Just did put this together EXACTLY as described. Upon a test run with 170 deg. water and 1 hr "mash"... galvanized steel wire AND conduit lock washer were both corroded/rusted. Water was orange. Please update to omit this massive hardware failure and prevent others from wasting their money. Maybe I should have read the comments sooner, but many people will do the same and literally end up paying for it. BTW all brass fittings I used from Home Depot were labeled lead free. Nice attempt otherwise.
You dont need the galv wire anyway. Just omit the galv wire, the "flattening" of the braided wire wont happen since its metal and wont ever be pinched off completely. I have a round tall cooler that is made similar to this and made an all grain brew with ~10lbs of grain and 12qts water and I still have a high of flow rate during mash out. Also the teflon tape on the inside joints is pointless. It doesn't matter if the beer leaks into the "rig" as long as its not leaking out of the cooler.
I wonder if they never responded to the Top Comments regarding the possible lead and the possible poison from the galvanized wire because they were poisoned.
you put the thread tape on the wrong way round,if you for eg hold the fitting in your left hand you wrap away from you,and also looks like you may have used gas ptfe not for water it will work but much thicker and only needs one wrap.
not having a dig,just thought i would mention this...
For those who have dremel tool, it makes a really clean cut on the stainless mesh tube. I would recommend using the dremel if you have it in garage already.
Thanks for the video. I've been looking for a simple way to MacGyver this.. Unfortunately, I have to drill the hole out for my selected cooler but they do sell rubber gasket material that I can cut and use in the place of the factory seal.
Guys why are all homemade mash tun's made out of coolers? Could i use anything else like some kind of large cooking bowl made out of steel or other materials? I have one very large butcher kettle that is not used at all becouse we dont farm anymore. Would it be alright if i turn it in to mash tun or would it mean trouble in the mashing process?
It appears this project is nearly 2 years old. Brian and Jen should engage some of the commenters that have voiced some concerns about the galvanized wire (not to mention the zinc steel locknut used on the inside) and give an update to the long term longevity issue. My guess is that the galvanized wire and locknut have completely rusted in short order. Annotate the video at least.
I used an Igloo Family 52 qt - $23 at Target. Made some minor necessary modifications due to different cooler selection:
1) Instead of 1/2" x 1.5" Brass Nipple, used 1/2" x Close Brass Nipple. Shorter length because cooler wall not as thick.
2) Added #14 O-Ring (3/4" I.D.) to outside of cooler.
3) Spout cap had plastic ring attached. Cut off plastic ring and put it on after o-ring. Then put on lock nut. Prevents lock nut from cutting into the cooler.
omfg a hot voice telling me how to brew? oh shit never mind i here a dude. my boner was lost in 0.5 sec. fuck lol oh wait she is back now screw place it in the hole oh my i will.
Yeah, A super nice and simple video. Since galvanized metal is not recomended for food grade usage I would use ss or copper. Very lite ss springs work well inside the ss braid. They are more expensive but sometimes you can get them off Ebay. Cheers!
"lead free" brass still contains lead; it can just be labelled "lead free" If it contains less than some percentage. California just sued a bunch of manufacturers for selling "lead free" brass fittings that tested higher than that. Also just recently a VA tech researcher found poisonously high amounts of lead in water fountains with EPA approved brass fittings. And pickling only removes surface lead, continued use in an acid will continue to expose more of it.
This may be a stupid question, but how does the liquid get into the hose/tap system in the first place - doesn't the video show a sealed system that is connected at both end ls to the tap? Are you supposed to pierce the tubing something? If so, am I blind or did the vid skip that bit?
The tubing is mesh so liquid can pass through but not grain. There are some mash tun how to videos where they use copper pipe instead. Apparently you have to cut little slits in the copper so that liquid can get in.
seriously, this IS the simplest, easiest to understand video ive seen on how to make a Mash tun. great job guys, i'll definitely be using this method for my own project...now if only i could get my beer to taste better
great vid. short and simple. I've seen mash tun vids which take half an hour to communicate what you guys have done in 5. Looks a lot more robust than most of the other methods.
I have that book from John J. Palmer and it is my bible! the best part is you can find it for pretty cheap. I also highly recommend this book. Great Video!!
A part is any type of measurement that is the same. ie. 1 tablespoon peroxide 2 tablespoons vinegar would be 1 part peroxide 2 parts vinegar or any other type of measurement in a can. I would still soak lead free brass in this solution as it builds up your protection barrier on the metal. Similar to aluminum. If you have any other questions about metallurgy and brewing consult the How to Brew by John Palmer. It has all the info in there. I highly recommend it.
