Fantastic video, I love the extended home brew jam at the beginning.

@BrewDudes

6 жыл бұрын

SWEET! We have newer editing software so I am slowly starting to play around with options to make it more interesting. BREW ON! -Mike

Great video! Have been trying to decide whether to move to a plastic cooler from BIAB and the relaxed approach you talked about just might have convinced me.

@BrewDudes

6 жыл бұрын

I'm glad one of us can stay relaxed and be sensible. I keep flip flopping. -Mike

Good stuff. Glad I just converted a cooler. Now I only have to get to getting my first all grain batch going!

@BrewDudes

6 жыл бұрын

Fire it up! Let us know how it goes! -Mike

Great information Mike. I enjoyed the video.

@BrewDudes

6 жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it!

Nice work, Mike. I use direct fire, wrapped in blankets during the mash and only recirculate while I'm raising the temp to mash out. My wort clears up nicely, and I can still get some things done during the mash. Of course, it requires more babysitting in the middle of winter, in Maine. Cheers!

@BrewDudes

6 жыл бұрын

I've been thinking of not running the recirc the whole time too. I realized thats probably a significant source of heat loss. Thanks for the support and your thoughts on the process. I do like the control of direct fire, its the baby sitting that makes it less fun. And I don't want to invest yet in an automated pilot light system. -Mike

New sub! Interesting set ups! I'd like to learn more about the false bottom and recirculating pump. You seem like a real decent guy. Great video.👍

@BrewDudes

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks! We appreciate your subscription to our channel. - John

Moving to all grain and still deciding what mash tun style to go with. Great video! Very informative. Cheers!

@BrewDudes

3 жыл бұрын

TBH, I'd ease into all grain with BIAB if you already have a 10 gallon kettle if I was starting over. If not I got my start in a rectangular cooler which always worked well. Depends on your price point. I haven't highlighted it yet but in our more recent videos you can see I am back to a three vessel system and mashing in a kettle with false bottom. Maybe its time for a video on that. Cheers! -Mike

@scoob2800

3 жыл бұрын

@@BrewDudes Thanks Mike. Great tip. I’m going to try BIAB.

Love the show n tell! Nice to hit your mash temperature on the first go-round. I find that using the cooler makes me really pay much closer attention temps of my strike water, grain and even the temp of the water I us

@porcello2007

6 жыл бұрын

Use to preheat the mash tun. Once that is dialed in it makes adjusting the temps and hitting temp targets a lot less stressful.

@BrewDudes

6 жыл бұрын

John is a pre-heater and I've never heard him complain about missing his temps. He has his dialed in pretty well. We will have to do one of these for his set up. -Mike

I have same problem with my keg so that's why I'm installing 220v heating element in keg and will have RIMS heater also for keeping temp steady. This way I can have hot water tank and mash tune in the same time. Plus I can brew in the garage in cold weather when with propane I have to be outside. Great vid, thanks for sharing

@BrewDudes

3 жыл бұрын

I had given a lot of though to making a RIMS too. Recently, I've had some new revelations about mashing in a stainless steel MLT. We will need to produce an updated video about it. Cheers! -Mike

Mike, great video on the pros and cons of mash tun make ups. I personally use the cooler for all the reasons you described. I use one also for hot liquor and tier it up for gravity fly sparge and collection. All my vessels are 10 gallon capacity. For big beers I just do the calculation for 8 gallon batch. Yes it's easier to double the numbers but not really hard to go the extra effort. Just use a 5 and 3 gallon kegs. Or bottle 3 gallons for competition and give a ways and 5 gallons to keg and enjoy. Thanks!!

@BrewDudes

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@tman9338

4 жыл бұрын

INOCULUM BREWING Great idea ! I’ve been too focused on making bigger batches and end up making a mess trying to bottle fill from a keg.

Well done! Let's see John's equipment!

