A Brewzilla ad, up-selling "add ons" in bold letters
Greetings citizens! Let me start with thanking you all for the overwhelming response we have got from ya'all! We eat up all your compliments and support, we are addicted to it.
In the past 7-8 years I have seen many changes in home brewing trends. One of the most fundamental changes has to be the popularity of the new "Brew in a bag" style brewing method. In fact, when I talk to many of the new brewers, they don't even seem to know what a Mash-Tun is and to some of those who know about them, it seems like a thing from past.
Introduction of brew bags have made premium-expensive equipment like grainfather, brewzilla and robobrew a necessity and vice a versa. Along those lines, in comes a range of other expensive add ons; water circulation pumps, hop spiders, grain buckets, stainless steel false bottoms, kettle thermostats, software controls and what not. But is it all really worth the effort and cost in a small home brewing set up?
Mash Tun Vs Brew In-A Bag
Originally, "Brew in a bag" was a budget solution to replace mash tuns for some broke Australian students, also a way to counter space issues while brewing in their dorms. You pay some price in the quality department but it was convenient in a guerrilla style brewing.
As this method started gaining popularity among young home brewers, beer quality plunged; eventually home brew shops, engineering firms and Chinese Alibaba suppliers in the following years saw an opportunity to cash in. They developed equipment to tackle brew bag's various pitfalls, afterwards everybody just took it and ran with it.
In the process, home brewing became a more expensive hobby for regular folks than it was with mash tuns in the 90's & 00's, not to mention more complicated.
A simple Mash Tun with a long Bazooka Screen
Ok I might sound like a grumpy old man who hates change, but trust me I am neither. If you remove brew bags from the calculation you don't even need a Grainfather/Brewzilla/Robobrew and expensive options with them. Check our blog on using simple inexpensive kettles. Yes, you can brew a quality batch of beer, at par with robo-zillas, by shelling only tiny portion of that budget and spending it on building a mash tun for yourself. Sounds impossible? Well maybe that's the power of marketing and systematic inculcation. Anyhoo, let's first give Brew Bags a fair chance and find out who can actually benefit from brew-in-a-bag method and not using a mash tun or even zillas.
Why Choose a Brew bag?
If your batch size is less than 6 liters and if you don't care much for efficiency or clarity.
If your recipe is limited to simple beer styles.
If you have serious space issues where you live (mash tuns may take about a couple of square feets space).
Do please care to comment if you can think of more benefits or if you disagree with me entirely.
Let's focus on mash tuns now. For those who don't know what a mash tun is and how it functions, you can find tons of videos about them on YouTube. Including ways to build them yourself, if you are into DIY. Readymade mash tuns are also available in our shop.
Why Choose a Mash tun?
Mash tun saves you the hassle of lifting and holding heavy - hot brew bags for prolonged periods until it drains and avoid a chance of burning accident too.
Allows you to easily multiply your batch size without worrying about excess grain transportation or your bag tearing under weight.
No chance of plastic leeching in your beer or burning the bottoms of bags when using nylon brew bags.
Even distribution of heat and also there's no chance of scorching your grains since there are no heating elements or direct flame.
Much better control over mashing temperatures with strike water, without using fancy built-in dial thermometers, softwares and thermostats. Once you hit a temperature rest, you just close it and take a long break instead of sitting there staring at the thermometer dial, worrying about temperature peaks and dives.
Quite inexpensive compared to investing in fancy SS kettles. You can get away using any stock pot, even an inexpensive aluminum one.
Performing sparging and vorlauf is easy. You also get better clarity and efficiency. Greater overall creative freedom.
With wheat beers and adjuncts, using rice hulls is possible. Out of question if using BIAB. You just have to learn to live with holding heavy brewbags in suspension for prolonged time.
Performing multiple Decoctions is a breeze with mash tuns.
Much simpler than using Brew bags and it's range of add ons. Promotes a relaxed atmosphere, less reading manuals, fearing equipment failures and head scratching.
Mash tuns are much more cleaner. Less chance of spillage and sticky drops of labor, not to mention avoids a chance of husband bashing.
You can use it for Swamp Cooling your fermenters in summer months.
Easy to maintain and repair when necessory.
Last but not the least, brings back that original pleasure of DIY in Home Brewing.
Lifting of Brew Bags and the mess that follows
Except for those who have no space to put/hide a mash tun and also, the homebrew shops/suppliers who can benefit from it, I seriously wonder why everyone's jumping in the rat race without questioning it's practicality.
To be frank I have tried brew bags and much of the equipment built around the concept. I personally feel Mash tuns work better, are less expensive, less complicated and helps me focus on the creative side of brewing rather than staring at complicated machines. If it breaks I can fix it myself, even if I loose one it want burn a hole in my pocket getting a new one.
Also building your own equipment saves money and gives you that immense pleasure of DIY. You know your equipment like the back of your hand. Even if you purchase a ready made Mash Tun it's still worth it. This is what the joy of home brewing is about.
Simple outlet of a cooler type Mash Tun with a silicone tube attached
This is a great article and so down2earth honest too. Speaks a ton about your ethics, knowledge and desire to keep brewing simple and enjoyable.