Keep in mind that the thread tape goes around in the clockwise direction, the same direction the fittings screw on. If not, the end of the tape will peel back over itself and you will not get good sealing.
Nice video. One thing is the galvanized wire. The galvanic coating will come off into the beer and can poison you. I recommend stainless steel wire or copper wire. Also for people worried about lead in brass, just soak the brass in a solution of vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. Mix the solution 2 parts vinegar to 1 part peroxide and soak for no more than 5 minutes. This removes the lead from the surface of the brass. You can find this info in John Palmer's " How To Brew" book. Again nice video. :)
@ENOCK360 what do you mean one part and two part, what is a "part" I want to just find these pieces in lead free form, but its been tought ot find it, so explain exactly what that means, go out and by hydrogen peroxide & vinegar, put it inside a container, and let it sit for 5-7 minutes and your brass fittings are clear of lead?
Awesome job on the video, techniques, narrations... all greatly appreciated and very helpful. Other comments about using food grade parts were nice too, thanks for the additions everyone.
Is it safe to use that galvanized wire? I was told never to use galvanized metal in the process of making a beer due to the harmful chemicals you can ingest.
IMPORTANT: brass from most countries outside of the USA contain lead which is released in larger quantities when put into contact with an acid (ie the mash). Only recently was lead made illegal in the USA. I checked Lowes and their brass fittings are from China and contain .25% lead when wet (more when using it for beer). And the Gal steel is not food grade either. DO your research. Heavy metal poisoning is no joke. The only thing that is food grade in this video is the cooler and the SS.
I just recently made one of these with the same equipment as in the video. I have not had any of the beer yet and I am wondering (since it sounds like you know what you are talking about) if it is safe to drink the beer? I will probably change out the fitting to stainless eventually but is it necessary to toss the beer made in this in your opinion?
@crlova2 - My guess is the beer is fine to drink; as time goes on the fittings will leak more lead due to corrosion. I don't have precise numbers I just know that lead is bad and the fittings are not made for hot acid (the wort has a low PH). Long term think about changing to SS. You can buy all the parts from in SS at bargainfittings . com (more $ of course).
I think I missed how the "shaping" wire works. I know it goes inside of the steel mesh, but through the entire length? It seems like it could be hard to get inside of the steel mesh. I'm curious how necessary it is.
All good except the electrical locknutsat the beginning of the video. The cadmium plating on these is not food grade and not recommended.on the interior - you would be better off with Stainless or Brass.
Built mine with a Coleman 70 Qt. Extreme, but then fashioned a 4 leg manifold using hard copper. It all slips together ... no soldering. I'm glad you showed the insertion of a stainless spring into the SS supply hose. I've seen too many supply hose MTs have stuck sparges due to a collapsed supply line. That's one of the reasons I took the extra time to make a solid copper manifold.
I have about 6 cups left over after i try to get all of the water out is that normal? Maybe my cooler is just a little different. Coleman xtreme 50 qt. Anybody else have this prob?
OK - I actually just finished this build with a 75 quart Coleman Extreme. Worked out flawlessly. The only question I had was on the wire. I could not find Stainless so I used the next best thing - copper. I was able to find 16 gauge copper wire. Cost of the build: Cooler at Walmart $48.00 and the supplys at Lowes - 44.00 - not too bad for a good size mash tun. The shape of the cooler makes me think even with a small mash will give me 4+ inches of mash bed. We'll see how it goes.
Great video! I followed this instructions and it went well. The only problem I have with this design is the 16 gauge wire. I got a plain steel 18 gauge wire (couldn't find 16) and because it's not stainless steel, it tends to rust!
great video. only had one small problem with the build. I had to craft a plastic washer out of one of the pieces from the removed spout because the outer hole in my cooler was too large. it was almost as large as the conduit lock nut. it's all good now, though. I can't wait to do an all-grain batch. thanks!
Very helpful video thanks. FYI, parts cost just over $40 at Home Depot in Rochester NY. I got a 1/2 x 2 inch brass nipple, as my cooler was a little thicker. Have not made beer with it yet but it seems water tight.
If you want a horrible taste definately use galvanized and plastic...bad design!
trcky12 2 weeks ago
Just did put this together EXACTLY as described. Upon a test run with 170 deg. water and 1 hr "mash"... galvanized steel wire AND conduit lock washer were both corroded/rusted. Water was orange. Please update to omit this massive hardware failure and prevent others from wasting their money. Maybe I should have read the comments sooner, but many people will do the same and literally end up paying for it. BTW all brass fittings I used from Home Depot were labeled lead free. Nice attempt otherwise.
drewtronic1 2 weeks ago
This is an excellent way to make beer!
