Finally got this going. This article will tell you how to build you r own mash tun. This by no means the only way but it is the way I did it and the way many have done it before me. It is very simple and is effective. I got the majority of my ideas from “How to Brew” by John Palmer and www.aussiehomebrewer.com. These sits are both great resources so check them out. For a basic run down of my set up have a look at this post. For some other pictures of my mash tun and other equipment have a look at this page. Please leave some comments so I know what people think of this post.
Lets start with what you need. The parts list is:
- 1 cooler/esky
- A couple of metres of 1/2 inch annealed copper pipe
- 1 1/2 inch brass ball valve
- 1 piece 6 inch brass plumbers thread
- 2 1/2 inch brass nuts
- 2 rubber or mica washers
- A number of 1/2 inch copper elbows and tees depending on manifold
- 1 1/2 inch thread to 1/2 inch copper pipe t piece
- Plumbers tape
You will only need very basic tools. The following should get you done:
- two shifters/adjustable spanners/adjustable wrenches
- 1 hacksaw and a couple of decent blades(bi-metal)
- a pair of chain nosed pliers or similar
As you can see from fig 1 I went for the round style drink cooler. Given the time again I would go for something with a larger surface area so I could produce a shallower mash. This can lead to greater efficiency but that is beyond the scope of this article. That said I get a good mash and reasonable efficiency, 75%, with this unit. Another advantage of this unti is that the tap that came with it is removable and is the perfect size for the half inch thread. I find this tun will hold the temperature nicely for a 60-90 min mash. Once you obtain the cooler remove the tap that is currently fitted but keep the internal rubber washers.
Figure 1
Now that you have removed the existing tap you need to fit your new thread and tap to the mash tun. Fit the rubber washers that you removed from the original tap to the half inch thread. Push the thread in through the hole that the original tap was in with about an 4cm of thread visible inside the mash tun, this amount is not critical and can be adjusted. Poisition the rubber washers so that they are inside the cavity in the wall of the mash tun, ie where they original came from. Wrap a little plumbers tape around the thread on the inside of the mash tun. Now fit one rubber washer and one brass nut to the thread on the inside of the mash tun leaving about 2cm of thread sticking out inside the mash tun. You will eventually fit the 1/2 inch thread to 1/2 inch copper pipe t piece as in figure 2.
Figure 2
Now we need to fit the external rubber washer and nut. Once again put some plumbers tape around the thread to seal the thread. Fit the rubber washer and nut and tighten. You may need to hold the internal nut with a spanner to tighten the external nut. What you end up with should look like Figure 3.
Figure 3
Now we need to fit the ball valve which will act as the tap for the mash tun. Once again put some plumbers tape on the thread. This time on the exposed end of the thread on the out side of the mash tun. Now screw on the ball valve. Once again you may need to hold one of the other nuts with a spanner to tighten the ball valve. You should end up with something that looks like Figure 4.
Figure4
So all the basics are done. Now we need to make the manifold to suck out all the worty goodness. Just remember you don’t need to be too critical putting the manifold together. Your grain bed acts as the filter so you don’t need to solder it together or anything like that. The exact design of your manifold will depend on the shape and size of your mash tun. I won’t go into the theory behind the manifold here. For more information on that have a look at “How to Brew” by John Palmer. Figure 5 shows how I have done mine but that doesn’t mean you need to follow my design.
Figure 5
Once you have designed your manifold to suit your system try putting it together and ensure that it fits your tun properly. To make sure the copper pipes fit into the t pieces and elbow use a pair of pliers or something similar to flare the ends of the pipe a little. They will then fit snugly into the fittings. Figures 6 & 7 show the t and elbow fittings and how everything fits together,
Figure 6
Figure 7
You now need to do the worst part of the job. Putting the slots in the copper pipe so you can suck out all the wort. I did mine with a hack saw but you cam do it much more quickly if you have an angle grinder. It should look like Figure 8. From the reading I have done the slots should go on a 45 degree angle but I do not know if or why this is important.
Figure 8
Now that it is all slotted and put together you just need to fit it back to the mash tun. If you have not already done so screw in the t piece ensuring it will line up for you manifold. You don’t need to worry about thread tape here as if liquid gets through, that’s fine inside the mash tun. Once it is fitted just put some water in there and open the ball valve to test it out. Chances are it will work first time. If not you may need to make some minor adjustments for leaks etc.
If there is anything in this tutorial that is not clear please leave a comment and ask for clarification. I hope this is useful to someone. I know I would have found it useful when I was starting out in all grain brewing. Any comments of any sort would be appreciated. For more pics of my mash tun and the rest of my brewing equipment see this page. For a run down on my overall brewing set up have a look at this post. Please leave comments, I would like to know what people think of this.