Best cooler for a mash tun? (Coleman, Igloo, Rubbermaid)

I came THIS close to buying a 50 quart Igloo Ice Cube at Target for $20 the other day.... until I read posts on HBT that stated that the insulation is too thin and it doesn't hold temperature as well as some of the other coolers out there.

So, I guess the only thing to ask is, which one should I get? I've heard a lot of good things about the Coleman Xtreme (which advertises a 5 day ice retention...not bad!) I'm looking for a new cooler anyway since my old one didn't do so well on my last camping trip.

Anybody have any experience with multiple cooler brands? Which one do you recommend and why? Thanks in advance.

The Igloo 10 gallon water cooler from Home Depot with a stainless braid for a manifold works great. They go for $39 and work great for 5 or 10 gallon batches of regular beer. Preheated, they hold the temp for 60 minutes without dropping.

I have the Coleman Xtreme (36 quart) and couldn't be happier. Holds heat great, effectively zero deadspace. Unless you might fly sparge in the future and therefore want a cylindrical cooler, I'd highly recommend the Xtreme.

I have 2 rubbermaids that I use. The smaller one I use for session beers, it doesn't hold temp as well but that is a thermal mass problem, the 48q one losses at most a degree in 60 minutes.

GT

Coleman extreme 70 here.

I have an 52 qt. Igloo Marine cooler that has been working great for me.

Coleman 10 gallon drink cooler here. I love it and for 20 dollars shipped on ebay, it was a steal.

I was shopping for this very item today. It appears that the drink coolers are more expensive. I have an igloo ice cube with the wheels already that I could probably convert. Is anyone using one of these? Should I spring for something else?

Not to hijack the thread (as I usually do), but should I be concerned about this?

I was planning on getting a 5 gallon rubbermaid beverage cooler with dimensions 19.25" H x 13" D. It's tall and skinny, which would work great for my braided hose manifold. However, while I wasn't looking rubbermaid discontinued this model and replaced it with a short, fat one. Its dimensions are 15.4" H x 16" D.

Because the base is broader, I would always leave more liquid at the bottom of my mash tun after lautering/sparging, right?

I got 2 of those 50 qt ice cubes at target. Then I did a little research. I ended up taking them back and I got a 70 qt coleman xtreme at walmart for $38.

I haven't used it yet but its supposed to be good. I also have a 5 gallon cylindrical cooler and that holds temps without any probs.

I've got a 10 Gal. Gott Industrial since they are owned by Rubbermaid I don't know what the difference might be but a lot of folks have reported their Rubbermaids warped on the inside the Gott seems a little more expensive.

I don't think you can go wrong with a Max Cold or Extreme. If I had it to do all over again I'd I get a 48 qt or larger.

I have two 10 gal round Rubbermaid coolers really cheap, and they are great. Neither has shown any sign of warping, and they hold temps REALLY well (1 degree loss in 60 mins after pre-heating). They are a tried-and-true favourite for homebrewers.

Having said that, any well constructed rectangular cooler should work well, especially if you are batch sparging. They are considerably cheaper, typically, for those on a tight budget.

My original mash tun was a Rubbermaid, but the interior walls warped after ~a year. I replaced it with a 50qt. Igloo MaxCold and have been really happy with it. It's been going strong for nearly two years now. It was much easier to convert than my Rubbermaid, too.

Question for those who use a Coleman Extreme:
What kind of manifold (braided hose, pipe, etc.) do you use?

I'd like to stick with the braided hose set-up because I already have the parts!

Jack said:

Question for those who use a Coleman Extreme:
What kind of manifold (braided hose, pipe, etc.) do you use?

I'd like to stick with the braided hose set-up because I already have the parts!

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Users choice, you could use the braided hose, PVC, or copper.
I myself am using copper, just not sure if I am going to drill a million holes, or cut slots.

I have the Coleman Xtreme 70, found it in my attic! I had forgotten that I had it.

I'll play devil's advocate here since I'm one of those who owns a Ice cube mash tun (I got it for free so I didn't have to make a financial decision on a cooler for a MT):

How long do you really mash for? Its great that some of these extreme coolers can hold ice for 5 days, but most people typically mash for no longer than 60 minutes. On top of that,of the malts we mash are highly modified and convert in something like 20-30minutes...so I don't really see the point of a cooler and sustains mash temps +/-1degree for 6-7hours.

