Stainless steel braided ring from How To Brew

[hockypunk]

Im converting a 5 gallon cooler to a mash tun and am interested in using the braided ring from How to brew. It calls for a 1" braided water heater connector. Does anyone know if that 1" is critical or could I use a 3/4" and save $10? Also, does anyone have any experience using this type of system? Pros or cons? I plan to batch sparge.

Thanks

[pfooti]

I'm using the 1" one, but I'm pretty confident that a 3/4" one would be pretty okay, especially in a smaller MLT. It has served me quite well for many brews.

Here's a write-up of what I did: http://www.thenormalforce.com/2010/12/m ... auter.html

The important bit is that the book's suggestions are a bit off in the hardware department. Instead of getting a 5/8 compression T, get a 3/8" FIP T junction and a pair of 3/8 MIP x 5/8 compression parts to attach the two ends of the ring to- if you get a 5/8 compression T, the outlet from the ring has a hard time going anywhere useful (you have to run ander-lign tube off of the T and to your outflow, which is kind of annoying).

[LordUlrich]

I use a 1/2 in braid strait (in a rectangular cooler), no problem. Should be fine.

[hockypunk]

Thanks for the link. Very helpful. I was wondering how I'd do the connection from the ring to the ballvalve also.

[BDawg]

You will find that a 5 gallon cooler is too small to brew beers that get above about 1.070. It will also interfere with your ability to do step infusion mashes, as the water quantities needed to raise the temp will exceed your mash tun volume.

After you get your first few single infusion mashes under your belt, try to do a couple decoctions. It will teach you the old methods, as well as give you another tool to use if you find that you need to raise temp in a step mash and don't have room.

HTH-

[snowcapt]

BDawg, do you do many decoctions? I keep looking at it, and I think I want to do a Barley Wine in this way. You think that would be a good style to go with. I just do batch sparge right now, looking to expand and experiment a bit.

[BDawg]

In the past, yes, but not in a while. My point is that stepping up in a small cooler can be accomplished by doing an "emergency decoction".

[Brew Engineer]

In the past, yes, but not in a while. My point is that stepping up in a small cooler can be accomplished by doing an "emergency decoction".

"Emergency Decoction"... Hehehe...

Sounds like a Bobbit story.