@BrewDudes

6 жыл бұрын

John who?!?! Ahhh just kidding. I could have made an equipment joke there too. I'll get John to whip is equipment out for the camera soon..... See what I did there! BREW ON! -Mike

@TheTrueCelt28

6 жыл бұрын

Ah... Opened that door didn't I. Cheers and Brew on

I started with a cooler mashtun and I'm now debating on converting a keg, I have a lot of trouble getting strike temps correctly in my cooler, even with preheating. Also I found out a nasty problem with my cooler and maybe others, I cleaned out after a brew day and it still felt heavier than I should, so I tilted it upside down and a black viscous gunk started seeping out of the inner and outer layer seems, apparently liquid trickled in over many brew days. I think direct firing will be a lot easier for temp corrections than water additions. Great video. Cheers

@BrewDudes

5 жыл бұрын

Yuck. Yeah, that small separation between the inner and outer layer can be messy. Mike had issues with the direct firing but that doesn't mean you won't have an easier time with it. Brew on! - John

Beautiful video🍺

@BrewDudes

6 жыл бұрын

Cheers! -Mike

I use a keggle mash tun. I've sprayed the base of the keggle with insulating foam (so it's unable to be direct-fired) but with a yoga mat wrapped around it, a pre-warmed cast iron lid which has enough weight to keep it close enough to airtight and a thick sleeping bag over the top I lose about .2 of a degree celsius over a 60 minute mash. Ambient temperature is approx 25c so it will be interesting to see how it goes in winter.

@BrewDudes

6 жыл бұрын

I thought about getting one of those fireproof safety blankets for wrapping. Thought it might be able to take a bit of heat wash coming up the sides. This might allow for better insulation than my cheap reflectix wrap which can melt if too much heat is applied. Thanks for sharing. -Mike

Nice comparison!

@BrewDudes

6 жыл бұрын

Cheers! -Mike

man...your honest in the video is what really struck me. Thank you very much! Are the cooler mash tuns alright for overnight mashing?

@BrewDudes

5 жыл бұрын

We have had good luck with mashing overnight coolers. - John

I use the igloo cooler with false bottom. I've gotten pretty good at hitting a temperature between 150-154. I'm usually mashing at 151-152. I used to stress out about getting a very specific mash temp. But I have found it doesn't make that big of a difference as long as I get within a few degrees above 150. I used to think about trying a heated kettle for a mash tun, but you bring up a good point. Plus I don't have a pump. My system is all gravity feed. I do like how the cooler holds the temperature steady for the duration of the mash. I even left a mash overnight one time and it probably only cooled by a couple degrees.

@BrewDudes

4 жыл бұрын

Nice - I like mashing in a cooler too. Thanks for the comment - John

Nice comparison. I've always done the cooler method as I only have one burner, and it's used to heat my sparge water while the mash ...uh... mashes. I've always wondered whether the downside of a keggle or mash kettle would be dealing with the maintenance of applying and watching the heat as you described. BTW, if you'd like a spreadsheet that will calculate the exact strike water temp for a specific recipe, check out my brewing recipe template spreadsheet on my website or KZread channel. I'm able to punch in my grains and have it tell me very accurately how much and at what temp the strike water needs to be to hit my target mash temps.

@BrewDudes

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment and support! -Mike

I have just been able to reduce the heat loss from my cylindrical cooler MT - I drilled 4 small holes in the outside of the lid and squirted in some expanding Polyurethane foam. It will ooze out of the holes, but once its dried you can easily trim it off. I think my heat loss was about 6 degrees C over a 60 minute mash before the modification, and now it is just under 2 degrees C. I found the foam in the paint preparation section of Bunnings (hardware warehouse chain here in AU - your equivalent may be Home Depot?) Hope this is helpful to you or others. Cheers and thanks for the Vids! Chris

@BrewDudes

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this comment. I think people greatly underestimate the effect of the lids insulating role in maintaining mash temps. Heat is rising and it will go right out the lid if it can. CHEERS! -Mike

@tman9338

4 жыл бұрын

Chris H Brilliant idea.!! 1of my 2 10gal mash tuns has the air filled cap which I can fill. Any ideas for the other screw top??

