mash tuns

How do you choose a mash tun?
Currently using a 10 gallon insulated home depot cooler
and wish to do 10 gallon batches.
I recirculate the mash through a heated HLT (15.5 gallon keggle).
Seems like I need a 20 gallon mash tun…
Should I use a regular kettle or an insulated MT like Chapman or Ss Brew Tech?
Thanks
DR

Thinking that you could add an additional MT and plumb the two together thereby doubling your wort and you can still recirculate the mash.

My main mash tun is a 70 qt. cooler.  Plenty of room for 10 gal. batches up to a fairly high OG but not too big for smaller batches.

While I never tried recirculating, I did try something like this and I found it to be very problematic (maintaining 2 Mt) with regard to pH adjustment, hot liquor added, sparging, etc…  In theory it works, but practically it didn’t - at least not the way I anticipated.

I use an Igloo cooler.

But I’ve been looking at the SSBrewtech only because of the center drain. Seems like a lot of money for a center drain doesn’t it. LOL

Having modeled my first all grain brew system a dozen years ago on one found at a little website called www.dennybrew.com :wink: I also used the Coleman Extreme 70qt. It seems to be in the Goldilocks zone as far as picnic cooler mash tuns… not to big not too small.

thanks everybody for the responses…
I don’t want to use plastic any more for my mash tun…
Anybody mashing with stainless steel kettle of stainless
insulated mash tun?

Out of curiosity why no plastic?

Yes, Don.  I use half barrel (15.5 gal) keggles for my mash tun and HLT.  I insulate them with the duct insulation you can get at Lowe’s or Home Depot (it’s the stuff that has shiny aluminum on the outside and sticky foam on the inside).  Two layers and seal the joints with aluminum tape.  It works well and I use a RIMS system to maintain temperature in the mash tun and direct heat the HLT with a burner.

Also curious, why not plastic?  It is already pre-insulated for you.

The 20 gallon InfuSSion mash tun has center draining and manometer tubes which aid in recirculation using a return manifold.  I like it and have no complaints for both Herms recirc and infusion batch sparge mashing.  There are several similar to it, though, so YMMV on favoredbrand.

I’m also wondering why the aversion to a plastic mash tun? A picnic cooler is well insulated and nearly ideally suited to the task. That being said I’ve used a converted keg, a stock pot on the kitchen stove and now use a 15 gallon SS Blichmann MT.

I read about concerns with using plastic vs stainless steel.  The thought is plastic is leached into the liquid.

Not HDPE, which is what coolers are made of.

Rgr that. Just passing along what I’ve read the concerns are. I’ve used a cooler for yrs.

I guess some urban myths die hard. I haven’t heard that one for nearly 2 decades.

Ya, that one’s right in there with the one about microwaves making your food radioactive, when I had the appliance store I was amazed at how many people bought into that one.

I’ve just started using an Anvil Foundry and love it so far. Like the ability maintain accurate mash temps while being able to circulate with stainless components.  Having said that I will ALWAYS keep my plastic/cooler tun around for certain brews that are just too big for the Foundry. Time and place for everything! :slight_smile: