Cheap & Easy 10 Gallon Rubbermaid MLT Conversion

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ModlrMike said:
I just used this thread to convert a 3 gallon "Bubba keg cooler" into a mini mash tun. I used a 3/8 rubber grommet to line the hole from the old spigot, and had to make a plastic washer for the outside, to act as a stand-off so that the ball valve would close completely.

Cooler = Canadian Tire = 23.00
Parts = Rona = 9.00 (the wife gets an employee discount)
Ready for partial mash = priceless
Hey -- that's the same cooler I started with! Works great! (Just used it tonight, in fact, for my first partial mash in a long time.)
 
I just had to post to say that I just finished putting together my 5 gallon MLT. I'm half tempted to call in "sick" tomorrow just cause I'm that anxious to try my first PM. Oh, and I've had a couple HB's which always makes calling off sound like a good idea.
 
So I brewed my first AG batch using this cooler yesterday - the cap on the end of the vinyl tubing/ss hose fell off and caused a bit of grain to make it into the wort, but nothing too bad - I'm still fermenting the batch off to see how it turns out.

However, I noticed that the inside lining of the cooler (not sure what else to call it) has now bulged out in a vertical section along the entire height of the inside of the cooler. It doesn't appear to be cracked, and it's not leaking - I think it was due to the heat of the mash. Has anyone else experienced this? Should I get a different cooler, or is this normal?

I used the 10 gallon Rubbermaid cooler from Home Depot, in case it matters..
 
I do have a new question. Where did everyone find "high temperature" O-rings. I just bought the only ones they sold at a local hardware store and the gentlemen there told me they are rated at 220 F, which would be cutting it pretty close in my boil kettle. Anyone know where I can get some food grade high temp ones? Thanks in advance.

Thanks in advance!

-Jek
 
I know you have had many replies after this one, but I just made my own MLT with your instructions and I wanted to thank you. The only difference was that I used a 5 gallon cooler. The parts list, instructions, pictures were awesome and I just wanted to thank you for posting everything :D . I tested it last night, no leaks, no rust, Perfect !!

Gracias !

Happy Brewing
 
Jekster said:
I do have a new question. Where did everyone find "high temperature" O-rings. I just bought the only ones they sold at a local hardware store and the gentlemen there told me they are rated at 220 F, which would be cutting it pretty close in my boil kettle. Anyone know where I can get some food grade high temp ones? Thanks in advance.

Thanks in advance!

-Jek
I had to go online to find the ones I used in a boil kettle. Otherwise, those 220F seals work fine in a mash tun.

McMaster-Carr (http://mcmaster.com) sells silicone o-rings that work at really high temps. Or many online LHBS dealers sell them too.
 
kpellicone said:
I know you have had many replies after this one, but I just made my own MLT with your instructions and I wanted to thank you. The only difference was that I used a 5 gallon cooler. The parts list, instructions, pictures were awesome and I just wanted to thank you for posting everything :D . I tested it last night, no leaks, no rust, Perfect !!

Gracias !

Happy Brewing
Hey, glad it worked out for you! Thanks for the note. Cheers! :mug:
 
Thanks for the instructions, this was what I needed to get over the hump and start the journey into all-grain (had thought a mashing kit would cost considerably more).

To anyone who is putting together their own kit - following the same idea as skifast1, I purchased a quantity of silicone o-rings from McMaster-Carr. ID 5/8", OD 7/8", FDA spec, -65F to 450F, part #9396K81. This seems to be a good fit for my 5 gal Home Depot cooler. I'll offer the same deal, one dollar each, shipping included. PM me if interested.
 
FlyGuy said:
That's a really good idea, especially if you are using the tubing insert inside the braid. Elegant solution -- I think I might change mine, too! It would hold the braid really well, yet allow for easy cleaning. Thanks for the suggestion.

I am building mine right now.....with an Igloo cooler. Can someone explain what this is instead of? Does this mean I don't need the vinyl tubing? I went to 3 hardware stores and not only did they not have AN Y 5/8" fender washers (let alone ss), they did not have any 7/16 X 5/16 high temp tubing. I am only using it for my MLT, but I don't think industrial vinyl will hold up to 170+.
 
Kayos said:
I am building mine right now.....with an Igloo cooler. Can someone explain what this is instead of? Does this mean I don't need the vinyl tubing? I went to 3 hardware stores and not only did they not have AN Y 5/8" fender washers (let alone ss), they did not have any 7/16 X 5/16 high temp tubing. I am only using it for my MLT, but I don't think industrial vinyl will hold up to 170+.
You don't need the vinyl tubing on the inside of the cooler. That was just a refinement. Most people don't bother.

You do, however, need a SS or brass washer on the inside. A plated steel washer will corrode and could cause off-flavours in your beer. PM Skifast1 -- he has them for sale at his cost.
 