@yochris77

4 жыл бұрын

Tito Arista what is in the other cap?

@tman9338

4 жыл бұрын

Chris H screw on type

I have the same problem with my SS mash tun on direct fire. I find myself every 15 minutes turning on the heat to try and maintain temps. I look forward to going electric with a panel to get rid of this problem when I can afford it.

@BrewDudes

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment, Wrecked. Yeah, it's a lot of work.

Igloo is very well insulated and could be a very good mashtun if you could recirculate with a pump. I use insulated keggle with herms and it works great if you have seen my brewing vids

@BrewDudes

6 жыл бұрын

I 've thought of boring a whole through the lid with an adjustable spray arm. Then I could recicr with the pump, and put a HERMS in line in my HLT... I know a couple guys that do it that way. Problem with that is you need to be making any extra 1/2 gallon of wort to account for all the line losses. hmmm. -Mike

@OldNorsebrewery

6 жыл бұрын

Brew Dudes thank you

Great video, thanks.. After adding all the grains do you think I will have enough finished product from a 50 liter mash tun keg to fill a 30 liter keg...Im going to make one in a few weeks. thanks

@BrewDudes

3 жыл бұрын

Depends on the gravity you're going for. You can always go for a stroger mash and dilute with water. You could always double mash too. Cheers! -Mike

Given the option would you possibly lower the thermometer maybe to the side of the valve where it wod be immersed in the mash better?

@BrewDudes

6 жыл бұрын

Yes, I think Mike would place it lower so that it is set better to measure the mash temp. - John

Massbrewstv and Massgrowstv ❤'s this!

@BrewDudes

6 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Thank for a great video. Do you know if the cooler is made of PP or PE ?

@BrewDudes

5 жыл бұрын

These types of coolers are usually PET. -Mike

@dorthe9573

5 жыл бұрын

Brew Dudes okay. Thanks

Awesome! I have been hunting for this comparison for some time. I only do 10G or 20G batches. How big a grain bill will fit in SS tun??? Have u looked at adding a electrical heating element and ink bird to maintain temp on SS mash tun( after heating with gas) ??? Also wanted to see your recirc fitting on SS tun.

@BrewDudes

3 жыл бұрын

Oh man depending on the liquor to grist ratio the converted keg can hold a lot, about 30lbs comfortably for 1.5qt/lb. I used to dream of doing some sort of RIMS or something but what I have discovered is that the mash holds temp pretty well despite not being insulated. If I was to totally max out the tun the thermal mass is so big it would hold 154F for at least 30-40 minutes. The key to all mash tuns is to have the lid insulated. I just did a 6 gallon mash in a 15 gallon SS kettle where I covered the lid with a couple old bath towels and a fleece jacket. The ambient temp in the garage was 40F. That thing held temperature just fine. So I have left the idea of needing a RIMS or HERMS behind. Remember that most of the mash activity happens in under 20 minutes, the rest is sort of just waiting. I've shortened my mash regime to 40 minutes as off late in SS and its been working just as good as when I did the insulated cooler. I'll do a mash specific video soon with my recirc set up. Cheers! -Mike

@tman9338

3 жыл бұрын

@@BrewDudes Thanks Mike. Looking forward to seeing your video !!

I'm interested in this big beer coming up? Maby 1st mash in igloo cooler and step mash in keg then Combine the 2 for a big beer!?! Cheers

@BrewDudes

6 жыл бұрын

Another thing I have never tried is partigyle with my larger tun. Which is a shame seeing as I've been brewing with it for over ten years at least... -Mike

@tman9338

4 жыл бұрын

Brew Dudes little more details on this big batch technique ??

Can you do a brew day using your recirculating keg mash tun I’d like to build one for myself would be nice to see it in action !

