BeerBorg

I'm thinking that I may move away from BIAB to a more "traditional" mash tun + HLT and I've love to get some input.

I've been looking at mash tuns at MoreBeer that are pricey but I came across this one at my LHBS and it's a good $50 - $60 cheaper than what MoreBeer carries. Is there something obvious that I am missing? It's stainless steel, has a thermometer and a false bottom + a ball valve connection.

The same set up at MoreBeer runs about $100 more!.

So....is there something really different between these two? I see that the MoreBeer pot is dual-layer and sandwiches aluminum between the sheets in the bottom but is that a great benefit?

The second question I have is around sparging since I've only done a bastard version for my BIAB brews;

1) For those of you that batch sparge, what type of efficiency do you get?
2) Fly spargers, same question

I'm trying to determine how much more I want to invest in my sparge setup. My initial thought is to use my current 5G pot as an HLT as-is and just batch sparge, but if fly sparging is THAT much better I can likely drill a hole in it and add a spigot/valve for about $35.00. Then I just need to work on the space issues with having a gravity-fed sparge since I don't want to drop the $$ for a pump.

I'm sure I'm going to have a lot of questions as I think about this and move this direction so I'll just say thanks ahead of time. I feel like a new brewer again.

Well I have only ever used a cooler mash tun with a bazooka screen. Does the one at your LBHS have a false bottom? As for patch sparging, I usually get around 70-80 %. The dual layer sandwich will heat quicker and more evenly. I have both kinds of pots and I like the clad bottom better.

I made my mash tun from a 5 gallon Home Depot water cooler, a brass ball spigot with metal washers, and made a manifold from CPVC pipe. Couldn't have cost me more than thirty bucks.

I usually get around 75% efficiency. My numbers are pretty consistent with BrewToad's numbers, and what I've gotten in the past, at any rate. I batch sparge twice, for 15 minutes each. I don't know if that makes a difference, but that's what I do.

FedoraDave wrote:I made my mash tun from a 5 gallon Home Depot water cooler, a brass ball spigot with metal washers, and made a manifold from CPVC pipe. Couldn't have cost me more than thirty bucks.

I usually get around 75% efficiency. My numbers are pretty consistent with BrewToad's numbers, and what I've gotten in the past, at any rate. I batch sparge twice, for 15 minutes each. I don't know if that makes a difference, but that's what I do.

Dave, I am not sure if you know this, but lead leeches out of brass when heated. not so much as when boiled. Lead is the binder between tin and copper. Just a heads up. There is no such thing as lead free brass. I started with a 5 gallon, and quickly moved to a 10 gallon for ease of use if I wanted a bigger beer. They work great and really hold temps well.

I use a 10 gallon orange, round cooler also, with a CPVC manifold system on the bottom. Works like a charm. As for efficiency, I've got BeerSmith set to 68%. I thought I had some pictures of it posted, but I couldn't find it with the search button. I'll take a couple pictures and post them for you if you want.

Also...with the the stainless steel pots/tuns, how will you maintain temperature?

YOU.WILL.MISS.BIAB!
Just too easy. But I do feel your yearning for THE method for brewing. I think most serious, experienced brewers should try all options and see what works for them.
One size does not fit all!

I built this 5 gallon Igloo Cooler mash tun and fly sparged with it for years, before upgrading to a larger system. I guess I was getting anywhere between 75% to 80% efficiency using a braided stainless steel mesh filter. I like Fly sparging because I always thought it was more efficient than batch sparging. I like being known as a single infusion mash fly sparger.

Kealia wrote:I'm thinking that I may move away from BIAB to a more "traditional" mash tun + HLT and I've love to get some input.

I've been looking at mash tuns at MoreBeer that are pricey but I came across this one at my LHBS and it's a good $50 - $60 cheaper than what MoreBeer carries. Is there something obvious that I am missing? It's stainless steel, has a thermometer and a false bottom + a ball valve connection.

The same set up at MoreBeer runs about $100 more!.

So....is there something really different between these two? I see that the MoreBeer pot is dual-layer and sandwiches aluminum between the sheets in the bottom but is that a great benefit?

