DIY Mash Tun possible problem?

My guess is you'll have to tilt it slightly when you mash to reduce dead space when sparging. However, I use a cylindrical one with little dead space so I can't be the authority on this.

 

Put a book under the back end of the cooler and it should draw more. I like this idea, and you can also use a section of copper tube to help dip down into the bottom corner of the cooler. This might be easier with an SS braid filter, rather than a manifold.

 

Oh, and since you are doing a DIY project, feel free to drill a hole in the other side if you're not happy with your results.

 

The hole is fine. That is what I use. My manifold does great and have never had an issue. DONT DRILL! Trust me.

 

Exactly. But just a little.

 

I doubt a mild tilt will have much effect on the sparging and mashing, but if you can easily cut a hole and move the manifold to the other end, by all means that's the way to go. I'm about to DITY on a massive ten gallon system project, building stuff is fun.

 

I use a 48qt with a CPC manifold works for me. It has a high hole. Tilt when sparging

 

Why?

 

When you do an all grain batch you'll vorlauf before each running. It's a way to run wort until the grainbed filters. You just run your first quart-half gallon of beer into a bowl. You collect and dump your bowl to the back of the grainbed. It's kind of overstated that you don't want to rouse your grain bed. It's not something you want to go out of your way to do, but harder to do than you think. No shaking during your runnings and you'll be fine.

 

This. The first cup or so (from my 5 gallon batches) comes out looking like liquid oatmeal, then it's cloudy for about 1/2 a quart to a quart, then it clears. Once it's clear, I slowly dump the collected cloudy wort back on top. Volumes vary and some beers clear faster than others, but they all clear just fine after the grain bed does the filtering. It doesn't take long to settle even if you've recently stirred the mash. I usually stir the mash about 3x during mashing, and the last one is quite settled within a few minutes. Shape might have some effect (I use a cylindrical water cooler type) but I'm sure they all filter just fine pretty quickly.