Cheap & Easy 10 Gallon Rubbermaid MLT Conversion

HopheadNJ said:

On my way to creating my easy MLT....Got the last 10gal cooler @ HD for $34 & a plumber supply friend hooked me up with all the hardware. Just gotta buy a SS braid, High temp vinyl & SS washers! Sweet deal! I'm psyched for AG!!

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Just a word to the wise, verify the braid is SS, the small stuff at Home Depot is a synthetic that looks like SS, I got mine at Lowes and no stuck sparges.

MikeG said:

Just a word to the wise, verify the braid is SS, the small stuff at Home Depot is a synthetic that looks like SS, I got mine at Lowes and no stuck sparges.

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Yeah...Home cheapo near me only had the polymer blend in stock. Only sort of SS they had were polymer lines w/ SS connectors! Time to go to Lowes...

I avoided the whole "shopping around" to put together the correct parts for the conversion- just got the complete kit, including all 3/4" fittings and the large diameter braid, from Bargain Fittings. I would have spent more in gas running around to find the correct set of parts than I did just buying the kit. BF's "standard" kit works fine with the Rubbermaid cooler.

rico567 said:

I avoided the whole "shopping around" to put together the correct parts for the conversion- just got the complete kit, including all 3/4" fittings and the large diameter braid, from Bargain Fittings. I would have spent more in gas running around to find the correct set of parts than I did just buying the kit. BF's "standard" kit works fine with the Rubbermaid cooler.

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What fun is that? Seriously dude--this is the DIY section!

I got all my stuff from one store. What took time for me was finding the stuff that worked, but of course now that one of us has done it the rest can just skip the trial-and-error and copy what worked.

i have a quick question.

how are people keeping the temps up when mashing.
i am only mini mashing and when i start the temps are ~165ish.
after i mix the grain and water and let it sit for ~15 mins, my temps drop to high 140s.

im using a standard igloo 5 gallon cooler, and i havent converted the drain yet.
should i be starting with hotter water? should i get the extreme igloo and convert that?
i would love to make the swap over to all grain, but if i cant even keep my mini mash temos steady, im not gonna be able to keep a full all grain temp steady.

any suggestions
thanks in advance.

What is happening is the water you put in the cooler has to heat the cooler and then heat the grains up. This is sapping heat from the water and causing the temp drop. You can use many tools to calculate the amount of heat the grains will take from the water but you'll have to deal with the cooler losses another way.

There are 2 ways of doing this. You can either pre-heat the cooler with hot water and then empty that out before filling with your mash water. Or you can put very hot water in the cooler, 180 perhaps and then leave the top off and dough in once the water hits your strike temp.

If you aren't using a brewing application to help you calculate strike temp etc. you can use the calculator here: http://www.brew365.com/mash_sparge_water_calculator.php

Use the amount of water in the "Mash Water Needed" output and heat it to the "strike temperature" if you are using a preheated cooler. (If you want to use more water than told to change the "Mash Thickness" number until you see a volume you like) If you are not using a preheated cooler heat the strike water 5 or 10 degrees hotter than the calculator says and put it in the cold cooler and then dough in when the water cools to the strike temp.

Kelly. said:

i have a quick question.

how are people keeping the temps up when mashing.
i am only mini mashing and when i start the temps are ~165ish.
after i mix the grain and water and let it sit for ~15 mins, my temps drop to high 140s.

im using a standard igloo 5 gallon cooler, and i havent converted the drain yet.
should i be starting with hotter water? should i get the extreme igloo and convert that?
i would love to make the swap over to all grain, but if i cant even keep my mini mash temos steady, im not gonna be able to keep a full all grain temp steady.

any suggestions
thanks in advance.

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What you're going through has been my single biggest issue making the jump to AG. I preheat my MLT (the Rubbermaid 10 gal. Home Depot branded cooler) with 3 gal. of 170F water (later reheated and used as sparge water). Whatever the good news, this means that all of your temperature calculation tables and brew software WILL NOT return a correct strike temp.

This doesn't mean I don't recommend it, because I do. You just have to find out how to adjust your strike water temperature in line with the preheat. Sorry- but this will be some trial and error.

The other thing is stirring. DON'T take a temperature measurement without stirring, stirring, and more stirring. And I am not, not, not exaggerating. This caused me more confusion than anything else when I started mashing. It takes a lot of stirring to get an even temperature in a mash.

rico567 said:

... this means that all of your temperature calculation tables and brew software WILL NOT return a correct strike temp.

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Not true, at least for Beersmith. If you select the "Adjust Temp for Equipment " checkbox, in the mash profile, it DOES increase the temp of your strike water to compensate for an ambient-temp mash tun. In fact, it gives you a list of common mash tun materials and automatically assumes the correct heat capacity, which is just a number that describes how much heat that tun will sap from your water. You can change this number slightly to dial in your particular container. (see Details next to your equipment settings)

If you preheat your strike water, and you want Beersmith to ONLY correct your temperature for the grain bill (which should be at ambient), then leave the checkbox unchecked. Hope all that was clear.

passedpawn said:

If you preheat your strike water, and you want Beersmith to ONLY correct your temperature for the grain bill (which should be at ambient), then leave the checkbox unchecked. Hope all that was clear.

