@LizardIsland - yes, it's round. I'm looking at a MoreBeer Stainless Steel False Bottom Kit ($40.00), Horiznet npt 1/2" Homebrew Ball Valve (Amazon $16.00) and a Mash Tun Adaptor (Amazon $10.00) to convert it to a Mash Tun.
Cooler Mash Tun
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6.5 gallons is an interesting size. Kinda wish I had one of those.
Since I brought up big beers (and only half-jokingly), I will say that I often do a partial mash for those. 3 lbs of DME is an easy way to brew a 1.090 beer but only mash a 1.065 beer.
Since I brought up big beers (and only half-jokingly), I will say that I often do a partial mash for those. 3 lbs of DME is an easy way to brew a 1.090 beer but only mash a 1.065 beer.
@day_tripper - curious why the gasket? Did you buy it that way or add it yourself?
@Bobby_M - my boil kettle is 8 gal. I've been looking at BIAB as well. My only concern, as I mentioned in another reply is that I had trouble keeping my mash temp consistent using the boil kettle and my propane burner. I was thinking the cooler option might give me better temp stability.
VikeMan
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I'm sure @day_tripper will tell why he used a gasket, but generally speaking, the gasket helps keep grains from sneaking under the false bottom.
There's a link in that post to my thread on the subject...
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/fb-gasket-for-10g-rubbermader-mlt.381111/
Cheers!
My guess is that you will find that kettle more limiting than the 6.5 gallon cooler.
As mentioned, you can put the brew bag into the unmodified cooler to get the temperature stability advantage. You can also insulate your kettle with reflectix, or just wrap it in an old sleeping bag.
Apologies, I missed that. And thanks.
Are you referring to its maximum boil volume of around 7 gallons, leaving a mere 1 gallon (~1.5") of headspace?
How did you guess?
Of course I have one of those myself, huh!
It hasn't hampered me all that much, though, gotten used to it, I guess.
I do have a 15 gallon kettle of the same, but prefer using the smaller kettle for 5 gallon or split 2 x 3 gallon batches.
The easiest way I get around that too-full-a-kettle-to-boil-comfortably dilemma is by keeping 1-1.5 gallons of last runnings (2nd batch sparge, gravity low 1.020s) aside and boil/simmer that on the stove, by itself. Then add it to the kettle at some later point, when the surface has receded enough, usually around flame-out. I can therefore sparge a little extra to make up for the extra boil off.
Another way I've gotten around it, is by keeping those 1-1.5 gallons of low gravity, last runnings aside and add them to the kettle at flameout. It should keep the whole batch well above 170F, enough to pasteurize that "late boil" addition. I doubt there's enough DMS precursor (SMM) in those last low gravity runnings to be noticeable, I've never noticed it.
Or just add those 1-1.5 gallons of last, low gravity runnings toward the end of the boil, when the surface has receded enough, say, with 10-15 minutes left and bring back to a boil.
Has anyone come up with alternate methods, aside from buying a bigger kettle?
For those who want to go the bigger kettle route, AIH is having a clearance sale.
redrocker652002
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I have a 10 gallon boil kettle and I use a propane burner. My mash volumes are usually around 7 to 8 gallons, with usually 10 to 14 pounds of grains (numbers there are off the top of my head, so they may be a bit off, but not much). What I have found in my case is I leave the burner just high enough to see a small blue flame from the burner. In my case, if I can keep the burner just on and not much more than that, it keeps the wort temp at about 154 to 156. Now, with that said, I brew in my garage and keep the door cracked just a bit so I don't get any draft that will blow out the burner. I try and keep an eye on it and usually have to reignite the burner a few times as it goes out if there is even a small draft or push of air. But, for me, that has worked out and I am able to stay at a range of 150 to 156, which I believe is ok for most mashes I am doing.
I have tried using my 10 gallon cooler as a sparge unit, and while it was successful, I would not use it as a mash tun for the reason you posted. I don't think I could keep it hot enough for the hour it is required to mash. Some are going to dispute this, but for me, when I used it as a sparge tank, I saw a drop just within 15 minutes so I could only imagine what it would be after an hour.
I'm glad you found a way to maintain your mash temp, but this doesn't exactly strike me as a "safety first" brewing setup if you know what I mean.
How much of a temperature drop anyone sees depends on a whole bunch of variables that aren't being controlled (between your garage and my backyard, for instance). Lots of brewers have been using cooler mash tuns for a very long time and are very happy with the temperature stability, but your experience is your experience. Something working well under one set of circumstances and not another really shouldn't be a dispute, but I guess we are talking about the internet after all.
Broken Crow
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Most folk with a cooler mash tun seem to only see a few degrees drop during a mash without any recirculation....enough to be scarcely relevant and worth the lack of 'total-control' to the average brewer. I'm wondering now if I've only been reading about indoor brewers, usually electric.
Any outdoor brewers care to weigh in on temp drops using a cooler?
Any outdoor brewers care to weigh in on temp drops using a cooler?
My coleman xtreme 70qt might loose one degree if it's full. That's with 30 lbs of grain and 13 gallons strike. It's really to big for a five gallon batch (but I use it anyway.) If I get my sparge boiling I can infuse to raise the temp of the smaller mashes.
redrocker652002
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Not sure what you mean about the safety first part? I don't use the garage as car storage so there is no gasoline in there. My son has his work bench there with his tools and maybe a few cleaning products. My wife uses part of the garage as her scrap book room with a small space heater and nothing flammable that I am aware of. My sealed water heater and washer and dryer are also there along with the main electrical panel. So, if I am missing something please let me know. Not being a jerk, but asking an honest question.I'm glad you found a way to maintain your mash temp, but this doesn't exactly strike me as a "safety first" brewing setup if you know what I mean.