I've just got through bottling my first batch of all grain using this method.
PROTIP: Only use Stainless or Copper fittings and fitments.
DrunkenAnglers 3 weeks ago
You dont need the galv wire anyway. Just omit the galv wire, the "flattening" of the braided wire wont happen since its metal and wont ever be pinched off completely. I have a round tall cooler that is made similar to this and made an all grain brew with ~10lbs of grain and 12qts water and I still have a high of flow rate during mash out. Also the teflon tape on the inside joints is pointless. It doesn't matter if the beer leaks into the "rig" as long as its not leaking out of the cooler.
IgniteableAura 1 month ago
"that's not beer"
javiclase 1 month ago
I wonder if they never responded to the Top Comments regarding the possible lead and the possible poison from the galvanized wire because they were poisoned.
migueldeluna 1 month ago 3
you put the thread tape on the wrong way round,if you for eg hold the fitting in your left hand you wrap away from you,and also looks like you may have used gas ptfe not for water it will work but much thicker and only needs one wrap.
not having a dig,just thought i would mention this...
all the best
snoopdogzify 1 month ago
For those who have dremel tool, it makes a really clean cut on the stainless mesh tube. I would recommend using the dremel if you have it in garage already.
mumu132 1 month ago
I love the "that's not beer" at the end. :D
metanoia29 2 months ago
Thanks for the video. I've been looking for a simple way to MacGyver this.. Unfortunately, I have to drill the hole out for my selected cooler but they do sell rubber gasket material that I can cut and use in the place of the factory seal.
ChuckToobular 2 months ago
I really like this system pours faster .
MrMrtiki 3 months ago
Guys why are all homemade mash tun's made out of coolers? Could i use anything else like some kind of large cooking bowl made out of steel or other materials? I have one very large butcher kettle that is not used at all becouse we dont farm anymore. Would it be alright if i turn it in to mash tun or would it mean trouble in the mashing process?
Voodoozeko 4 months ago
@Voodoozeko I'm new to this, but I think they use the coolers because they maintain a constant temperature (i.e. not lose heat) :)
AnotherRandomFellow 2 months ago
@AnotherRandomFellow Thanks for info. Probably you are right.
Voodoozeko 2 months ago
Does anyone know if I could leave out the SS wire? Can't seem to find 16 guage SS wire anywhere around here
genericeugenic 4 months ago
@genericeugenic Just use a piece of Brazing wire or 2 can get at any hardware store must be stainless or brass won`t rust .
MrMrtiki 3 months ago
Nice vid, i noticed you put the thread tape on backwards. :)
TyaxComp 5 months ago 2
is it possible to use plastic pipes?
medameda80 5 months ago
It appears this project is nearly 2 years old. Brian and Jen should engage some of the commenters that have voiced some concerns about the galvanized wire (not to mention the zinc steel locknut used on the inside) and give an update to the long term longevity issue. My guess is that the galvanized wire and locknut have completely rusted in short order. Annotate the video at least.
BobbyFromNJ 6 months ago
That lady has some really hairy arms!! Lol.
SgtMantis 7 months ago
I used an Igloo Family 52 qt - $23 at Target. Made some minor necessary modifications due to different cooler selection:
1) Instead of 1/2" x 1.5" Brass Nipple, used 1/2" x Close Brass Nipple. Shorter length because cooler wall not as thick.
2) Added #14 O-Ring (3/4" I.D.) to outside of cooler.
3) Spout cap had plastic ring attached. Cut off plastic ring and put it on after o-ring. Then put on lock nut. Prevents lock nut from cutting into the cooler.
markfilardi80 7 months ago
brass nipple
dilutedmembrane 7 months ago
Teflon tape is going the wrong way :V
hypnolobster 8 months ago
Great video but galvanized wire, galvanized conduit lock nuts plus hot wort equal poison.
realityco8484 9 months ago
omfg a hot voice telling me how to brew? oh shit never mind i here a dude. my boner was lost in 0.5 sec. fuck lol oh wait she is back now screw place it in the hole oh my i will.
fuck5ofu 10 months ago
Fittings materials aside (I always use pvc), this is a brilliant version of a mash tun.
Mooseified 10 months ago
Yeah, A super nice and simple video. Since galvanized metal is not recomended for food grade usage I would use ss or copper. Very lite ss springs work well inside the ss braid. They are more expensive but sometimes you can get them off Ebay. Cheers!