@BrewDudes

6 жыл бұрын

Yes, we can do that. Maybe we can do a live video to show the process. - John

@jensnielsen7734

6 жыл бұрын

Brew Dudes awesome looking forward to see it in action

@tman9338

4 жыл бұрын

jens nielsen me too. Great if you can do a big beer for this DEMO. (10 gal high gravity)

@tman9338

3 жыл бұрын

Yes. I want to see SS tun in action

Hey great video. what is the diameter of that false bottom? just ordered the same cooler but im worried my false bottom might not fit.

@BrewDudes

3 жыл бұрын

Its like 12-ish across. I just fills the base of the 10 gallon cooler. Cheers! -Mike

If I wanted to use high temp silicone tubing on the inside instead of pipe for a steel mash tun, that should be ok right?

@TheJspec

4 жыл бұрын

Mario R yeah that should be fine, I’ve seen people do it both ways with no issue.

@BrewDudes

4 жыл бұрын

Yes

@oldschoolman1444

4 жыл бұрын

I use silicone tubing in my stainless steel mash tun with all stainless connections, brass can contain lead. Don't like using plastic mash tun because of chemical leaching from the plastic. I do have to babysit the mash to maintain temp and use recirculating pump.

i drilled two holes in the lid of my orange 10 gallon home depot cooler i used and filled the lid w spray foam to further insulate it

@BrewDudes

5 жыл бұрын

Good tip - thanks! - John

Super stoked to find your video. I now only do 10 gal high gravity (8% abv) IPAs and ny grain Bill is 25 lbs. how much strike water needed and will it all fit in keg mash tun? I think my efficiency is suffering with tooo little strike water. Currently doing batch sparge with 2x runnnings Do not have recirculating port on my keggle Any idea how much temp loss without recirculating?

@tman9338

4 жыл бұрын

Also will bazooka work as well with keggle? I have an extra one

@BrewDudes

4 жыл бұрын

Super stoked you found us too. Please subscribe! I can do up to 30lbs of grain at 1.5qt/lb in my 15 gallon keg mash tun. For big grain bills like that, surprisingly I only lose a 2-4 degrees during the mash without recirc. You have to cover the top though. I use a stainless steel lid and some old towels to keep heat loss from the top. Ask more questions if you need. Thanks for the comments! Cheers! -Mike

@BrewDudes

4 жыл бұрын

In short a bazooka works for separation but it does a poor job picking up from the bottom of the convex bottom of a keg. So lautering efficiency suffers. If you use a dip tube to the bottom them use a bazooka it should work better. I use a stainless false bottom and I have found it better than using a braided hose or something when in a keg. The false bottom doesn't even have to span the whole base, just most if it. -Mike

@tman9338

4 жыл бұрын

Brew Dudes Great! Picked up a used 26 gal kettle. Looking for the cheapest way to optimize my mashing setup to do high gravity (8% ABV) IPA’s with my “caveman” setup. Have 2 10 gal mash tun coolers and 2 Keggles( no recirculating ports) Total grain Bill looks like 56 lbs. How much sparge water for 20 gal batch??

@tman9338

4 жыл бұрын

Forgot to mention I scored a chugger to help with HLT water transfer

What type of pump do you use?

@BrewDudes

4 жыл бұрын

I use a standard March Pump. It has worked great for me for years. -Mike

you might try using two electric charcoal starters wired into a PID controller to control the heat. Run a thermowell in place of your analog thermometer so you can place the thermocouple for the PID into it to track and regulate wort temp. No more baby sitting and you can have it stay within a few degrees of your desired temp the entire time. two charcoal starters will usually run 1500w total so that is the max you can probably safely run on a standard circuit without tripping breaker. try using kaowool ceramic blanket to insulate the bottom fixture you create to house the charcoal starters.

