$5 water cooler

Hey folks. I am in the process of crossing over to AG. I already have my grain and my equipment. I just need to finish fabrication. I scored this 10 gallon water cooler on craigslist for $5 !!! See how it has an indent in the bottom for the drainage tube? I think it'll work great for mashing. All I need to do is cover this indent with some type of false bottom, right?




I dont have much money to spare right now but I am thinking the stainless steel mesh toilet line would be the best type of false bottom for my budget.
I think I'm going to follow Flyguys Cheap & Easy 10 Gallon Rubbermaid MLT Conversion

But I was told I could just use a bucket lid with holes drilled into it.

What should I do? Any other cheap options?

Sweet nice looking cooler.

hey i got a similar one, made by igloo. There is a slight difficulty with it not having enough insulation. That can be cured by drilling holes in the corners and filling them with the insulation that comes in a can, think its called "good stuff" if you went to either big box, orange or blue, or a local hardware they could get you a can of it for under 6 bucks. You just spray it in and viola insulation! You may want to check out the top too. 5 more bucks for added temp retention is worth it!


BTW good find! mine was 10 at target!

Hey Frosty, I took apart the top and noticed there is NO insulation in it. It had some type of air valve to dispense the liquid properly. So you're telling me I should spray foam inside of this?

yeah see if you can pry out that white liner too, then put it back in and drill the holes if neccesary. the stuff you want is called " great stuff" comes in a can. also has several different types, I think that the thinnest one would be ok... i think its called gap filler, as opposed to large or big gap filler. or use big gap filler if its totally devoid of the insulation.

also , run a search for igloo ice cube MLT or LT and check it out for a more in depth how to. it looks like they are the same build just re branded etc.

nice cooler....cheap and easy braid installation here...
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/ten-minute-cooler-mash-tun-conversion-125108/

IMHO don't bother w/ more insulation...preheat the cooler well and your temps will likely be stable during the mash.

i had a lot of temp loss with mine, which came with more insulation, and def go with braid cheap n easy

Hey Wilser, I like your design more because it's simple. My philosophy is keep it simple.
I am curious how you close the other end of the braid line without the square head nut.

acyl said:

Hey Wilser, I like your design more because it's simple. My philosophy is keep it simple.
I am curious how you close the other end of the braid line without the square head nut.

Click to expand...

All I ever do is fold the braid back inside itself, perhaps using a pencil eraser, being careful not to stick yoursef w/ the frayed ends, then just merely crush it closed w/ a pair of pliers a few times. Looks neat and works fine.

The trick to fitting an oversized tube through the bulkhead is to slice it w/ a razor knife lengthwise for a few inches so it is tapered and can be started through the hole, then once it is through, cut it square prior to putting on the braid. Might help to heat the tubbing for a real tight squeeze.