The second question I have is around sparging since I've only done a bastard version for my BIAB brews;

1) For those of you that batch sparge, what type of efficiency do you get?
2) Fly spargers, same question

I'm trying to determine how much more I want to invest in my sparge setup. My initial thought is to use my current 5G pot as an HLT as-is and just batch sparge, but if fly sparging is THAT much better I can likely drill a hole in it and add a spigot/valve for about $35.00. Then I just need to work on the space issues with having a gravity-fed sparge since I don't want to drop the $$ for a pump.

I'm sure I'm going to have a lot of questions as I think about this and move this direction so I'll just say thanks ahead of time. I feel like a new brewer again.

First the aluminum sandwiched in the bottom makes an enormous difference. I have stock pot with and stock pot without and use oh so much less propane and take so much less time to heat water.

Second go with a cooler. You can do it yourself like some here have. Or you can even buy one ready made for a hundred bucks or less. I paid a little extra for a stainless steel ball valve. I just don't trust brass because they use lead in the manufacture process. I use a cooler and it only dropped 1 degree in 90 minutes when I brewed on a 40 degree day. I use a 10 gallon tun and have no issues with temp due to head space. I prefer 10 gallons over 5 gallons because I like my wee heavys. And I don't think a 5 gallon would have room for 15 pounds of grain and 6 gallons of water.

Whamolagan wrote:Well I have only ever used a cooler mash tun with a bazooka screen. Does the one at your LBHS have a false bottom? As for patch sparging, I usually get around 70-80 %. The dual layer sandwich will heat quicker and more evenly. I have both kinds of pots and I like the clad bottom better.

Yes, it does have a false bottom. Thanks for your efficiency numbers, too.

FedoraDave wrote:I made my mash tun from a 5 gallon Home Depot water cooler, a brass ball spigot with metal washers, and made a manifold from CPVC pipe. Couldn't have cost me more than thirty bucks.

I usually get around 75% efficiency. My numbers are pretty consistent with BrewToad's numbers, and what I've gotten in the past, at any rate. I batch sparge twice, for 15 minutes each. I don't know if that makes a difference, but that's what I do.

Thanks Dave, this helps. I'm at about 72%, give or take, with BIAB so I'd be happy at 75% or so, too.

BlackDuck wrote: Also...with the the stainless steel pots/tuns, how will you maintain temperature?

Well, I was thinking about either wrapping them with towels or keeping the mash tun on my burner so I could heat if it needed....but I'm starting to think coolers are the way to go now.

A cooler is a real nice easy way to go. I always liked the round coolers and I picked a 7 gal one up from Northern Brewer. I went with 7 gals because 5 is too small and I don't brew a lot of big beers or anything over a 6 gal batch so I don't need a 10 gal. Unless you have an automated recirculating system I don't know any benefit of a direct fired mashtun. It will not hold heat very well on it's own, you would need constant monitoring and adjusting to keep temps.

I batch sparge and use a false bottom in my cooler mashtun. I can see anywhere from 70-80% depending on my water ratios and how I mill the grain. Sometimes I double crush at the LHBS since my efficiency dropped when I switched to his shop. I can't say much about fly sparging because I never did it, but I see no benefit over batch sparging. I wouldn't want to add another hour to MY brewday.

Vince/Roger, what is the capacity of those 5g coolers? Is it really 5g? That seems tight for a 5g batch considering the grains and water isn't it?

MadBrewer - thanks, I'll check out NB. I'm a buy versus build guy so I want it complete. I've been leaning towards batch sparging, too.



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I think using a burner without a temp control would cause temp spikes in the mash. Don't know for sure, just thinking out loud.

As others have said, the cooler is a good option, and I like mine. When it's really cold here, (in the 30's or so) I wrap mine with a couple of blankets. I usually only lose a few degrees over a 75 minute mash time-frame. And BeerSmith helps with the proper strike temp. You just have to remember to set your grain temp and your tun temp. I always pre-heat my tun with about 2 gallons of hot tap water prior to doughing in.

OH...and as for sparging....I fly sparge. I heat my sparge water up in a turkey fryer pot and use my autosiphon to sprinkle the water over top of the grains. The only drawback is that I have to stand there for 20 minutes or so and hold the end of the tube as it sprinkles water of the grains. But it's really no big deal. I've thought about building a sparge arm, but I seem to get a good spread of water, so it works for me.