@BrewDudes

3 жыл бұрын

So interestingly I've discovered that even in an uninsulated mash tun that is stainless steel. The mash actually holds temp pretty well. I realized that my continuous recirculation is where I was loosing my heat. We will do a video on this in the near future. If I do go electric at some point I will remember this post. Cheers! -Mike

Why would you brew only 5 gallon batches?

@BrewDudes

6 жыл бұрын

Haven't invested in equipment for larger ones. - John

Add a herms coil, in a HLT, with ink bird pid, using a hot water heater element.

@BrewDudes

4 жыл бұрын

That would be an upgrade I am thinking about. But I gotta brew more before I can mess around with equipment again. Cheers! -Mike

which do you prefer cylinder style cooler or rectangle? and why?

@BrewDudes

6 жыл бұрын

I think I like the cylinder style more as far as using a cooler goes. Mainly because I think I get slightly better efficiency with the narrower set up. That said I think it wouldn't matter much if I was fly sparging, vs. batch sparging. -Mike

I definitely like using a round cooler to mash over a square cooler. No keggle yet so i can't compare.

@patrickstockwell4155

6 жыл бұрын

I must be the only guy that likes using a square cooler lol

@BrewDudes

6 жыл бұрын

I should have shown my old square cooler. I liked it a lot. And it was almost 12 gallon capacity, which meant I almost never had issues with big mashes. I always sort of thought though that. I was losing wort to dead volume in the corners. So the increased capacity was lost on losses in efficiency. That's when I switched to the keg mash tun. Last year I bought the cylindrical cooler to belay my fears of efficiency going back to a cooler set up. -Mike

@BrewDudes

6 жыл бұрын

Stay strong!!!! -Mike

I kept getting a stuck sparge with the hose braid. Ditch that garbage for a false bottom.

@BrewDudes

3 жыл бұрын

Totally agree - I had a hose braid. Switched out for a false bottom because I had so many problems with it. - John

I'm sure you're aware, but there is lead in brass.

@BrewDudes

6 жыл бұрын

Absolutely. But I think its been well accepted for quite some time that the surface lead is quickly removed by the acidic environment. I have seen data that shows the internal lead doesn't leach out. Also I have only a couple small fittings of lead and they don't contact the wort for long. All that said, you can see in the video the coupling that I have attached to the stainless braid is stainless and all the other parts and ball vales are stainless. I have worked to replace the pieces and I am slowly working towards being an all stainless brewery. Even in my fermentors... but that's a future video. Thanks for the comment. -Mike

Nice video mike - I just brewed my first batch with my new insulated recirculating electric keggle with a wine strainer bucket to contain the grain. Temps stayed within 0.2-0.3C the whole mash with my stc-1000 based controller and I was able to stir every 15 minutes. 87% mash efficiency and handled the ramps to 72C rest and 78C mashout nicely. Cheap to build and uses cheap tea kettle elements, which the circulation offsets their high watt density. imageshack.com/a/img924/1636/pS9hIY.jpg

@nmilne

6 жыл бұрын

imageshack.com/a/img922/6330/QSv27s.jpg

@nmilne

6 жыл бұрын

imageshack.com/a/img923/5374/JsaBrI.jpg

@nmilne

6 жыл бұрын

imageshack.com/a/img922/9953/GdKK1S.jpg

@nmilne

6 жыл бұрын

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@nmilne

6 жыл бұрын

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Some day you could also try an SsBrewtech mashtun with a recirculating heat setup. Cheers. www.ssbrewtech.com/collections/mash-tuns/products/infussion-mash-tun

@BrewDudes

5 жыл бұрын

Right on! - John

I'm um um um uh um uh um um um uh um um um

@BrewDudes

4 жыл бұрын

Vocal pauses happen, Joe. Glad you embraced them. - John

@MikeHammill-TheShop

3 жыл бұрын

Trolls never post their own um uh videos um uh because it's easier pick on someone than do your own video. Thanks for posting this video. Very informative.