I've searched the forum and found a crap ton of these threads already, but still cant seem to find my answer. I was extract brewing, now going to all grain. Making my set up in a few months when I move to TX. I feel like i'm pretty set on getting the coleman xtreme cooler just because of the price. it's too good to pass up, and i plan on batch sparging anyway. i'll probably be sticking mostly with 5 gallon batches, maybe the occasional 10 gallon just to have the same base wort. i know y'all have been asked a million times, but what size do you recommend for an all around 5-10 gallon mash tun? I probably won't do many 4-5%ABV Beers. They'll mostly be a bit higher, around 6-8%. Just not sure what sized will account for a grain bill for those abv beers. any help would be appreciated!
1 millionth mash tun size question
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Gnomebrewer
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For 5 gallon batches, a 5 gallon mash tun will just (but barely) handle beers in the 6 to 8% range. A bit bigger would be better (I don't know what your commonly available sizes are).
Now I wouldn't recommend doubling that just for the occasional 10gal batch, as it means that most of your 5 gal batches will have big headspaces (harder to maintain temperatures). A few options:
1. Buy 2 coolers (5 to 6 gal and 10 to 12 gal) with interchangeable parts.
2. Mash twice for the occasional 10gal batch
3. Use extract to boost gravity for 10gal batches
Now I wouldn't recommend doubling that just for the occasional 10gal batch, as it means that most of your 5 gal batches will have big headspaces (harder to maintain temperatures). A few options:
1. Buy 2 coolers (5 to 6 gal and 10 to 12 gal) with interchangeable parts.
2. Mash twice for the occasional 10gal batch
3. Use extract to boost gravity for 10gal batches
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My mash tun is 15.5 gal keggle based(middle vessel in avatar) I do 10+ gallon batches, and it is the right size for them. Also would be good for high gravity 5 gallon batches.
It is tapped out of top of keg, so there is no MT wort loss due to dead space, which works out nice.
It is tapped out of top of keg, so there is no MT wort loss due to dead space, which works out nice.
FrankAbagnale
Member
Doing 5 gallon batches I originally went with a 5 gallon cooler mash tun. It mostly works, but there were enough times that it didn't. Because of that, I went to a 10 gallon cooler.
Wish I would have just started with the 10 gallon.
Wish I would have just started with the 10 gallon.
D-west
Well-Known Member
Keggles. I did mine with 13gal euro kegs (a little shorter than 15gal US kegs)
augiedoggy
Well-Known Member
or you can make a insulated plug that fits into the MT and sits above the grain bed limiting the headspace. Another option is herms or rims but thats a big jump. I use a 16gallon bayou kettle for a mt for both 5 and 10 g brews but use rims to maintain temps.
I alsoi started with a 5g igloo cooler which didnt fit the grainbill for my first all grain kit (belgian triple which I ended up mashing in an oven in 2 kettles).. went to 10 g after that. then to rims and 16g.
I use a 10 gallon rubbermaid cooler for 5 gallon batches. Big beers will fill it almost all the way to the top. So for 10 gallon batches, I would say you want at least a 20 gallon mash tun.
Since you have been brewing I'll assume you have a pot that holds at least 5 gallons. Don't wait the few months to start all grain, brew 2 1/2 gallon batches in the pot you have already by BIAB. Much simpler to do, no worries about stuck sparges, no storing a big cooler. Just buy a strainer bag and you have all the equipment you need. No problem with packing it for the move to Texas either, the strainer bag can fit in your shirt pocket.
gregkeller
Well-Known Member
10 gallon cooler will serve you well for pretty much everything you need to do in a 5 gallon beer. I had a 10 gallon for a while, and even did 10 gallon brews in them. Smaller beers though in that though. If you are going with the coleman xtreme, I think there is a 52 quart version that will be perfect at 13 gallons. You might be limited to the gravity of your 10 gallon batches based on your efficiency. You should be able to fit a little north of 30 pounds of grain at 1.25 qts/lb in that 52 quart cooler. For me, that would get me a 1.082 gravity beer (32lbs grain with 78% efficiency in an 11 gallon batch)
ApolloSimcoe
Well-Known Member
mashpaddled
Well-Known Member
For what you describe brewing a ten gallon cooler makes a lot more sense than a five gallon cooler.
I have one of those and never maxed it out with 5.5-6 gallon batches. Occasionally I do 10 gallon batches with it. At 5 gallon mash sizes it's roomy, easy to stir. Because of it's fairly large surface area, the grist bed in not very deep, about 5-6" on 1.060 brews at 1.5 qts/lb, so you need to return the vorlauf a little more carefully (I have a piece of aluminum foil with holes poked in covering the mash). The round 10 gallon Igloo type are narrower and thus deeper, but I find them a pain to stir when more than half full, especially with a larger paddle.
When I was using a Coleman Xtreme I had the 70 quart cooler. That's about 17.5 gallons. I made everything from average OG 5 gallon batches to big barleywines and old ales with it.
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