Advantages/disadvantages of a cooler mash/lauter tun

[sweeperkeeper]

Hi all,

To start, what you guys have going on these forums is awesome seems like a great community and I hope I can start contributing and learning much more from what I read here.

Right now I have brewed eight 5gal batches of all grain beer using a large nylon bag to hold the grains as I have no mash tun. I am thinking of building a cooler mash tun but I am not sure how much better it really is compared to what I am doing right now. Especially because I am on a rather tight budget

I know it provides a much easier way to hold temp but currently on the stove I can hold it within 2-3 degrees of the target temp.

Any thoughts comments advice would be a great help!!

 

[Homercidal]

Well, a cooler mash tun will hold temps better and a manifold system will filter particles better. There is some efficiency increase when sparging as well. I can usually keep my temp from dropping more than 2 degrees over the 60 minute mash.

Honestly, a cooler and some PVC pipe is not very expensive. Check yard sales and Craigslist or look for Wally world to have a huge sale at the end of summer (getting close now!)

But there are other conveniences that would be worth spending money on over a cooler mash tun IMO. What else do you have for equipment?

 

[sweeperkeeper]

well just kinda starting out and on a budget but heres what i got:

7 gal al brew pot (use this for mashing as well)
2 5 gallon fermenters( plastic from water cooler) these will be upgraded soon hopefully
auto siphon

not sure what else you need to know ill be glad to provide any other info

 

[TyTanium]

Disadvantage: Coolers don't take kindly to direct heat on a propane burner
Advantage: Hit your temp, walk away, and do something else for an hour

 

[Homercidal]

That's not a bad start. If you can crush your own grain you will likely get an increase in efficiency and save money by buying in bulk Grain lasts a long time uncrushed.

If you are happy brewing in a bag I'd focus on a wort chiller and ferm temp control before upgrading the MLT.

 

[H-ost]

Cooler Pros:
Lighter
Cheaper
no propane/electricity cost to keep temp
Comes with a pre built hole for the ball valve

Cooler Cons:
Can warp
Can't take direct heat
Only good for an MLT or bucket (can't sub it for your BK if needed)

Metal Pros:
No scratching
Can be used as a BK

Metal Cons:
Expensive
Extra cost for direct fire or electric
Heavy

 

[Pappers_]

If you want to keep doing what you're doing, its often called brew-in-a-bag. If you search here you'll find lots of brewers here who use that method and can help you with that method.

 

[sweeperkeeper]

thanks for all the responses all been thinking about it at work a lot today and I think I might just stay with the brew in bag idea fora bit. But i do like the idea of making/buying a wort chiller

 

[teal]

If you decide to go with a round cooler set up - the cheapest I've found them is Home Depot. I got mine for 47 IIRC last year. With a veteran's discount I was in the 44 dollar range - out the door and large enough to go to 10 gallon brews.

 

[amandabab]

BIAB is great for some, but with a cooler I don't have to lift a heavy (or just awkward for smaller batches) 150 degree bag of wet grains. no squeezing. A 5-gallon cooler with all SS fittings is $70, a 10 gallon or square cooler is $20 more.

With a bag, just dump your grains and rinse it out, don't ever forget to clean out a mash tun.

 

[samuryan]

I did BIAB for a while, i tried a bigger beer and my bag was suddenly not cutting it. Putting a cooler together now