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Now if I could only get beersmith to adjust FG estimates based on mash temp....

Any ideas?

where do I get the SS washer and the O Ring?

passedpawn said:

Not true, at least for Beersmith. If you select the "Adjust Temp for Equipment " checkbox, in the mash profile, it DOES increase the temp of your strike water to compensate for an ambient-temp mash tun. In fact, it gives you a list of common mash tun materials and automatically assumes the correct heat capacity, which is just a number that describes how much heat that tun will sap from your water. You can change this number slightly to dial in your particular container. (see Details next to your equipment settings)

If you preheat your strike water, and you want Beersmith to ONLY correct your temperature for the grain bill (which should be at ambient), then leave the checkbox unchecked. Hope all that was clear.

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Good to know. Would have been more useful if I'd found it out before I started. Now that I have a handle on how it works, it makes the software kind of redundant. I've only used Beer Alchemy, and don't get along with it, except as a method of keeping records.

elmetal said:

where do I get the SS washer and the O Ring?

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Try Ace Hardware or Lowes for both. Neither are absolutely required, but the SS washer on the inside of the cooler really helps a lot to make the fittings nice and stable.

Just made two of these (mash tun and hlt)

A few things:

Stainless steel washers - I couldn't find them on Lowes. They had 1/2 and 3/4 (too small, too big), or some "reinforced" types of non-descript material (yellowish, not brass). On Home Depot, I found this box - it's on the nuts & bolts section, there is a section just for these "create a bolt" orange boxes (they're not on the drawers, they're hanging on the wall). Flat washers not visible on photo because I used them



I used the short nipple (a-785?) instead of the a-786. With that, I could fit with only one SS washer on the inside, and one zinc-plated (thicker, smaller diameter) washer on the outside. The tap touches the wall when closed, but it's still barely able to close the full way.

I got the coolers from Ace, and the two were slightly different (although with the same model code, upc, everything). In one of them the tap hole has an indentation around it, so I could only fit the zinc washer - the ss one was too big. I'm starting to think the walls on that one are thicker - I may have to check which one holds more heat. As long as you've got the smaller washer for the outside, the instructions work for both, though.

I got the o-rings from fred meyer in their faucet section. They have a "faucet repair kit" that includes like 8 o-rings of different diameters.

I too, just made two of these and the stainless washers I found were at Menards. .49 each. I don't prefer Menards so all the rest of the build was from Lowes.

Cool thread. Thanks for posting. Has anyone built a sparge manifold into the lid of their cooler MLT? Are there other threads that cover using a similar cooler for a HLT?

I am getting all the equipment together right now for my first all grain brew. I would like to use the cooler method for my mlt, just wondering what size I should get? My brew pot is 7.5 gallons if that makes a difference. I was thinking to just get the 10 gallon cooler, but I'm not sure if there would be to much room at the top, which would lead to my mash temps dropping too much. I would like to try a few big brews, using close to 20 pounds of grain, but I'm not sure if the 5 gallon would hold all of it. Any suggestions are much appreciated.

You are only good with the 5 gallon cooler with mashes that SG to about 1.050. If you plan on making bigger beers than that, go with the 10 gal. I did, and ahve been very happy with the results. I injected the lid with foam insulation, and get about 4 degree temperature drop with a 60 min. mash (Note: once the mash is thoroughly mixed and the proper temperature established, I put on the lid and DO NOT OPEN the MLT until the hour has expired). This has no ill effect on the finished beer that I can tell.

Go with the 10 gal. You can't go up if needed with 5 gal but 10 gal should be great for your setup. I like Rico567's idea of injecting insultation foam into the lid. I'm going to look into that. Thanks! I went with 5 gal originally. I then bought a 10 gal for MLT and now use the old 5 gal for my sparge reservoir.

Alright, thanks for the advice, looks like I'm going to pick up a 10 gal cooler

I just found the SS washers. Had to buy a 10 count bag, but I only need two. So, $1 via Paypal gets you one, including shipping.

I did this to a 3Gal gatorade Igloo my parents had had for 20 something years. Works like a top, holds temp -2 deg for 75 minutes... I'll take that. Anyway, I was thinking about marking off gradations on the interior for gallons/quarts, as I plan to fill with over-heated water first and let the tun heat up until the water cools to strike temp. I already took the measurements, but I started thinking that maybe permanent marker wouldn't be the greatest thing to have in my mash tun... I know it's "permanent", but it seems that with the heat there might be a leeching of something harsh.

Has anyone done this? If not, what do you do to measure your strike water volume pre-grain?

Wow, I just have to say thanks for posting this. THe parts list, with the numbers is invaluable. I didn't use a water cooler, but a 48 quart coleman rectangle cooler. I used the exact same parts list and it worked fantastically. I think I have a fully operation mash/lauter tun for $40! See ya later extract!

Thanks for the great right up FlyGuy!

