Hole in Esky for Mash tun

[Swifty]

K-mart has a sale on starting today and they have Willow 25 litre eskys for $20 (There's also 65 litre eskys for $89). So I'm heading off after work to pick on up to make my mash tun. Is there any tricks to drilling the hole for the bung and tap or am I better off getting one with a tap already??
What have other people done? I guess it's all just plastic and should be no worries. Thanks for any help.

[gregb]

I went straight through the outer with a hole saw then used a speed bore for the inner. It is a bit messy with the plastic and polystyrene bits but apart from that no problem to a cordless drill.

Cheers,
Greg

[yardglass]

just make sure you measure up far enough on the outside so as to drill into the esky just above the base of the inner, that way the bung, manifold etc are resting on the base.

[Swifty]

I was actually thinking of going inside out to avoid the measuring problem. Can't wait to get her ready for the next All-grain (Used all the pots in the cupboard for my first attempt, mashing was messy but the dogs loved licking the floor clean for me).

[DarkFaerytale]

i have a 55L mine has a hole already in it but i cbf trying to plug it up and stuff after i put the tube through it (i will one day) so i just go up and over the top with a syphon, i have no problems doing it this way

-Phill

[rwh]

I went inside->out with a small bit, then used that as a guide for a hole-saw. Worked fine once I smoothed it all out with a round file.

Swifty: haha yeah, my first partial was a messy affair, also using all the pots in the kitchen... SO much easier with a mash tun, believe me. And excluding the cold-break from using a wort chiller really reduces the amount of sediment in your fermenter too.

[Swifty]

Thanks everyone, can't wait to use a mash tun. Will make life sooo much easier. There seems to be alot of differing ratio's of water used for mashing and sparging and most contradict Palmers. But I'm thinking that 2.5 litres per kilo of grain for mash and then same amount for sparge. I'm aiming for about 16 litres, an all-grain but not a full size. Cooling pot down after boiling is a problem though as it took me about 45 minutes the other day for 13 litres. I might have to invest in a wort chiller but am trying to keep costs down. Next time I'll have to have some frozen bottles of water to help as the laundry tub full of water wasn't as effective as I hoped.
I'm going to batch sparge and depending on the ratio I go with will depend on whether or not the 25 litre esky will be sufficient. I'll check the prices of the 33 litre while I'm there and if not much more I think I'll get that.
So is there any rule of thumb that people use for the amount of sparge water when batch sparging??
I guess it's trial and error (hopefully no error) and see what I like.

[DarkFaerytale]

i use 2.5 ltrs per kilo just incase i don't hit my strike temp and i can add boiled or cooled water if needed

i'v been useing the no chiller method latly (i don't have a chiller either) works quite well and you don't waste water, especially good if you don't have a yeast starter ready, if i need it done that day tho i usually go down to the petrol station and get a couple of bags of ice and put it in the sink with the pot, i also usually prepare the night befor 2 take away food containers of boiled then frozen water that i chuck straight into the wort at flame out

i sparge with the same amount i mash with, 2.5L per kilo

good luck Swifty

-Phill

[Swifty]

Thanks Phill, The bags of ice and blocks of ice sounds like a good trick. I might try the blocks of ice in the take-away container. I don't think I could handle waiting another day before pitching the yeast, just another day I have to wait.
Do you do full batch all-grain? If so how big is your mash tun and what sort of sparging do you do?

[Swifty]

Sorry, forgot that you've already stated mash tun size.

[yardglass]

Thanks Phill, The bags of ice and blocks of ice sounds like a good trick.

no chiller here atm, i've been using the bags of ice etc in the laundry tub to cool to pitching temp, works ok.

would prefer a chiller tho
should remedy that soon.

cheers

[DarkFaerytale]

i only have a 15L Pot most i can do is a 20 ltr all grain (if i use my other 9 ltr pot as well) i'v made a couple 13ltr all grains and one 19 ltr that got an infection, i mostly do partials that is untill i get back from my holiday and can afford a 50ltr pot and burner, i'll still be doing no chiller method when i do, i'm starting to stress over the water shortage at the moment heh

i forget the different names for sparging but i take my wort out and then put it back in and let it settle for 15 mins, then i pull it out again, then add my sparge water and let it sit for another 15 befor i pull that out as well and start the boil

-Phill

[rwh]

I use the water coming out of the wort chiller to clean my fermenter, mash tun etc.

[Swifty]

Big W has 20 litre pots for $20, but that's probably not much help. I thought about getting two to do a full 23 litre all-grain but figure 15 litre all grain is ok. Cheaper equipment and easier to handle. I wouldn't mind a burner though as I have an electric stove (bloody electric!!).
The water problem worries me aswell, my parents are on tank water only on a small farm and when it's gone it's gone. The dams aren't even full enough to pump from anymore so the ice idea is perfect.

I believe that is what batch sparging is. It seems effective enough and a bit easier. Apparently your mash tun doens't need to be as efficient either.

[rwh]

Bah!

Batch sparging is the act of mashing with one lot of water, then draining it all out, filling up with a second volume of water, draining that out etc. As opposed to continuous sparging where you drain out water at the same rate you add it to the mash tun.

Now, as for the water problems associated with using a wort chiller, you can ameliorate this by using a pre-chiller, and/or collecting the used coolant water for recirculation.

[Swifty]

What is a pre-chiller?

[rwh]

It's another coil of copper tube which is immersed in an ice water bath. This pre-chills the coolant water so that you don't have to use as much.

[Swifty]

Cool. Thanks all, I think I've got a good grip on it now. Well I'm off after work to get my esky and start making my mash tun. I just wish I didn't have to wait for this brew currently in the fermenter. I'm keen to do another all-grain.