able to buy it as it is?
Assuming your coolbox is the same size as mine the braiding looks about 3 foot long. Is that so?
The pipe inside the braiding - what is it made of and was it easy to get out?
Did you modify the braiding at all or does the wort flow through fine as it is?
Also I have some cheapo green hose pipe left over from my immersion chiller which if I can heat and force over the connections I intend to use. Does this sound ok?
Enough questions

Thanks