Just my 0.02

I have a ten gallon rubbermaid and although it has warped a little bit on one side it doesn't effect the performance and hold temp to the degree for 60min. I couldn't be happier.

Jack said:

Question for those who use a Coleman Extreme:
What kind of manifold (braided hose, pipe, etc.) do you use?...

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CVPC. Easy to assemble and works great.

broadbill said:

I'll play devil's advocate here... How long do you really mash for? Its great that some of these extreme coolers can hold ice for 5 days, but most people typically mash for no longer than 60 minutes. ...

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60-90 mins. And don't be fooled by the marketing BS. They won't hold a steady temp for one day, much less five days. A buddy had one and his ice turned to water sitting outside on an 80oF day for 24 hrs.! But they are well made coolers and that's what you want.

I want my temp to stay constant for as long as possible. If my target is 156oF and I hit 156oF dead-on, I expect it to stay there. A well made, tight-fitting, highly insulated cooler will do the job. I do a lot or brewing in winter and the last thing I want to see is any tell-tale signs of steam escaping my mash tun!

Coleman extreme 80qt here and I use a 3/4" dia copper manifold.

What size are your brews, 5or 10 gallons? I also just bought one from Wal-Mart, I am a liitle concerned that it will be too big when I make a 5 gallon batch.

I just went through this decision, ended up with the Igloo 10 gal from the depot. For no other reason than its smaller foot print and i had a gift card to burn.

broadbill said:

I'll play devil's advocate here since I'm one of those who owns a Ice cube mash tun (I got it for free so I didn't have to make a financial decision on a cooler for a MT):

How long do you really mash for? Its great that some of these extreme coolers can hold ice for 5 days, but most people typically mash for no longer than 60 minutes. On top of that,of the malts we mash are highly modified and convert in something like 20-30minutes...so I don't really see the point of a cooler and sustains mash temps +/-1degree for 6-7hours.

Just my 0.02

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I am going to the round cooler this weekend. Up till now I have been using the cube cooler and have been losing anywhere from 4 to 10 degrees over an hour. I found that it does not seal well around the hinge. I tried putting weatherstripping on it, duck tape, a heavy towel, you name it, nothing works. I just can't decide between the 5 gallon round max cold for $25 or the 10 gallon round regular for $45. I will probably go with the 10 gallon, even though the other one is cheaper and better insulated, it just don't hold enough!

Honestly the tried and true rubbermaid will never fail. They have screw on lids unlike the igloos. They also have built in sturdy handles unlike the igloos. They also have twice as thick a wall at the hole where you would install a valve. All in all they hold temperature great, have a nice grain bed thickness and are heavier duty than most.

newbrewnut said:

What size are your brews, 5or 10 gallons? I also just bought one from Wal-Mart, I am a liitle concerned that it will be too big when I make a 5 gallon batch.

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I make 10 gal up to a 1.070 OG, then I drop to a 5 gal because of the boil size.

I have made 1.050 og 5 gal with the 80qt and it works just fine.

So go against using the Ice cube? I have one and am considering converting it to start my adventure in All grain!

soon to be proud owner of coleman extrem 70qt tun.

Coleman 52qt Extreme-FTW!!! I also have a Coleman 70qt that can easily be converted with the same parts from the 52qt if I wanted to make something HUGE.

I think the 52 qt is a perfect size, it reduces the headspace for 10 gallon brews, but for 5 gallon batches, I would recommend some type of insulation for the additional headspace as my temps were all over when using this Tun for a 5 gallon batch (8lb grainbill).


3/4" SS water heater supply braid, have had no problems with it, last brew was 21lbs of grain for a 10 gallon batch of APA.

I'm looking into moving into the all grain in the next month or so, and where can I find the valve and braid for the cooler? Home depot or Lowes?

RebelHouse32 said:

I'm looking into moving into the all grain in the next month or so, and where can I find the valve and braid for the cooler? Home depot or Lowes?

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You can find the braid at either HD or Lowe's, if you want a SS ball valve and fittings, online is usually the best bet. I purchased mine from www.bargainfittings.com you may have a local hardware store that carries SS plumbing supplies, however I couldn't find a place in my area that did. Plus by purchasing from an online vendor here on HBT you are supporting the brewing community.