YIKES! I pulled this out of my garage today to brew and the metal looks rough. Did using Starsan do this? Is it safe to brew with?

Just built one of these. Ended up using zinc washers, so I'm going to order some fender washers online before I actually use it. Just hope it's not so put together I can't unthread it.

I am leaking, though. I have o-rings on the front and back. Should I take one of them off?

Fellas...I'll admit I'm not going to take time to read the first 22 pages (40 posts per page) of this thread...sorry, I'm lazy! Is there anything I am missing other than the "make sure the braid is actual SS" or "make sure XX is actual SS?"

I have a true SS braid and washers and getting ready to buy the rest. I'm going to do a T so the braid makes a loop to lessen the stuck sparges.

bernerbrau said:

Just built one of these. Ended up using zinc washers, so I'm going to order some fender washers online before I actually use it. Just hope it's not so put together I can't unthread it.

I am leaking, though. I have o-rings on the front and back. Should I take one of them off?

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I'm using the kit from Bargain Fittings:

http://www.greatbargain.net/order/shop1.html

(Scroll down until you see "weldless fitting for cooler.")

This includes two red-colored silicone O-rings. I use them per directions, which as I recall is one inside and one outside the cooler wall (cooler is the Rubbermaid/HD 10 gallon "big orange" product). The unit, when assembled, is not on my cooler very tight, i.e., it's pretty easy to turn, but I still get NO leaks.

New discovery: magnets work on the washers I used. Does this mean they're stainless? Or could they still be zinc plated something? How do I tell?

bernerbrau said:

Just built one of these. Ended up using zinc washers, so I'm going to order some fender washers online before I actually use it. Just hope it's not so put together I can't unthread it.

I am leaking, though. I have o-rings on the front and back. Should I take one of them off?

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If you are leaking, it is likely that you tightened too much. Overtightening is the usual cause of leaks, regardless if you use my inexpensive solution or the more expensive commercial fittings that rico567 uses.

My mlt has ruber gaskets in the inside and outside and it leaks if its too tight.

bernerbrau said:

New discovery: magnets work on the washers I used. Does this mean they're stainless? Or could they still be zinc plated something? How do I tell?

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Magnets won't work on good stainless. I have heard that magnets will stick to some lower grades of stainless. That was a trick someone taught me when I was buying a grill. I tried it on our fridge and no magnets will stick. Also, the inside of our dishwasher and washer/dryer are stainless and magnets do not stick.

What is the outside diameter (OD) of the 5/8" fender washers that are used in the Rubbermaid mash tun conversion? I am having a tough time finding 5/8" SS fender washers. The local Fastenal has 5/8 x 1 3/4" SS fender washers. Is this the correct diameter for the application? Thanks, Montanaandy

Nevermind. I found the Fastenal SKU # in an earlier portion of the thread. Montanaandy

those are pretty much th right ones.

Excellent post FlyGuy!!

I was looking at the 10 Gallon Cooler AGS at NorthernBrewer and contemplating buying it -- this included (2) 10 Gallon Cooler (1-MLT and 1-HLT).

Glad I checked here before purchasing at NB.

Don't get me wrong NB is an excellent supplier, but didn't want to spend $238.

Just ordered my coolers from Ace Hardware at $49 each with free shipping.
And was able to find all of the hardware (except for SS Fender Washer) at Lowe's and Home Depot. Ace Hardware might have them -- if no luck -- I'll resort to McMaster Carr or Fastenal.

Got the fender washers from fastenal, tried to loosen the fittings, but I'm still leaking. Actually I think I'm leaking worse than before. Maybe I need some silicone.

I built the 5-gallon version of this last week and it went quite well. Used it for my first partial mash last night (Oatmeal Coffee Milk Stout) and had some issues with a stuck sparge. I'm guessing that was because the 3# grain bill included 1# of instant oatmeal (1/3 of the total bill). The only way for me to get anything to drain was by constantly stirring the mash. Again, it was my very first attempt at partial mashing so my inexperience does not allow me to nail down the main reason but I'm thinking next time some rice hulls might be in order...

One thing I did notice was that the braid would stretch out as I stirred and it seemed like that may have restricted flow to a certain degree. Anyone else notice that? Would that even make a difference? Or can I put all the blame on the oatmeal clogging up the works?

I should ask, do people get stuck sparges with a protein rest? And is the stirring kinking up the braid ever an issue?

Just wanted to double check but I assume that the HLT is the same build as the MLT and is connected to the MLT via tubing. I am looking for an economical way to have the HLT & MLT and this seems to fit the bill. Is there anything else that I need/need to know regarding this setup? Thanks, Montanaandy

Montanaandy said:

Just wanted to double check but I assume that the HLT is the same build as the MLT and is connected to the MLT via tubing. I am looking for an economical way to have the HLT & MLT and this seems to fit the bill. Is there anything else that I need/need to know regarding this setup? Thanks, Montanaandy

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I built my 10 gallon HLT the same as the 10 gallon MLT --

I have the output of the HLT (via tubing) going to a Stationary Sparge Arm --which sits on top of the MLT.