I don't know what that material is, sorry. The Reflectix stuff is not that awkward. I made up a removable sleeve. It worked like a charm on a 5 gallon cooler, but not so great on a 10 gallon rubbermaid. I also lose 2-4 degrees. I have heard some say it is the increase in head space inside the cooler. Some people put saran wrap on top of the mash after mashing in and stirring, I might try that next time.
Not sure if your cooler is round or square but it should not matter. I had the same issue and I ended spraying that foam insulation stuff into my lid. I drill a few small holes then injected it in to it. I think I ended up using two cans and it made a world of difference.
upperNY01brewer said:I get the same kinda temp loss also. Now my brain is ticking with an idea. Listen to this one, if it is indeed loss of temp due to the increase in head space how about decreasing it with, what shall I call it "false top". Rather than saran wrap, which to me doesnt really figure to keep temp from decreasing ,fashion a top out of stainless steel to fit whatever shape cooler that is being used with a handle on it and just gentle place on top of the grain bed. Seems like it could work.
I get the same kinda temp loss also. Now my brain is ticking with an idea. Listen to this one, if it is indeed loss of temp due to the increase in head space how about decreasing it with, what shall I call it "false top". Rather than saran wrap, which to me doesnt really figure to keep temp from decreasing ,fashion a top out of stainless steel to fit whatever shape cooler that is being used with a handle on it and just gentle place on top of the grain bed. Seems like it could work.
Not sure if your cooler is round or square but it should not matter. I had the same issue and I ended spraying that foam insulation stuff into my lid. I drill a few small holes then injected it in to it. I think I ended up using two cans and it made a world of difference.
It is black insulation tape.
In regards to dead space, you could also use a piece of doubled reflectex cut to just fit inside your MLT and set on top of the mash.
Okay I found where I got the idea for the plastic wrap, this thread on overnight mashing. Worth a read!
if you could put some 2L bottles filled with water in, they'd displace the mash and reduce the head space. No?
I throw a double folded sleeping bag over my cooler, keeps the temp steady.
My SWMBO would kill me if I did this with our gear!
The insulated lid worked realy well, I didn't loose nearly as much temp as in the past.
Note to anyone thinking of doing this: The foam expands the lid slightly which makes is a little harder to get on.
Interesting. Could you solve this by placing the lid on the cooler during expansion and compress it with a heavy weight to couteract the upward pressure of the expanding foam?
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