Cooler conversion

Well, I'm thinking of trying an all grain batch.

I have some questions about converting my cooler over, I have a pretty large coleman extreme right now, it has the bulkhead type spout, what is the best way to convert them?

I was originally thinking I'd get the weldless kit and either bazooka tube or just make my own braid line. That will be very nice but fairly expensive, are there some cheaper alternatives?

Well I tried to figure out how to put together my own and after several weeks and even more stores I gave up and bought the Kewler Kit. Got a second cooler yesterday and I did not even try to make one.... just got another one this morning. It was assembled in less then 5 minutes! How are you planning to sparge? It's an important question to ask yourself.

Beer Snob said:

How are you planning to sparge? It's an important question to ask yourself.

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Thats a great point..that will detemine on how to go.
I got a 36 qt extreme (gonna buy a 52 qt) for fly sparging. The drain is easy to take out. I used a platic double compression fitting where the nut was inside the cooler against the rubber gasket, and the other end completly on the outside. I have a copper manifold...but the idea can work for a screen. I was too cheap to buy a cooler kit htingy..but have heard great reviews about them.


Cheers.

the weldless fiting is worth the money if you don't wanna hunt around the hardware store for the fittings.

i'd recommend a cpvc manifold. you can cut the stuff with hand saw, and fit it together with some joints that you don't have to glue. easy to clean and cheap enough to throw away and make a new one....

Right...I have spent a few lunch hours in a hardware store thinking of all the possible combinations...and its trial and error.

Would a standard plastic valve for a bucket not work?

t1master said:

i'd recommend a cpvc manifold. you can cut the stuff with hand saw, and fit it together with some joints that you don't have to glue. easy to clean and cheap enough to throw away and make a new one....

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I went with a copper one and my dremel tool cut my slots like the copper was soft butter, I also dont have a single piece of it soldered or glued together . . . it's not like I want my manifold water tight or anything. With that being said with todays price for copper CPVC may be the way to go cost wise

You could follow the instructions found on this page. It is about as cheap as possible. This is for batch sparging if that is what your going to do. > http://hbd.org/cascade/dennybrew/

Anyone know why CPVC is not the route generally taken... I mean it's cheaper and easier to work with. Brew Ware shows a CPVC manifold..... that's the only book I have seen it suggested in.

I suppose it could be a sturdyness issue...

pbowler said:

Would a standard plastic valve for a bucket not work?

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anyone have a thought?

I was thinking the Northern Brewer setup had plastic valves, but they are the standard copper ones too...

Here it is... thought I saw one with the plastic valves....

Beer Snob said:

I was thinking the Northern Brewer setup had plastic valves, but they are the standard copper ones too...

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Mannn..... I can't WAIT for the brew festival in Durham in a few weeks. Dude is delivering one of those set-ups to me.

w00t!

Walker-san said:

Mannn..... I can't WAIT for the brew festival in Durham in a few weeks. Dude is delivering one of those set-ups to me.

w00t!

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Slick.... are you getting the 5 or 10 Gal setup?

Beer Snob said:

Slick.... are you getting the 5 or 10 Gal setup?

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the 10, baby.... missing the tubing and one ball lock, but wort the $75 I spent on it!

Walker-san said:

the 10, baby.... missing the tubing and one ball lock, but wort the $75 I spent on it!

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$75? What, was this what Dude used before his 'small' upgrade?

Beer Snob said:

$75? What, was this what Dude used before his 'small' upgrade?

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Nope... a guy in his local homebrew club was unloading it and Dude knew I was on the lookout for a deal on AG gear.

I just need a burner and larger kettle now and I'm all set.

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to dust off the hydroemeter and get reaquainted with it for the first few AG brews.

Walker-san said:

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to dust off the hydroemeter and get reaquainted with it for the first few AG brews.

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Nah.... this is like riding a bike. It was many years since doing a brew and I just feel right into it without a problem. You'll be fine. Glad to see your feeling better to finally do one though!!!!

Beer Snob said:

Nah.... this is like riding a bike. It was many years since doing a brew and I just feel right into it without a problem. You'll be fine. Glad to see your feeling better to finally do one though!!!!

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Thanks. I'm feeling 99%, actually. Ready to roll.

I wanted to go to the brew-shop today and pick up some things so that I could get one last exract batch moving before switching to AG, but my wife was working in the flower beds all day so I was a solo parent today. Didn't feel like packing the kids into the minivan to drive to the LHBS.

Oh well...

anyway, I seem to have COMPLETELY hijacked this thread.

My bad!

Then perhaps you can save the day on wheither or not you can use one of them cheap, bloody hell leaking valves, probably because it exceeded the temp a long time ago and has started melting.

I'm a few weeks away from AG. I'm dropping a couple of bones on a kegging set up, so I need to chill for a while before I drop another bone or two on AG equipment. I'm going for the turkey fryer first. She'll love it that I'm brewing outside.

guys thanks for the input, I'm going to batch sparge. I have to look at the parts a bit more, I'd really rather not spend $30 on the cooler kit. I'll see if I can put something together on my own.

Thanks.

$15 Home Depot conversion pending.

Film at 11 (or when I get it done).

For those out there that are looking for a propane burner, check out Academy. I bought a propane burner there for $18 and some change that is a lot like this one http://www.academy.com/index.php?pa...ls/fryers&start=0&selectedSKU=0262-01287-0002 and works like a champ. It doesn't come with a kettle or propane bottle, but that wasn't a problem since I already had a 21 quart kettle and a gas grill at home.

I only do mini-mashes at the moment, so I bought a 2.5 gallon water cooler from Target last night. It needs converting, but it shouldn't be too hard to do. I think I'm going to go with this setup just smaller => http://cruisenews.net/brewing/infusion/page1.php

Here is mine, I think she is 45 quart, and went with copper all the way




Works like a champ:cross: