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Uninsulated Mash Tun - Advice Please

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  • Uninsulated Mash Tun - Advice Please

    Looking at a new 7bbl Mash Tun, and considering going uninsulated (cost), and a flat hinged lid instead of a dome. Would like to hear from anyone who has experience with either of these options please. Drawbacks?

    I understand with the flat lid the Mash Tun isn't really CIPable. But it will give better access for manual mixing during mash in.

    We are looking at it being direct fire, with heat shielding around the base of the tun.

    Any opinions or insights welcome.

  • #2
    We have a 5bbl with an offset flat hinged top with a 4" port with sprayball. We don't use it much in the mash-. Mainly boil kettle where gunk gets caked on.

    We manually mash in.

    I had a 3bbl uninsulated and upgraded to the 5bbl jacketed and insulated and I would never go back.

    We run an electric RIMS setup on the Mash tun. If it's insulated and I hit my strike temp the tank only drops about 2-3 degrees over the hour. I set the strike 3 degrees higher and drop into my ideal mash temp before vorlauf.

    We rarely have to use the RIMS HEAT unless we miss the strike temp.

    Boil kettle with gas less necessary to be insulated IMO because your heating it throughout boil.

    Originally posted by Wayki View Post
    Looking at a new 7bbl Mash Tun, and considering going uninsulated (cost), and a flat hinged lid instead of a dome. Would like to hear from anyone who has experience with either of these options please. Drawbacks?

    I understand with the flat lid the Mash Tun isn't really CIPable. But it will give better access for manual mixing during mash in.

    We are looking at it being direct fire, with heat shielding around the base of the tun.

    Any opinions or insights welcome.
    Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
    JC McDowell
    Bandit Brewing Co.- 3bbl brewery and growing
    Darby, MT- population 700
    OPENED Black Friday 2014!

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    • #3
      Thanks for the reply. If we can squeeze it, I might push for the full insulation. Still thinking if direct fire to help when we miss strike temps. With our current setup we also use the direct fire to do mash out, mixing and recirculating with the pump while flame is on.

      On a larger vessel is that a realistic option? Or is it not really possible to mix sufficiently to achieve this? Or is it not a good idea to be mixing the much?


      Sent from my moto g(6) plus using Tapatalk

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      • #4
        I asked most than a few different small breweries I've visited about this before buying my non insulated 3bbl tun. 2 of them had rims systems they bought but werent using because they said the 3 bbl mash volume holds temps so well on its own it wasnt needed. (one place never set it up at all) 2 weeks ago I stopped a a place that had a stout 5bbl uninsulated tun they also claimed held temps fine on its own. I realize ambient temps effects things but im just throwing that out there.
        I do not intend on mixing my mash , I will be recirculating the wort through it and my rims instead. Ive found better efficiencies that way with low flow recirculation which discriminates against channeling.

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        • #5
          I wouldn't even consider direct firing for heating it up if the mash temp is wrong. It will burn just like porridge or really thick stew and you won't get consistent temperatures. Spend the money you would spend on a burner system and flue fitting insulation and sorting out correct mash temperatures. There are plenty of on line calculations for working out what strike liquor temperature you need, and you simply correct the next brew if the first isn't quite right.

          RIMS - personally I wouldn't bother - and have no experience of the system, and generally don't consider rising temperature mashes necessary, but plenty of people work with RIMS for rising temperature infusion mashes, but of course that system costs more than a simple insulated MT, and getting the single mash temperature right with it.
          dick

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          • #6
            Thanks Dick. When I say we use the flame to adjust for missing strike temps there is only water in our tun. We currently fill the tun with the strike water and then add malt in. This has been working for us on our 4.5 BBL system, but I am aware that when we scale up it might not be that efficient.

            We use an on demand hot water system instead of a HLT, the problem is it's not easy to dial in temperature with it and we can overshoot or undershoot quite easily.

            I still like the idea of being able to raise the temp for mash out, but am getting the impression this isn't the common on systems this size.

            Sent from my moto g(6) plus using Tapatalk

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            • #7
              Ah. If you are heating up only the water in the MT, after filling with what is reported as being not terribly accurate in line heating, then this makes more sense. Why not simply aim for say 68 C in the MT, then add a little cold water to cool down, rather than heating up ? Surely it is comparatively easy to over heat, even if it takes a few minutes longer to fill to the desire volume. The you could insulate the whole tum making it more temperature stable.
              dick

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              • #8
                Originally posted by dick murton View Post
                RIMS - personally I wouldn't bother - and have no experience of the system, and generally don't consider rising temperature mashes necessary, but plenty of people work with RIMS for rising temperature infusion mashes, but of course that system costs more than a simple insulated MT, and getting the single mash temperature right with it.
                This may depend oin supplier. When is came to the equipment I looked at, The price difference between the 3bbl insulated and non insulated mash tuns is usually much more than a rims setup. If someone already has an electric brewhouse the cost of the rims is only a few hundred dollars vs the $800+ difference in price just in the 3 bbl size

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                • #9
                  Warning...

                  If you go for the cheapest Chinese equipment you can get, be prepared to throw it out soon. You simply cannot get quality, long-lasting equipment on the cheap-cheap. Think carefully about what you are buying and where you want to invest your money.
                  Phillip Kelm--Palau Brewing Company Manager--

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by gitchegumee View Post
                    If you go for the cheapest Chinese equipment you can get, be prepared to throw it out soon. You simply cannot get quality, long-lasting equipment on the cheap-cheap. Think carefully about what you are buying and where you want to invest your money.
                    Thanks. We are looking at buying from China and have been given an range of prices from about $2000 through to $5000. I fully understand that you get what you pay for.

                    Sent from my moto g(6) plus using Tapatalk

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