Mash Tun

A Mash Tun is a vessel in the brew house that is used for mixing the grist or ground malt with water that has been heated to a specific temperature. This process is known as “mashing” The result, which resembles oatmeal, is also referred to as mash.

The mash is kept at a predetermined temperature and time (for example, at 65 degrees Celsius for one hour) until the malt starches convert to sugars, at which point the dissolved malt sugars (wort) are rinsed into the kettle, which is where the hops are added.

The mash tun is a single vessel in which the mashing process and the wort runoff take place simultaneously in the same vessel.

A mash with a single infusion temperature is the most common production method for ales and other top-fermented beers, particularly in the United Kingdom.

Features of the Mash Tun

There is a diverse selection of mash tun components available. Although each one is intended to make the brewing day go more smoothly, none is necessary to produce tasty beer. Simply put, they are useful.

A false bottom, inlets and outlets, a Borlaug port, and insulation are some of the most common features a mash tun can have.

Let’s take a look at them.

False Bottom

A piece of perforated or slotted metal used as a false bottom is probably already familiar to you at this point. It is situated at the base of the mash tun, in the middle of the kettle, between the outlet and the remainder of the vessel.

The false bottom is the component that separates the sweet wort from the crushed grains.

Some variants of mash tuns do not come equipped with a false bottom, such as unmodified coolers.

While some Mash tuns, particularly those of middle to high-end quality, do not come with a false bottom, others come with various accessories and features.