FlyGuy

I want to thank you for the parts list and the how to discription. I built one and have used it for three batches now. The only short comming is raising the heat and I plan on trying steam injection idea soon. Thanks Again. - Robar
 
Anyone compile part numbers like this (and sourcing for them) for all stainless steel?
 
Robar said:
FlyGuy

I want to thank you for the parts list and the how to discription. I built one and have used it for three batches now. The only short comming is raising the heat and I plan on trying steam injection idea soon. Thanks Again. - Robar

I need to offically do the same. I used some different parts, but the overall design was from this post. It's works like a champ!

Thanks FlyGuy! :tank:
 
Thanks for the great post. I have all the parts and I've watched some videos on AG brewing on youtube, so now I'm just waiting till I get my AG kit. I had one question. What do you think about using this false bottom instead of the stainless mesh hose? It seems like it would be more efficient.

http://morebeer.com/view_product/15571/102309

Thanks!
 
dscott60 said:
Thanks for the great post. I have all the parts and I've watched some videos on AG brewing on youtube, so now I'm just waiting till I get my AG kit. I had one question. What do you think about using this false bottom instead of the stainless mesh hose? It seems like it would be more efficient.

http://morebeer.com/view_product/15571/102309

Thanks!
I have never used a false bottom, but if you believe Denny Conn (a veteran homebrewer that championed batch sparging), he claims that a good SS braid performs BETTER than a false bottom for batch sparging. The apparent reasons are that the braid promotes channeling (good in batch sparging, bad in fly sparging) that can help avoid stuck sparges and promotes easier run-off. These things should, in theory, also translate into higher extract efficiency.

Honestly though -- there are lots of people here that use false bottoms successfully, too. So I am sure they work well. The big disadvantage I see is the cost (a braid is $5 and a FB is $30).

Cheers! :mug:
 
I know this has been asked before.. but

I am going into AG soon, and was wanting to know if a 10 gal cooler is good enough for 10 gal batches..
 
aekdbbop said:
I know this has been asked before.. but

I am going into AG soon, and was wanting to know if a 10 gal cooler is good enough for 10 gal batches..
If you are batch sparging, I would go bigger. Probably something like a 70 qt Coleman Extreme. But if you only brew lower gravity beers and/or fly sparge, a 10 gal would get you by for 10 gal batches.
 
My brass head plug has taken to coming off after every mash now. I guess the vinyl tubing gets hot and pliable then when I dump the grains out the plug gets pulled off. Other than just being careful, might there be a more permanent fix?
 
paranode said:
My brass head plug has taken to coming off after every mash now. I guess the vinyl tubing gets hot and pliable then when I dump the grains out the plug gets pulled off. Other than just being careful, might there be a more permanent fix?
Yeah, me too. But someone else who posted a page or two back suggested this easy fix:
Madtown Brew said:
All I had to change was the cap for the SS braid. Ended up getting another 3/8" male barb and a 3/8" hex cap. Worked out great.
 
FlyGuy said:
UPDATE:
...

So, I did a quick improvement to my original design using a piece of 7/16" x 5/16" vinyl tubing (food grade, high temp). I cut a length to fit inside the SS braid, and then notched it to allow liquid to flow through.

...

New brewer here, working on my first all-grain rig. Great how-to BTW...

Is there a reason I can't use the plastic tubing inside the original SS braid? It's about 7/16" OD and 3/8" ID (which would leave a smaller diameter for the fluid to flow) and might be a little tough to cut, but seems like might be a good solution.

These were originally meant for a faucet connection, so I am sure it could handle the temperature.

Any reason I shouldn't?

Thanks!!
 
displacedtexan said:
New brewer here, working on my first all-grain rig. Great how-to BTW...

Is there a reason I can't use the plastic tubing inside the original SS braid? It's about 7/16" OD and 3/8" ID (which would leave a smaller diameter for the fluid to flow) and might be a little tough to cut, but seems like might be a good solution.

These were originally meant for a faucet connection, so I am sure it could handle the temperature.

Any reason I shouldn't?

Thanks!!
Hey DT, glad you found it a useful post!

Regarding the use of the original hose, yeah, maybe. I thought about it too. But I ended up going with the vinyl tubing instead because it was easy to cut and I KNEW it was rated for high temperature. I have also thought of using a short section of copper tubing with a bunch of slits cut into (just like a copper manifold). Either way should preserve the integrity of the braid better, and keep it from floating up, too.

Cheers!
 
Well if you're going to use a copper insert that kinda defeats the purpose of the SS braid, you might as well make a copper manifold out of it.

I just bought a new SS braid for my MLT and that's a great idea to use the hose that came with it. I was just about to throw it away like I did the first time I built the MLT. Whoops!

It seems to me that it shouldn't matter much if it's rated for high temp or not. The hottest it will ever get is 170*F. What's the worst that could happen? It deforms a little bit? Maybe over time it would grow to be a problem. But I don't think 170 is hot enough to actually melt the plastic of non-high-temp hosing such that little globs rinse off with the wort and get into the beer.
 
Great design. I plan on making one soon.