BeerBrewinWizard 11 months ago
Oh and some coolers still have BPA in them, rubbermaids do not.
ajaarg 11 months ago
"lead free" brass still contains lead; it can just be labelled "lead free" If it contains less than some percentage. California just sued a bunch of manufacturers for selling "lead free" brass fittings that tested higher than that. Also just recently a VA tech researcher found poisonously high amounts of lead in water fountains with EPA approved brass fittings. And pickling only removes surface lead, continued use in an acid will continue to expose more of it.
ajaarg 11 months ago
This may be a stupid question, but how does the liquid get into the hose/tap system in the first place - doesn't the video show a sealed system that is connected at both end ls to the tap? Are you supposed to pierce the tubing something? If so, am I blind or did the vid skip that bit?
russstoner 11 months ago
@russstoner This annoyed me too.
The tubing is mesh so liquid can pass through but not grain. There are some mash tun how to videos where they use copper pipe instead. Apparently you have to cut little slits in the copper so that liquid can get in.
sjleonar 10 months ago
seriously, this IS the simplest, easiest to understand video ive seen on how to make a Mash tun. great job guys, i'll definitely be using this method for my own project...now if only i could get my beer to taste better
nikifresh 11 months ago
nice vid. looks like TSA ripped you off though. Only thing is he took 33 mins to say what you said in 5:01
scott9002ca 1 year ago
great vid. short and simple. I've seen mash tun vids which take half an hour to communicate what you guys have done in 5. Looks a lot more robust than most of the other methods.
dalek201 1 year ago
I have that book from John J. Palmer and it is my bible! the best part is you can find it for pretty cheap. I also highly recommend this book. Great Video!!
MrKillovision 1 year ago
@bigbearinacan
A part is any type of measurement that is the same. ie. 1 tablespoon peroxide 2 tablespoons vinegar would be 1 part peroxide 2 parts vinegar or any other type of measurement in a can. I would still soak lead free brass in this solution as it builds up your protection barrier on the metal. Similar to aluminum. If you have any other questions about metallurgy and brewing consult the How to Brew by John Palmer. It has all the info in there. I highly recommend it.
ENOCK360 1 year ago
Great Video! Very informative and usefull.
Keep in mind that the thread tape goes around in the clockwise direction, the same direction the fittings screw on. If not, the end of the tape will peel back over itself and you will not get good sealing.
vindee07 1 year ago
You wrapped the tape the wrong way.
XC2long4u 1 year ago
Comment removed
vindee07 1 year ago
Nice video. One thing is the galvanized wire. The galvanic coating will come off into the beer and can poison you. I recommend stainless steel wire or copper wire. Also for people worried about lead in brass, just soak the brass in a solution of vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. Mix the solution 2 parts vinegar to 1 part peroxide and soak for no more than 5 minutes. This removes the lead from the surface of the brass. You can find this info in John Palmer's " How To Brew" book. Again nice video. :)
ENOCK360 1 year ago 21
@ENOCK360 what do you mean one part and two part, what is a "part" I want to just find these pieces in lead free form, but its been tought ot find it, so explain exactly what that means, go out and by hydrogen peroxide & vinegar, put it inside a container, and let it sit for 5-7 minutes and your brass fittings are clear of lead?
bigbearinacan 1 year ago
Awesome job on the video, techniques, narrations... all greatly appreciated and very helpful. Other comments about using food grade parts were nice too, thanks for the additions everyone.
dEthEiGht 1 year ago
"That's not BEER" LMAO
darktrhone63 1 year ago
Is it safe to use that galvanized wire? I was told never to use galvanized metal in the process of making a beer due to the harmful chemicals you can ingest.
AssimilateThis85 1 year ago
@AssimilateThis85 You are 100% correct....this TUN can poison you....use different wire.
licquyd 1 year ago
Good teamwork on the narrating. Nice video.
CFHpantera 1 year ago
IMPORTANT: brass from most countries outside of the USA contain lead which is released in larger quantities when put into contact with an acid (ie the mash). Only recently was lead made illegal in the USA. I checked Lowes and their brass fittings are from China and contain .25% lead when wet (more when using it for beer). And the Gal steel is not food grade either. DO your research. Heavy metal poisoning is no joke. The only thing that is food grade in this video is the cooler and the SS.
jammer3do 1 year ago 12
@jammer3do
Hey jammer3do,
I just recently made one of these with the same equipment as in the video. I have not had any of the beer yet and I am wondering (since it sounds like you know what you are talking about) if it is safe to drink the beer? I will probably change out the fitting to stainless eventually but is it necessary to toss the beer made in this in your opinion?
crlova2 1 year ago
@crlova2 - My guess is the beer is fine to drink; as time goes on the fittings will leak more lead due to corrosion. I don't have precise numbers I just know that lead is bad and the fittings are not made for hot acid (the wort has a low PH). Long term think about changing to SS. You can buy all the parts from in SS at bargainfittings . com (more $ of course).
jammer3do 1 year ago
@jammer3do your right they should care about their healt.
docdebile 1 year ago
@jammer3do When you say SS I assume you are referring to Stainless Steel, correct? Also what about plastic replacements for some of the brass parts?
