Mash Tun Round vs Rectangle?

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WileECoyote

WileECoyote

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Hello, Im going to start my Brew Stand Build soon and would like input on the pros and cons on both a round water cooler and a rectangle ice chest converted into a mash tun.
I want to be able to do 10 gal batches, and I think it might be nice to be able to do a single step mash, so maybe that will be the deciding factor right off the bat, being that ice chest come in 70qt=17.5gal and I
believe that the round ones are 40qt=10gal.

Any advice pros and would be great.

Cheers :mug:
 
a large square tun means more dead space during a smaller mash, difficult to get into corners, and the need to build a mash tun manifold to fit your cooler.

A round cooler is limited in size but also has a smaller footprint to accommodate on your stand.

sounds like you already want a bigger mash tun, so buy what you want for what you want to brew.
 
I've been using a round 10 gal cooler - and quite honestly I've considered getting a smaller one for the lighter gravity brews. When it's full to the top with grain and water I'm losing .3-.7 degrees over 60 minutes. When it's half full it's more like 1.2-2.5 degrees. Both are workable - but obviously the less air space the better your temperature control.
 
I use a keg with a keg koozie and it works great. I can hold a mash for an hour or more without loosing a degree.
 
If you are batch sparging then ease of stirring is about the only consideration, and round ones don't have corners as previously mentioned.

Round ones have a deeper grain bed for small brews, and are a better shape for a false bottom.

Rectangular ones come in bigger sizes, are easier to DIY a manifold, and the Coleman Xtreme range at least has low dead space because of the recessed drain.
 
Thank You Everyone, Dang It now I think its even harder for me to decide lol, very good points made by you guys.

Do I need 2 different mash tuns ? one for 5 gal and one for 10 gal batches ? or ?.
The Coleman Xtreme compared to the round 10gal Home Depot one was what I was looking at.

More input would be great.

Cheers :mug:
 
I didn't see this pointed out by anyone. I have not seen any commercial accessories for square coolers. Not saying there aren't any, but there are way more options for round.

You should be able to make a 5 gallon batch in the larger tun. I don't know what the effect on the temperature will be with the increased head space, but it should be minimal.
 
WileECoyote said:
Do I need 2 different mash tuns ? one for 5 gal and one for 10 gal batches ? or ?.
Click to expand...

No, certainly not. That's why I got the 10 gallon cooler. I can make strong or weak 5 gallon batches and reasonable strength larger batches.

PJoyce85 said:
You should be able to make a 5 gallon batch in the larger tun. I don't know what the effect on the temperature will be with the increased head space, but it should be minimal.
Click to expand...

You will lose a few extra degrees.
 
brycelarson said:
You will lose a few extra degrees.
Click to expand...

Ah, a fellow Minnesotan.

Thanks for answering. I tried to leave my response a bit open ended as I have not tested this.

To the OP, I used to use a rectangular cooler with great success. I have since switched to a stainless MT and if you can afford it, it is the way to go.
 
It just really all depends on what your typical brew is going to be. Granted, there are going to be times when you do something different that is maybe not optimal for your tun, but I wouldn't really consider those in your decision. If you want to brew larger batches (10 gal) then I would go with the rectangular cooler. Doing 5 gal batches in the same cooler shouldn't be an issue. As an example, I have a 48 qt. cooler that I use for 5 gallon batches. I also use the same cooler to mash starter wort for pressure canning. Sometimes I make 3 gallons of starter wort, which is a lot less than a normal brewday because I don't have to add extra water that will be boiled off. Temperature is a little less stable with smaller batches in a larger tun, but not enough to warrant having two mash tuns IMO. You also don't need a fancy manifold, a simple stainless steel braid off of a water supply hose works just fine.
 
PJoyce85 said:
Ah, a fellow Minnesotan.

Thanks for answering. I tried to leave my response a bit open ended as I have not tested this.

To the OP, I used to use a rectangular cooler with great success. I have since switched to a stainless MT and if you can afford it, it is the way to go.
Click to expand...

When using your SS MT do you use the burner on very low setting to keep your mash temp constant? I do this now when doing 5 gal batch BIAB in my 15 gal SS Pot, if I don't It looses to much temp during the mash.

