cooler mastun

looking 2 go ag. gonna do the cooler mashtun thing for now as funds are limited. i mainly do 5g batches but want to move to 10g batches. what size cooler is recomended so i can do both? will a 48q coole suffice or should i go bigger?

Does this answer your question: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/how-big-your-mash-tun-needs-123585/

It's also a matter of how high of a gravity beer you want to make. In your case, it looks like a safe assumption would be 10 gallons at 1.070. Also you don't necessarily want to go too big because that will affect the depth of grain bed and therefore extraction efficiency.

the 60 qt igloo ice cube cooler is a popular choice, as it allows for bigger brews and is relatively cheap

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Igloo-60-Qt.-Ice-Cube-Roller-Cooler/5663765

10G cylinder Gatorade/Home Depot type works great for low to high gravity 5G batches, or up to ~1.058 10G batches.

I'm noticing that most 50+qt coolers have wheels on them now with the drain 2-3" above the floor of the cooler. is this a problem? or when u hard plumb lets say a copper dip tube and a false bottom will it drain sufficiently?

tchuklobrau said:

I'm noticing that most 50+qt coolers have wheels on them now with the drain 2-3" above the floor of the cooler. is this a problem? or when u hard plumb lets say a copper dip tube and a false bottom will it drain sufficiently?

Click to expand...

I have a 60 qt ice cube. CPVC hard plumbed from the valve opening down to my CPVC manifold.

It works great. You just need a tube on the valve outlet that goes lower than the bottom of the cooler to set up a siphon, and you have very little deadspace.

thanks shorty, and off topic how hard is that apfelwein 2 make? its all my motherinlaw in germany drinks would like 2 make some and have on hand for when they visit.

Apfelwein is quick to throw together, and best of all, the only costs are juice, sugar, yeast and fermentor space..

juice sugar yeast. hmm so it comes out fairly sweet?

To a degree, but you ferment out with a champagne yeast, so it dries it out.

Like others said, Apfelwein is so easy it's stupid. Sanitize carboy, pour in apple juice, shake some sugar with juice and pour that in, add yeast, done. It comes out VERY dry with the champagne yeast....like below 1.000 dry.

I've recently completed my Rubbermaid MLT and from what I've absorbed you'll be fine with 5 gallon low gravity beers in a 5 gal cooler & may be able to finesse some higher gravity brews. I brew, at this point, mostly low gravity beers but wanted the expansion so I did a 10 gal. I expect to have too much head room and am preparing thick rigid foam to place on top of the mash perhaps on top of aluminum foil.
Got my cooler here -> http://www.waresdirect.com/products/Commercial-Products/Rubbermaid/Victory-Two264507
I build my bulkhead per BobbyM's design -> https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/no-leak-mlt-bulkhead-design-87197/
All my parts were purchased from Home Depot except silicone Oring.
I built my manifold according to John Palmer -> http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixD-1.html