BassistNinja 10 months ago
Very nicely done. Great script and cinematography and extremely informative. Please post more brewing vids.
donanderson47 1 year ago
seems like dustball needs to get the dust off and respond to the questions....why post if you wont respond ....sheesh
ACTeslaMachineDC 1 year ago
Where did you buy the T pipe at? All I've found it in is galvanized steel and pvc.
DougJ 1 year ago
I think I missed how the "shaping" wire works. I know it goes inside of the steel mesh, but through the entire length? It seems like it could be hard to get inside of the steel mesh. I'm curious how necessary it is.
ChastainProductions 1 year ago
All good except the electrical locknutsat the beginning of the video. The cadmium plating on these is not food grade and not recommended.on the interior - you would be better off with Stainless or Brass.
bcmaui 1 year ago
Built mine with a Coleman 70 Qt. Extreme, but then fashioned a 4 leg manifold using hard copper. It all slips together ... no soldering. I'm glad you showed the insertion of a stainless spring into the SS supply hose. I've seen too many supply hose MTs have stuck sparges due to a collapsed supply line. That's one of the reasons I took the extra time to make a solid copper manifold.
mrcooncat 1 year ago
I have about 6 cups left over after i try to get all of the water out is that normal? Maybe my cooler is just a little different. Coleman xtreme 50 qt. Anybody else have this prob?
420flip 1 year ago
Are most of the 1/2" lock nuts lead free? I know that all of the other plumbing supplies are.
6DegreesPhotography 1 year ago
OK - I actually just finished this build with a 75 quart Coleman Extreme. Worked out flawlessly. The only question I had was on the wire. I could not find Stainless so I used the next best thing - copper. I was able to find 16 gauge copper wire. Cost of the build: Cooler at Walmart $48.00 and the supplys at Lowes - 44.00 - not too bad for a good size mash tun. The shape of the cooler makes me think even with a small mash will give me 4+ inches of mash bed. We'll see how it goes.
pclltrask 1 year ago
How do you clean the hose after taking out all the mash tun waste? Do you unscrew and rescrew the tubes in the mash tun?
jvanwest 1 year ago
Great video! I followed this instructions and it went well. The only problem I have with this design is the 16 gauge wire. I got a plain steel 18 gauge wire (couldn't find 16) and because it's not stainless steel, it tends to rust!
jeremygrieshop 2 years ago
Thank you very much for sharing! I'm about to start brewing and this will be very useful :-)
UniSynergy 2 years ago
That's not beer! lol.
Great vid. I'm just about to make my own mash tun, except I'm gonna make a copper manifold instead... I'm a sucker for punishment.
siborg71 2 years ago 4
Nive vid very helpful.
tsmi37 2 years ago
great video. only had one small problem with the build. I had to craft a plastic washer out of one of the pieces from the removed spout because the outer hole in my cooler was too large. it was almost as large as the conduit lock nut. it's all good now, though. I can't wait to do an all-grain batch. thanks!
neilemrys 2 years ago
Do all coolers have the same size hole in it and is there always going to be that rubber gasket?
nenahbball 2 years ago
Very helpful video thanks. FYI, parts cost just over $40 at Home Depot in Rochester NY. I got a 1/2 x 2 inch brass nipple, as my cooler was a little thicker. Have not made beer with it yet but it seems water tight.
jammyjay22 2 years ago
thank you man. I'll be using this to make mine this weekend.
cryingmelodies25 2 years ago
nice job..
unfun72 2 years ago
Nice vid you guys, cool MLT design. 5* :)
ScoobyBrew66 2 years ago
Thanks for the video, I'm going to try this over christmas break
nuclearnova 2 years ago
i loved your video but next time wrap your teflon tape in the opposite direction. wrap it in the same direction that you screw the fitting.
porthuronbeerguy 2 years ago
Great Video! Thank you!
Photophunk 2 years ago
This has been the best video for a Mash Tun that I seen all night. Thanks great work.
bulrydrdan 2 years ago 2
Awesome, saw this on HBT and thanks guys.
FreakinA 2 years ago