Any shed some light on this kit?

[Monkhouse]

Hey, I got given this kit a few years back when I wanted to make the leap from kit to ag brewing. Back then I had zero knowledge of ag brewing so I just put this kit in storage.
My brother in law has since bought some shiny new brewing kit including a boiler, mash tun, hot liquor tank, chiller plate etc. Having done a couple of brews with him I now have a tiny bit of experience and thought I’d dig this out in the hope I may understand more what I’ve actually been given. I still don’t really understand what I’ve been given
To me it looks as though it’s some form of kettle, does this perform the task of boiling the wort? Or does it look as though it may be used for mashing and boiling too? The fella that gave me this kit years ago I’m sure he mentioned something about a thermostat that I would need but can’t remember now what he actually meant or where to look for the right part.
Could anyone help me here?

[LeeH]

Looks like a tea urn to me. And one very old but interesting grain mill!


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[Monkhouse]

Haha you’re right about the interesting grain mill! The old gent who gave me all this was an engineer and made the mill himself!
So a tea urn? Umm... how could I use this for brewing?

[LeeH]

Put your grain in a bag and use it as a mash tun.

It’s very basic boiler to be honest and not idea as it is.

Go on YouTube and search BIAB. Boil or brew in a bag.


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[Kev888]

That boiler looks very useful indeed. In the brewing process, it could be used as the Boiler and/or Hot Liquor Tun in a 3-vessel (or 2-vessel) setup, combined with other vessels (such as a mash tun). Or it could be used largely by itself to Brew In A Bag (BIAB), with a net bag to hold the grains and an old duvet or similar wrapped around during the mash. If there is a hop filter great, if not then you can even put the hops in net bags too.

As it has been used by a brewer before, theres a good chance that it will boil properly (not just simmer like some urns, which require modification). Though worth a test with water, and if it is getting on in age give it a check over to make sure it is okay first - no flex or seals deteriorating for example - testing outside or where leaks don't matter may be worthwhile. (It could have fibre sealing washers that can dry out and get brittle with age and storage).

You can use a decent thermometer to bring it to temperature manually, thermostatic control is convenient but not necessary for simple infusion mashes.