Cheers :mug:
 
WileECoyote said:
Thank You Everyone, Dang It now I think its even harder for me to decide lol, very good points made by you guys.

Do I need 2 different mash tuns ? one for 5 gal and one for 10 gal batches ? or ?.
The Coleman Xtreme compared to the round 10gal Home Depot one was what I was looking at.

More input would be great.

Cheers :mug:
Click to expand...

I use a 10 gallon round cooler for both 5 and 10 gallon batches. The cooler is limited to about 24 pounds of grain, so that means the "biggest" beer I can do in it is 10 gallons of 1.070ish beer.
 
BBL_Brewer said:
It just really all depends on what your typical brew is going to be. Granted, there are going to be times when you do something different that is maybe not optimal for your tun, but I wouldn't really consider those in your decision. If you want to brew larger batches (10 gal) then I would go with the rectangular cooler. Doing 5 gal batches in the same cooler shouldn't be an issue. As an example, I have a 48 qt. cooler that I use for 5 gallon batches. I also use the same cooler to mash starter wort for pressure canning. Sometimes I make 3 gallons of starter wort, which is a lot less than a normal brewday because I don't have to add extra water that will be boiled off. Temperature is a little less stable with smaller batches in a larger tun, but not enough to warrant having two mash tuns IMO. You also don't need a fancy manifold, a simple stainless steel braid off of a water supply hose works just fine.
Click to expand...


Thanks, I would really like to be able to switch between doing 5 and 10 gal batches, Im guessing every 3rd or 4th beer would be 10 gal batches, the rest and any big beers would most likely be 5 gal batches.

Also on most of my 5 gal batches I'm using 10 to 12 lbs of grain, I have not had the chance to do a 10 gal batch yet, so I haven't even figured grain bill for a 10 gal batch, but would be sized up (in BeerSmith) off of the 5 gal recipes.

Knowing this, what size cooler do you guys think would be the best size to pull off both batches?

Thanks so much everyone, wonderful input and info!

Cheers :mug:
 
Yooper said:
I use a 10 gallon round cooler for both 5 and 10 gallon batches. The cooler is limited to about 24 pounds of grain, so that means the "biggest" beer I can do in it is 10 gallons of 1.070ish beer.
Click to expand...

Yooper, Doing a 1.070 beer are you doing a second sparge to get your boil volume ? I don't mind doing a 2nd sparge, I dunk sparge most of my BIAB brews now as it is.

My brews so far have been between 1.045 to 1.070 but I would really like to try a big beer or two or 3 lol, big beers would be 5 gal batches so it sounds like the 10gal round would work just fine.

I would like to come up with/build the most diverse system/brew stand that I can, maybe Im over thinking it?

Thanks

Cheers :mug:
 
I use a 72qt square chest cooler. It works great and I started adding a layer of foil on top of the mash which helps heat loss. I don't lose any heat using this method. I did a thread a couple of weeks ago on my new cooler check it out. BTW I have done the 10 gallon round cooler and I didn't like it. Found it easier to stir, clean, drain, lift & maneuver an ice chest.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/new-cooler-mlt-igloo-super-tough-393843/
 
BigRedHopHead said:
I use a 72qt square chest cooler. It works great and I started adding a layer of foil on top of the mash which helps heat loss. I don't lose any heat using this method. I did a thread a couple of weeks ago on my new cooler check it out. BTW I have done the 10 gallon round cooler and I didn't like it. Found it easier to stir, clean, drain, lift & maneuver an ice chest.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/new-cooler-mlt-igloo-super-tough-393843/
Click to expand...

Thanks BigRedHead, Are your batches 5 gal or 10 gal most of the time ?
I like that you brought up stirring, handling and cleaning the mash tun too, thats something to consider also.

Im going to check out your thread now.

Cheers :mug:
 
WileECoyote said:
Knowing this, what size cooler do you guys think would be the best size to pull off both batches?
Click to expand...

I would suggest a round 10 gallon. The cylindrical mash tuns have less surface area for the volume - so they're a bit more forgiving on smaller mashes. It'll let you do a huge 5 gallon beer, and a reasonable 10 gallon.
 