For the braid you'll need to cut the ends off and remove the hose, a hacksaw or dremel will work, but I found that an angle grinder is the quickest and cleanest.

the_bird said:

I have the Coleman Xtreme (36 quart) and couldn't be happier. Holds heat great, effectively zero deadspace. Unless you might fly sparge in the future and therefore want a cylindrical cooler, I'd highly recommend the Xtreme.

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Ditto! I batch sparge with mine and it works great.

I do 12.5 gallon batches in an Extreme 100qt cooler. The problem I have with the Extreme is that when the cooler is full the sides bow out and the lid doesn't want to seal in the middle. The thing I like about the Coleman is that it has a clasp at both ends. I think this could make a difference when tying to maintain temps. The Extreme does a good job of maintaining temps if it is pre-heated. I think you should always pre-heat a cooler MLT anyway. I'm going to change to the Coleman 150qt on my new HERMS rig to increase to 20 gallon batches. I think round coolers have an advantage in the fact that the lid can be screwed, but for me they just aren't big enough.

I have a Coleman Xtreme 50 and Xtreme 70. They work great, and have been leak free.

I just bought a 52 qt coleman xtreme (20 drakmas at Sears), and ordered a cooler conversion ball valve from Bargain fittings.com. What kind of manifold are you guys using to get the best efficiency? I was thinking of using a copper manifold, then I thought about the bazooka screen, then I thought that since the cooler has that channel on the bottom, is it even necessary to use anything that goes through the cooler, or can I use a sort of dip tube to pick the wort out of that little channel? The way I'm thinking of it is the most concentrated liquids are going to collect in the channel, maximizing efficiency. I'm probably totally off base, but figured I'd ask you guys with more experience than I.

Jewsh said:

So go against using the Ice cube? I have one and am considering converting it to start my adventure in All grain!

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I use an ice cube and it works fine. With any cooler, most important to preheat thoroughly!!! The igloo is kind of thin though, I brew indoors, not sure how well it would do outdoors w/ fridgid ambient temps. IME brewing w/ all sorts of inexpensive coolers, they all have held heat well if properly preheated, and the vacant headspace is not too great.

so my research has brought me to this......it doesn't matter what kind of manifold or braid you use, what's important is your technique.... crush technique, mash technique and sparge technique. So I'm going with a copper manifold in my 52 qt coleman xtreme. I see it this way... if I get my technique down, I'll make great beers. I currently have two tuns, a 5 gallon round, for BiaB smaller batches( 5 gallons, small to moderate ABV brews), and the 52 qt coleman with SS BV and copper manifold for bigger beers or 10 gallon batches. So with this combination, there's nothing I can't brew. I'm going to follow the basic copper manifold directions online to finish my rectangular tun, then follow strict instruction on mashing and sparging to round out my technique. Lets see how that all works out.

mikeysab said:

so my research has brought me to this......it doesn't matter what kind of manifold or braid you use, what's important is your technique.... crush technique, mash technique and sparge technique.

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Pretty much spot on IMO...I have always favored the saying that " a talented brewer could make a nice beer in his hat"

wilserbrewer said:

I use an ice cube and it works fine. With any cooler, most important to preheat thoroughly!!! The igloo is kind of thin though, I brew indoors, not sure how well it would do outdoors w/ fridgid ambient temps. IME brewing w/ all sorts of inexpensive coolers, they all have held heat well if properly preheated, and the vacant headspace is not too great.

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I use the igloo ice cube and well, I'm on this thread now b/c I'm not too happy with it. A mash starting out at say, 152-154 will drop in some places to 148 even 147 after 60 minutes, and that's with six big fluffy bath towels wrapped around it, in the 90 degree Georgian summer.

I use a Coleman Xtreme 70 qt quarter. It is AWESOME! Have never had issues with temperature drop. Just saying.

I imagine the OP may have found the information he was looking for, but what the heck....

I use a Rubbermaid 10gal for my 10 gallon batches. Would need to be bigger for higher gravity beers but I usually only make 5 gallon at a time of big beers. For the house ale quaffer (usually BM's blonde), it works great for 10 gal batches.

Is there any consensus on which size of Xtreme cooler? I was thinking the 36 quart, but I can't seem to find any. Next up I think is 50, is that fine?