48 QT Cooler Capacity?

[norrisk66]

I'm sure there has been some discussion on this but was unable to quickly find anything-

How many pounds of grain should I be able to mash in my Coleman 48 QT cooler? The most I have ever done is around 13.

I am contemplating an Imperial stout, and am wondering how deep the grain bed will be if I have close to 20 pounds of malt? (or too deep to cause a stuck sparge?)

Thanks!
Keith

 

[Brew_Dude41]

I have been told i could get up to 12 lbs in my 5 gal cooler, so 20 in a 48 quart container sounds likely.
As far as getting stuck, what kind of bottom do you have (manifold, false bottom, SS braid)?

 

[captwalt]

the round coolers will fit 12lb at 1.25qt/lb per 5 gall. I tested this repeatedly in the 5 and 10 gallon versions. If this is true for rectangular type cooler (which I assume it would be) in a 12gall I think you should be able to get 28.8 lb at 1.25qt/lb. although a calculator may proove me wrong and the physics of the round and square coolers may be beyond me as well.

 

[ChefRex]

I had 19 lbs on my round 10 gallon over the weekend with no issues and room to spare.

 

[Mike_kever_kombi]

Easy to use calculator

http://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml

 

[norrisk66]

It's a rectangular cooler-and I just recently made a 4-pipe copper manifold in anticipation of bigger brews.

 

[haberdasher]

I've regularly done up to 32lbs in my 48qt igloo ICE CUBE.
At around 1.2qt/lb... it's full, but still got 80% efficiency. I have a pipe manifold in the bottom as well.

I do 11 gallon batches up to around 1.078 that way.