Possibly an odd question on a mash tun build

[lord groan]

Hi
I've had one of these drinks coolers hanging around for a while waiting for me to do something with it.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Igloo-5g-Gall ... xyl5lSJn1p

Now I've decided to brew on a smaller scale - currently doing 23l brews but it takes too long to drink 23l so I'm hoping to halve it and brew more often with more variety, anyway I've got the cooler and I need a false bottom, I've researched all sorts of things but I reckon one of these might be perfect
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/cook ... -20027536/
The cooler is 25cm in diameter inside at 10cm from the bottom and IKEA say the colander is 25cm across, my plan is to cut off the handles, and hope for a perfect fit in the bottom of the cooler.
Has anyone tried this colander this way?
Did it work?
Did it clog?
Thanks

[Fil]

not Used that particular colander, but have used £shop splatter guards for a hop filter a length of beerline split along its length can be used to slip over the rim to make up any mm gaps around the edge if needed

also as the rim may not be SS but chrome covered mild steel its worth rinsing and drying well between uses

the only concern i would have using that for a false bottom would be with the mesh dome collapsing, with its more open than closed design i doubt you will have any clogging issues unless you brew exclusively with corn or wheat flakes

for smaller ? 10 litre or so sized brews why not do a stove top stock pot biab, One tip i read recently from a stove top stock pot brewer was to pop the pot in the oven during the mash to maintain a constant temp without any insulation concerns, while i as an insulation fan boy would suggest popping the stock pot mash tun in a cardboard box with packing foam beans for insulation

Good luck with the new tun and post pics of the build phooar!!

Other budget FB options can include splater guards as mentioned above, or how about drilling holes through a synthetic chopping board cut to size?

[lord groan]

Thank's fil, must admit I was concerned about the weight of the mash squashing the colander but having seen that this one seems to be made from pierced sheet rather than woven mesh I was hopeful that would give the strength needed, also the curve inwards at the bottom should clear the backnut on the tap. There'll probably be a bit more dead space under it than is ideal but when I recirculate a few litres before running it off that should be ok.
I'll check the rim with a magnet to see if it's steel. Good point about the a beerline, cheers. When I measured up (it's a right pig trying to measure the inner diameter of a round cooler 10cm from the bottom), I reckon it was pretty much bang on 25cm which is why I got a bit excited by the IKEA jobbys spec- it looks perfect, probably too much to hope for but we'll see.
Pictures will be posted
Cheers

[vacant]

While you're in Ikea getting your colander, pick up a £3 splatter screen. The diameter is too big for your mash tun without cutting but the stainless mesh is very fine and high quality. I use one in my bottom drain thermopot mash tun with split silicone hose around the edge and supported in the middle by a metal rod sitting in the bottom drain hole.

[lord groan]

Well Ikea aren't the most honest people in the world then, the colander advertised as stainless steel is actually tinplated mild steel, As soon as I got it I knew it was wrong, too bright a silver colour for stainless. I checked the mesh, handle and base with a magnet, it stuck to every part. I left it in water overnight, by 8:00am it was rusting, so back to the drawing board.

Much cheaper colander from the range turns out to be real s/s!
https://www.therange.co.uk/food-prepara ... der#308813

Base, and handles snapped off carefully but as its slightly smaller at 24cm across I've used Fil's suggestion and slit a length of 6mm aquarium tubing to fit around the edge. Full build pics will follow soon
cheers

[WallyBrew]

Well Ikea aren't the most honest people in the world then, the colander advertised as stainless steel is actually tinplated mild steel, As soon as I got it I knew it was wrong, too bright a silver colour for stainless. I checked the mesh, handle and base with a magnet, it stuck to every part. I left it in water overnight, by 8:00am it was rusting, so back to the drawing board.

Using a magnet is not a guide as to whether it is stainless. Unfortunately some scrap metal merchants also do not know this.

Magnetic properties of ferritic, martensitic and duplex stainless steels

[lord groan]

Too true Wallybrew! I was lucky enough to get my big burco boiler from my local tip for £2 IIRC, built as a galvanised steel external tub with air-gapped stainless inner tub, the inner is strongly magnetic but definitely stainless. They let me have it cheap because "it definitely isn't stainless mate, we've tested it with a magnet" completely ignoring the fact that it had been in use for years, had limescale to prove it and none of the scratches or seams inside were rusting.
The Ikea colander though was rusting immediately.