5 gal. Rubbermaid large enough?

[scottsr123]

Want to make a mash tun from a round Rubbermaid water cooler. I make 5 gallon batches, nothing really high gravity. My question - is a 5 gallon cooler sufficient, or should I go with the 10 gallon cooler?

Thanks!

 

[Daver77]

Go with the 10,

even if your beer is a 1.070 you'll be over the limit.

Don't restrict yourself

 

[DrJerryrigger]

I use a 5gl with a copper manifold (octagon with a cross bar). I've only used it once so far, but have gotten really good extraction. I would say it would fit at most a 12lb mash and that would have to be a thick one.
If you want versatility and don't mind loosing a few points to poor extractions (I really mean just a few), then go with the 10 gal.

 

[Daver77]

Losing points can easily be fixed by add more grain once your system is calibrated

12lbs of grain will make you a lot of beers, but one day you will want to make something higher gravity and then you'll wish you had a 10 gal mash tun.

Just MHO

 

[scottsr123]

Thanks for the feedback. Looks like 10 gallon is the way to go.

 

[Rentachik]

I rock a 5 gal igloo. I've packed 14# in there. Real thick. About 1.080 is the highest OG I can get. If I need to brew higher than that I just make it up with extract. 1.080 to 1.012 is about 9.3 abv. that covers most beers.

 

[Daver77]

I rock a 5 gal igloo. I've packed 14# in there. Real thick. About 1.080 is the highest OG I can get. If I need to brew higher than that I just make it up with extract. 1.080 to 1.012 is about 9.3 abv. that covers most beers.

That's pretty good

 

[Germelli1]

I originally built a 7 gallon for my 5.5 gallon batches. As soon as I get into a house with more space I am going to build a 10 gallon!

 

[shelly_belly]

If money is tight a 5 gallon cooler is fine. I've mashed 13lbs 13oz in mine (EdWort's Robust Porter). However, 2 years later I've outgrown it and am ready for 10 gallon batches.

 

[DrJerryrigger]

The best choice it to make one of each
You'll get some really bad efficiency if your making really small 5gal batches in a 10gal. But the extra space is nice for many reasons. Do you think you'd like to start making bigger batches any time soon?

 

[_JP_]

I get 14# of grain in my 5 gallon. Biggest beer I've brewed was 1.090, and I'm happy with that. Once I get my mill set up, I bet I could get 1.100.

So to answer - 10 gal would be better, but you can get by just fine with a 5-gallon.

I find myself not brewing "big" beers as much as I did when I first started. Most now are in the 1.040-1.060 range, which is perfect for a 5-gallon.

 

[digdug18]

Could you guys that have completed them please post some pics?

 

[JRems]

I went with a 7 gallon, kind of the best of both worlds. Not too big but not too small. It's a round Gatorade cooler I got at a yard sale for $8 I haven't seen one in a store so I don't know if they are commerially available. It's made by GOTT if it helps, and is marked 6.5 gallon, but 7 actually fits.

 

[Germelli1]

I got my 7 gallon "Island Breeze" Igloo cooler at CVS of all places. It was on sale for $12 so I had to make the best of it!

CPVC manifold, brass bulkhead, CPVC valve. Came in at around $30 tops when said and done.

I have fit up to 17-18 pounds in it, but that topped it out. Another thing I would like to point out is if you want to do a really high gravity beer, you can always drop the batch size to 4 gallons!

Before drilling and installing bulkhead, I also modified the manifold to make it a little smaller and get it a little bit away from the wall of the cooler.

Maxed out!

 

[Superman3278]

I purchased a 7 gal RubberMaid from day one along with a false bottom. Total invested was about $56 us. I have brewed low and high gravity 5 and 10 gallon batches with it.

1) a 10 gal cost is average $70 us and is over kill.

2) efficiancy comes from the mill process not the rest step.

3) heat retention is the key for consistant brerws

In closing a 7 gallon is the best of both worlds because no wasted space for heat to expand to. A 2 inch layer of water in the mash tun over the grain bed in a cooler that has the surface area of the "over kill" 10 gallon gives a great lauter at the price of a "starter" 5 gallon. Lastly it is completely adaptable to any configuration for sparging.

Thats my 2 cents

 

[DrJerryrigger]

2) efficiency comes from the mill process not the rest step.

What I was talking about was the efficiency of fly sparging extraction. It's better to have a thin tall grain bed than a wide shallow one.

But I agree that a 7 would be a good computerize, and maybe even cost less than a 5 gal.

 

[Varroa]

I just managed to do a >10# batch in my 3 gallon GOT cooler! I hit a SG of 1.058 which was only 2 point of the target 1.060. Not bad for my little mashtun that could!