NooB Question: For someone planning on only doing 5 gal batches, is the 10-gal cooler overkill? Would the 5-gal suffice? I don't plan on making really heavy beers.
I've not tried AG but from the sounds of it will probably be batch sparging.
 
If you are batch sparging, the 10 gal size is still nice because it gives you lots of room for adding a mash-out plus sparge water. Once you start getting over 1.050 in gravity, that becomes tough in a 5 gal cooler.

Other than a small amount of additional cost, there is really no downside to the 10 gal cooler. I have mashed and batch sparged as little as 7 lbs of grain in it with no difficulty.

Of course, the other nice thing is that if you do prefer to brew lower gravity beers, then the 10 gal cooler will allow you to step up from 5 to 10 gal batches in the future!

Cheers!
 
BrianP said:
Great design. I plan on making one soon.

NooB Question: For someone planning on only doing 5 gal batches, is the 10-gal cooler overkill? Would the 5-gal suffice? I don't plan on making really heavy beers.
I've not tried AG but from the sounds of it will probably be batch sparging.


I implore you - go with the 10 gallon!
I've been brewing AG for about 6 months now, after 3 or so years of extract and partial mash brewing. I went with a 5 gallon setup, reasoning that I only brew 5 gallon batches, so why would I ever need anything larger? The problem is that you're limited as far as what you can actually brew - I can probably pack 12 or so pounds of grist in there but forget any more than that, which rules out a lot of higher gravity beers. When I get into that much grain it's awfully hard to stir without slopping all over the place, and forget about adding water to adjust if you miss your target dough-in temp.
If I had been thinking 6 months ago, I would have spent the extra $20 or so and gone with the larger cooler and the larger false bottom to match. Now to upgrade I'm back at square one and looking at $60 or so to rebuild the thing in a larger size.

- Brendan
 
BrianP said:
Great design. I plan on making one soon.

NooB Question: For someone planning on only doing 5 gal batches, is the 10-gal cooler overkill? Would the 5-gal suffice? I don't plan on making really heavy beers.
I've not tried AG but from the sounds of it will probably be batch sparging.

+1 for getting the larger cooler. There is a saying others have mentioned on these forums, and I will parrot here because it is so true:

Buy cheap, buy twice.

I bought the 5 gallon cooler and was sorry for it after the first batch. Even with regular gravity beers, it is just a pain to have to worry about water volumes being too much for the mash tun. Go with the big one!
 
Please excuse if these were already mentioned somewhere in the previous 14 pages. I like these clamps. You can squeeze them to a decent fit with your fingers, and with a pair of pliers, I get them tight enough to hold 50lbs of CO2 pressure with no problems. A quick twist with pliers will pop them right off (well, once you get the hang of it.)
I got them from USPlastics.com along with a bunch of Colder Products quick disconnects. They kill you on shipping, so if you can find a local or alternate source, go for it.

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/pr...=USPlastic&category_name=2659&product_id=8236
Cheers,
Jeremy
 
DraconianHand said:
Zip straps or wire ties might work as a replacement for "all stainless" steel hose clamps...that is if you can tighten them down enough to prevent the braid/hose from coming loose.

has anyone used the zip ties for this?
 
I guess it's decided then.

FlyGuy, cruster, and Thalon: Thanks for the advice. 10g it is.

Thanks again FlyGuy for the original post. I was wondering how to make one of these set-ups. The parts list is great, as well as the re-design edit.

Regards,
BP
 
eddie said:
I have. I've only got three brews on them right now but they've held up well so far. They haven't loosened a bit as far as I can tell.:rockin:

well, 3 brews is better than one with the SSish hose clamps.. i guess I will try that..
 
aekdbbop said:
has anyone used the zip ties for this?

Yes. I used the original ones for my first 5 batches. I had to take the braid off to clean it so I had to cut one. One of the originals is still there, it has discolored slightly but still holds tight.
 
I originally made a 5 gallon version of the MLT, but Home Depot now has their 10 gallon Rubbermaid on sale for $40. I couldn't find them for less than $55, so I now am the proud owner of a 10 gallon MLT.:ban:
 
Funny, I couldn't find any at my local HD :(. But they did have 10 gal rectangular ones that will neatly fit into my limited storage area for $29 :D.
 
Does the same general parts list work for the rectangular coolers? Or do you need to change the valve size and/or some of the parts list? I'm not seeing the round coolers that much, just round 5's and rectangular 10's.
 
You can use the same basic list, but the thickness of the cooler wall may be different for the rectangular coolers. So, you may need to find a different size of pipe nipple and/or different number of spacing washers on the outside of the cooler to get a tight fit.

Note that this design relies on the original seal around the spigot that came with the cooler. If you aren't going to use it, then you will probably need to go to 1/2" fittings and a silicone seal.
 
Flyguy,

One trip to HD and a 10gal MLT will be mine. And an immersion chiller.

Thanks again for the original post and for the quick follow-up.
 
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