Cooler is too small for 10 gallon batches

On my last brew day I discovered that my cooler (10 gallon) was too small for a 10 gallon batch (30 lb grain bill). I hoping that everything turns out, the gravity didn't get as low as I would have liked but... Anyhow, moving forward, could I just split the grain in half and do 2 mashes? I'm not ready to spring for a huge mamma jamma cooler just yet but I want to continue doing 10 gallon batches.

Add extract to the boil if your OG isn't as high as you want it. I always keep 3-5lbs of DME in the freezer for these sorts of situations.

Great website to use to check and see if you'll have enough room. You can always mash thicker in order to get more grain in there. It's the water that really takes up the space and not as much the grain once it's good and saturated.
http://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml

the original gravity was okay about 1.06 but since the cooler was too small the mashing process was a mess and I might have mashed at too high of a temp or something. I'll just say that once it was discovered that the cooler could not hold all the grain, it got messy. Had to drain out a gallon or two to get the grain to fit. The final gravity ended up at 1.024. I did use liquid yeast but no starter and that could have been another problem?
Anyhow my main question, for this thread anyhow, is would it be possible to do the process of mash twice, boil once?

wow, that is a lot of grain for 10G of beer. I just had a 19.5lb grain bill for 10G of 1.057 beer and that would fit easy in a 10G cooler. Was this a big beer?


Edit, I see your gravity was ~ 1.060

my bad... 12 gallon batch actually

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f126/black-butte-porter-145879/

and my next one up is...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/stone-xi-anniversary-clone-51521/

so I'm sure I'll be running into the same issues. I do plan on using yeast starters this time. I bought 2 vials because I wasn't sure if it was safe to try and stretch a single vial out that far.

Grinch said:

the original gravity was okay about 1.06

Click to expand...

Shouldn't you have gotten an OG closer to 1.080 with 30 lbs of grain?

??? dunno. it was technically 27.86 lbs.

you could mash at a 1.1qt/1lb at fit 27.5lbs in a 10G cooler. That is pretty thick but it can be done.

Grinch said:

and my next one up is...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/stone-xi-anniversary-clone-51521/

so I'm sure I'll be running into the same issues. I do plan on using yeast starters this time. I bought 2 vials because I wasn't sure if it was safe to try and stretch a single vial out that far.

Click to expand...

Grinch, good choice. this is often in my rotation. A yeast starter will be a good decision. or use dry yeast. S-05 is a good dry for this one.

Thanks! I can't wait to brew it! but could I split the grain into 2 batches of mash to do a 10 gallon batch?

Grinch said:

Thanks! I can't wait to brew it! but could I split the grain into 2 batches of mash to do a 10 gallon batch?

Click to expand...

Of course you can, if you have the time.

bja said:

Of course you can, if you have the time.

Click to expand...

okay, good! I just didn't know if there were any dangers with doing it that way.
Thanks!

Or, since you are determined to brew 12G batches of big grain bill brews, get a bigger cooler. I just bought a 120quart Max from Wally'smart for $49-tag said $52, but shelf said $49. Still, $52 is not a bad price for that much capacity and insulation(since HD sells their 10G (40quart) round for $40, or split the batch and be unhappy with the extra work.

I just can't imagine how you didn't see the trouble coming, though.

To answer your question:

could I just split the grain in half and do 2 mashes?

Click to expand...

Sure you can. Most breweries use multiple mashes to fill the kettle. That is why they have separate mash and lauter tuns so they can get the next mash going while they sparge the last one.

You can take gravity readings after the first mash and adjust as needed. Just like they do.

HenryHill said:

Or, since you are determined to brew 12G batches of big grain bill brews, get a bigger cooler. I just bought a 120quart Max from Wally'smart for $49-tag said $52, but shelf said $49. Still, $52 is not a bad price for that much capacity and insulation(since HD sells their 10G (40quart) round for $40, or split the batch and be unhappy with the extra work.

Click to expand...

again, I don't have the cash to spring for a bigger cooler.

HenryHill said:

I just can't imagine how you didn't see the trouble coming, though.

Click to expand...

I'm fairly new to all grain brewing, thanks for your intrigue though.

HenryHill said:

Never mock another man's brewery.

Click to expand...

BendBrewer said:

To answer your question:



Sure you can. Most breweries use multiple mashes to fill the kettle. That is why they have separate mash and lauter tuns so they can get the next mash going while they sparge the last one.

You can take gravity readings after the first mash and adjust as needed. Just like they do.

Click to expand...

Awesome, I don't mind the extra time it will take. It will be worth it! Someday I'll get a bigger cooler but until then... :cross: