My skills and interests don't generally lie in the DIY, engineering, and tinkering with equipment area. That being said, I can (and have) put together mash tuns, which seems like a possible need for the club given the shortage of working mash tuns on Saturday (it was an exceptionally busy day at the brewhouse, for sure).
I'd be happy to take one of the non-working mash tuns and fix it up with new fittings, get it working right. I don't want to be too forward though, just assume that it would be ok for me to do that, so thought I'd ask that here. I assume the club would reimburse me for any new fittings I bought.
Would this be helpful?
Good timing! We actually were looking at adding two new 20 gallon mash tuns so we don't have this issue again. If you'd like to be in charge of identifying the best coolers and false bottoms for the job, we'll get an order approved and you can put them together for us.
I've never seen a 20 gallon round cooler and a quick Google search didn't turn up any. So for a 20 gallon cooler mash tun, we'd need to use a big rectangular cooler which means we couldn't use a false bottom, unless we custom built one ourselves, which is well outside my comfort/ability zone.
We could build one using 20 gallon cooler and a bazooka screen like this http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/mash-boil-screen.html
Most folks who use false bottoms (in round coolers) do so because of a slight increase in efficiency when fly sparging. For batch sparging, the bazooka screen has a lot to recommend it, I think - its easier to install, there's very little to go wrong or break, fantastically easy to clean and works like a charm in my experience. And they're less expensive.
How about if I make one of them for the club (with a 20 gallon rectangular cooler and a screen) and we'll see how it works? If folks like it, we can make another one. I'll take a quick look tonight at 20 gallon coolers and see how much they cost and post back here.
www.singingboysbrewing.com
I would be wary of a screen-type filter in a larger cooler, mainly because of the amount of grain resting on top possibly causing collapsing of the filter.
If a rectangular cooler were being used, I would lean toward using a manifold-type device.
Anecdotal, but I still bring in my own mashtun (48 qt Igloo IceCube cooler) with CPVC manifold - I've been using this for 5+ years, I believe, and it always works like a charm. Efficiency seems the same, and I've never had a stuck mash or sparge (or at least one that wasn't immediately rectified via blowing into the outlet). I batch sparge.
I think manifolds are commonly used, Kyle. I wouldn't use the do-it-yourself screens from parts from the hardware store, I would buy a heavy-duty, made to purpose screen. I've used those and they work well, don't crush or flatten, never had to repair or replace one. Of course, a personal mash tun doesn't get the level of use that one for the club to use in the brewhouse would get.
www.singingboysbrewing.com
I would be willing to set up my keggle mash tun permanently with pump at one of the bays if there is interest.
The equipment for fixing the rest of the Mash Tuns will be in this week.
If we upgrade, I think we should have two rectangular Mash Tuns that could be stored underneth two of the Brew Bays.
Ken, if you'd like me to help with the fixing of the mash tuns, I'd be happy to pitch in.
www.singingboysbrewing.com