WileECoyote said:
When using your SS MT do you use the burner on very low setting to keep your mash temp constant? I do this now when doing 5 gal batch BIAB in my 15 gal SS Pot, if I don't It looses to much temp during the mash.

Cheers :mug:
Click to expand...

If I am doing different rests, I will add heat and recirculate. My tun is only 8 gallons so I don't have a lot of extra head space. I only do 5 gallon batches and all have my grain bills (some in the mid 1.070's) fit just fine. I actually get less temp loss with my SS tun than I did with my cooler.
 
WileECoyote said:
Yooper, Doing a 1.070 beer are you doing a second sparge to get your boil volume ? I don't mind doing a 2nd sparge, I dunk sparge most of my BIAB brews now as it is.

My brews so far have been between 1.045 to 1.070 but I would really like to try a big beer or two or 3 lol, big beers would be 5 gal batches so it sounds like the 10gal round would work just fine.

I would like to come up with/build the most diverse system/brew stand that I can, maybe Im over thinking it?

Thanks

Cheers :mug:
Click to expand...

For me, I fly sparge when I'm doing a bigger 10 gallon beer, as there isn't much room on the cooler for adding much water as in a batch sparge. Otherwise, I go back and forth and sometimes fly sparge and sometimes batch sparge.

Generally, if you're going to fly sparge, a round cooler (with a false bottom) is pretty much a must. Otherwise it doesn't really matter for batch sparging since the grain bed is stirred up.
 
brycelarson said:
I would suggest a round 10 gallon. The cylindrical mash tuns have less surface area for the volume - so they're a bit more forgiving on smaller mashes. It'll let you do a huge 5 gallon beer, and a reasonable 10 gallon.
Click to expand...

Thats something to consider too.

Cheers :mug:
 
PJoyce85 said:
If I am doing different rests, I will add heat and recirculate. My tun is only 8 gallons so I don't have a lot of extra head space. I only do 5 gallon batches and all have my grain bills (some in the mid 1.070's) fit just fine. I actually get less temp loss with my SS tun than I did with my cooler.
Click to expand...

Thanks PJoyce85, for answering my question, Im sure that I have to heat to maintain temp is do to using a 15 gal pot and only a 5 gal batch in it.

Cheers :mug:
 
Yooper said:
For me, I fly sparge when I'm doing a bigger 10 gallon beer, as there isn't much room on the cooler for adding much water as in a batch sparge. Otherwise, I go back and forth and sometimes fly sparge and sometimes batch sparge.

Generally, if you're going to fly sparge, a round cooler (with a false bottom) is pretty much a must. Otherwise it doesn't really matter for batch sparging since the grain bed is stirred up.
Click to expand...

Thanks Yooper, for answering my question, I don't think I will be fly sparging, at least not any time soon, currently I would like to be able to, single mash, 2nd step soak sparge (for lack of a better description)

Great point on the round cooler with a false bottom for fly sparging being a must, Ill remember that if later I decide to try fly sparging and currently being adaptable later is a consideration.

Cheers :mug:
 
I have a 10 gallon home depot with a false bottom and have loved it over the years, I normally do 5 gallon batches and have never had a problem, I also batch sparge, but when I have done 10 gallon batches my efficiency always went down quite a bit and it gets a lot harder to stir a full tun. For this reason I am thinking of having 2 mash tuns one for 5 gallons and a rectangular for 10. If your a batch sparger and making beers on the big side stirring 24 pounds of grain in a 10 gallon tun is messy and a pain in the ass, I could never do a 1.070 10 gallon batch in my cooler, while batch sparging that is.
 
bandt9299 said:
I have a 10 gallon home depot with a false bottom and have loved it over the years, I normally do 5 gallon batches and have never had a problem, I also batch sparge, but when I have done 10 gallon batches my efficiency always went down quite a bit and it gets a lot harder to stir a full tun. For this reason I am thinking of having 2 mash tuns one for 5 gallons and a rectangular for 10. If your a batch sparger and making beers on the big side stirring 24 pounds of grain in a 10 gallon tun is messy and a pain in the ass, I could never do a 1.070 10 gallon batch in my cooler, while batch sparging that is.
Click to expand...

Good information Thanks bandt9299.

Cheers :mug:
 

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