Mash-Tun

I have had my eye on a Braumiester 50L but at around £2,000, at present I can't justify the cost. So I have to use what I have around me where possible. We have had a 47 litre coleman coolbox for a few years and it seems that this is a perfect size to be converted into a Mash-Tun.

I removed the handle, drain plug fitting and lid and used an Oxy cleaner and scrubbed at it for about an hour until it was squeaky clean.

Then I attempted to pick my way through the options for metalwork.

Many youtube videos and blog articles later I decided :

1. Where possible all metal should be 316 Stainless Steel
2. I needed 1/2" BSP 3 part ball valves
3. I would construct a copper manifold to be a wort strainer to be placed in the base of the tun

This would allow for a simple no-sparge setup, where:

- all of the strike water is added to the tun
- then all of the grist is added
- cover it up for 90 mins
- drain

The secret to getting this right is adding the correct amount of base malt to match the 65% efficiency of this method. But get the calculation correct and it will costs an extra 50 pence in malt and do away with the potential problems of sparging.

This is what I ended up with.

 Close up of the steel nut and silicon high temp o-ring

1/2 BSP 316 Stainless Steel Ball Valve

Cleaning the lid.

Cleaning the metalwork before its first use, with Oxy. Note ball valves have been dismantled.

Drying.