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converted keg as mash tun

R

rocdoc1

When I was entering data for the first time I looked at the equipment profile and didn't see a match for my set-up.  I use converted kegs for the HLT, mas tun, and boiling kettle.  Is this going to matter-the closest I saw was with a Gott cooler.
 
You might want to try playing around with the BrewTree equipment setting. If I remember correctly, the BrewTree uses/used all converted kegs for MLT, HLT, and boiler. I think the most important factor is the "Mash Tun Specific Heat" setting--a stainless steel keg is going to lose/transfer heat more rapidly than a cooler-based mash tun setup.

HTH...
 
I Have a 50 lt stainless steel keg that weighs 13 kilos and have set the specific heat field in equipement setup to 0.120. With that setting I hit my mash in temps exactly every time. Don't forget to set grain temps as well :)

Cheers
Andrew
 
That's what I'll do unless someone has already asked this and been given a definitive answer.  Thanks
 
If you weigh the mash tun and then use the actual weight and set the mash tun material to stainless steel (0.120) you should come in very close.  If you hit a little low, increase the mash tun specific heat.  If you hit a bit high decrease it a bit.

Be sure to check the box "Adjust temp for equipment" on your mash section of the recipe - otherwise the temperature will not be adjusted to include your equipment settings.

Cheers!
Brad
 
Hello All,
I use a converted keg as a mash tun too, mine has an aluminium liner with aprox 1" insulating foam between it and the keg. It has a fibreglass covered foam that floats on the mash and as a result only looses about 1C per hr. My mash usually settles at about 5C less than the strikewater.When I check the button for "adjust temp for equip" this brings the strikewater temp up to 16C about the required mash temp. I have my mash tun vol 30L, weight 20kg and aluminium 0.215. Any ideas on what I have done wrong ?

cheers


Browny
 
Browny,
 My guess is that with the insulation you are not heating the full mash tun but only the liner (the rest is insulated).  Thus you probably need to adjust the weight down and estimate the weight of the liner to get a more accurate number.

Cheers!
Brad
 
Cheers Brad,
I discovered by trial and error if I entered the figure 0.050 that this gave me a pretty close figure so I'll work on that and report back when I have some results.

cheers

Browny
 
Righto,
Reporting back as promised and I have to take back some of what I said. I found out my thermocouple in the mash tun was not reading correctly so that 5C below the strikewater temp is incorrect.
I did a brew with 6kg of grain on the weekend and found the temp to drop from strikewater of 78C to settle at 67C in order to get Brewsmith to reflect this I had to set the weight to 0.090

cheers

Browndog
 
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