Cooler as BK

Is any way to use an Igloo cooler as a BK? Or I'm totally wrong with this idea?

Just put an element in the bottom or maybe 2!

The only thing you might have to watch out for is that the thick walls of the cooler might need recessing to fit the elements in.

Should I use two 1000 watt heaters? Any tutorial?

hxxbin said:

Is any way to use an Igloo cooler as a BK? Or I'm totally wrong with this idea?

Click to expand...

What???

The cooler will not..

Nevermind.
You will find out when you try it out and then can inform others. My answer is based on info not experiences.

hehehe, I really want to hear from somebody that already did it.

hxxbin said:

hehehe, I really want to hear from somebody that already did it.

Click to expand...

Just do it and then you can tell everyone about the disaster that you experienced.

Go for it. It's only time and money after all.

Get six or so gallons of boiling water and pour it right in. The walls of that cooler will melt and your cooler will be destroyed. They already deform somewhat with just strike water temps...

Unfortunately, a cooler will NOT hold boiling temperatures. Even water above 180 degrees will cause the cooler to warm and break/crack. I used one as my HLT with an electric element, and it worked great up to nearly 180 degrees.

Well, I may get out of my head this crazy idea and start to think how to make a kettle instead.

Thanks

hxxbin said:

Well, I may get out of my head this crazy idea and start to think how to make a kettle instead.

Thanks

Click to expand...

That's the spurt now your thinking, but many of us sure wanted to hear from your experiment! Thanks for steering clear of the cooler as a BK.

For less 100 bucks or less, you can get aluminum kettles at the restaurant supply houses every day of the week. I have a 30 gallon BK that hit my door for around 120 bucks. Don't waste your time with something that will cost more and never work. Here's a 35 gallon pot that I found in less than 30 seconds for $140. There are much better deals out there as well.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001PZ9MUI/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I have warped my mashtun pretty bad due to preheating with boiling water like a tard, its a 10 gallon home depot cooler.

But you can use a plastic bucket as seen here.

http://www.leylandhomebrew.com/item2699.htm

I don't have that brand of cooler. But here is my $0.02, based on the following information from http://www.igloocoolers.com/FAQs

"Hard-side coolers: The exterior body of most Igloo hard-side coolers is made of high-density polyethylene, while the interior liner is made of FDA-grade polypropylene. The insulation is made of Ultratherm™ - a proprietary blend of polyurethane foam."

Polypropylene is good to 160 oC and is what my electric kettle is made of, the one that I bought from the hardware shop to boil water for tea.

HDPE is good to 130 oC. I have a 60 litre HDPE barrel that I have used to cook grain by steam injection at 95-100 oC for 2-3 hours with no ill effects. It is supposed to soften slightly at this temperature range but I have not noticed any warping or other problems.

The temperature range of polyurethane foam depends on its application (it is commonly used as a fire retardant) but it is good to 250 oF (120 oC) according to http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/insulation-temperatures-d_922.html

I suspect some of the problems people are reporting come from having used coolers with polystyrene insulation which melts at 100 oC.

Thanks for the information and details. I'm still looking for the immersion heaters first, I can't find a Camco supplier here at Mexico, any thought?