How much of a temperature drop anyone sees depends on a whole bunch of variables that aren't being controlled (between your garage and my backyard, for instance). Lots of brewers have been using cooler mash tuns for a very long time and are very happy with the temperature stability, but your experience is your experience. Something working well under one set of circumstances and not another really shouldn't be a dispute, but I guess we are talking about the internet after all.
I know that people have been doing the cooler mash tun thing for a while, that is why I bought it. Was going to try and set it up as a mash tun, then drain the wort into my kettle and try and eliminate the BIAB idea. So far, and it has only been one use as a sparge setup, I have not seen the kinda hold that I have read about. Again, not trying to be a jerk, but just adding my experiences. I have read and was told that adding a small amount of foam insulation to the top to eliminate some of the head space in the cooler might help, so I might give that a try. The end game on this is to use the cooler as my mash tun, be able to lauter to get as clear a wort as possible and drain into my 10 gallon kettle and do my boil that way. I appreciate your input honestly and am going to keep it in mind. Thank you and Rock On!!!!!!!!
Propane burners really are outdoor devices. If you're in your garage with the door just cracked, then you should at least have a carbon monoxide detector. And if the flame blows out without you noticing?
My point was the exact opposite of saying that you were being a jerk. What did you think "your experience is your experience" meant? What did you think "shouldn't really be a dispute" meant?
redrocker652002
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Sometimes the written word gets misinterpreted. I have had that happen here a few times, so I just was being overly cautious. All good, and thank you for the input. Once the propane burner goes on, I don't leave the area and monitor it to make sure it stays on. But I will take your advice and see if there is a way I can rig something up to keep the door open and the flame protected so it doesn't get affected by the draft. Here in South San Francisco we get a lot of fog and wind, so this might be a challenge. Rock On!!!!!
The first step in my brew day is to use an old turkey fryer burner to heat up a couple gallons of water to 170 degrees or so to dump in my Igloo Cooler mash tun to warm it up. This usually takes 10 min or so. At the same time I am heating up my 5 gal of strike water with my good Blichmann burner which takes 20 min or so. I then save the 2 gal of preheating hot water in a bucket for clean up later.
By preheating my mash tun like this for 10 min or so, my temperature drop during the mash is virtually zero.
Or save for the sparge? That's what I do.
I use Brewers Friend calculator. With it if you preheat it will over shoot. It's been accurate for me. I used to use a different calculator and did have to pre-heat. With it I believe the tun temp and grain temp should be the same.
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huckdavidson
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The Coleman 48 qt coolers were very popular for batch sparging.
AFAIK, they no longer come with a drain which is a shame as it was easy to slip a 1/2" ID x 3/8" OD hose through it with a stainless braid slipped on the inside as a filter.
https://www.coleman.com/coolers-drinkware/hard-coolers/chiller-48-quart-cooler/SAP_2160729.html
The HomeDepot, Lowes or Igloo 10 gallon round coolers also work well but require a bulkhead setup with valve and a boil screen/bazooka filter.
AFAIK, they no longer come with a drain which is a shame as it was easy to slip a 1/2" ID x 3/8" OD hose through it with a stainless braid slipped on the inside as a filter.
https://www.coleman.com/coolers-drinkware/hard-coolers/chiller-48-quart-cooler/SAP_2160729.html
The HomeDepot, Lowes or Igloo 10 gallon round coolers also work well but require a bulkhead setup with valve and a boil screen/bazooka filter.
redrocker652002
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That is the one I have with the drain plug. It was used so maybe it has lost some of it's insulation? Either way, I have only used it for sparging so far.
Just finished a mash. 10.5 lbs of grain with 3.5 gallons of water, which leaves about 3 quarts of head space in my five gallon igloo cooler. Temp after dough in was 152F and dropped to 148F after an hour. Beautiful day; 75F outside. Backyard is well shaded. Tend to see less of a drop if grain bill is a little bigger and the cooler is filled to the top, especially if it's hotter outside.
I used to wrap the cooler mash tun in a sleeping bag. And put some insulation foam under the bottom.
Yeah I know. I did this for science. Inquiring minds wanted to know what the igloo can do on its own.
I'll probably brew another batch later this week with a similar sized grain bill. I'll add some extra insulation for that one and report back again.
Another option I just thought about.
Not sure if it's any better than a sleeping bag or moving blankets, though...
Make a box of 2" styrofoam, without a lid. Include enough space to home the valve/hose too.
Lie down a piece of that foam to set the cooler onto, a little bigger footprint than the box. Then invert the foam box over that.
Let's not forget a cement or even dirt floor draws quite a bit of heat too, as does any breeze, even at 80F.
I had that same cooler (in red) way back before I even thought about brewing my own beer. It did however kept a lot of my favorite brands of brew cold. Ah, the memories.......
I'd think it wouldn't be hard to add a drain if someone still wanted to use it.
OK so not that anyone asked but it was another beautiful morning for an outdoor brew here in central VA. Happy Fall! Partly cloudy with temps in the mid-60s. Today's grain bill was 11.25 lbs so we had a little less head space in the cooler. Also mashed a bit lower. Wrapped the cooler in an old blanket and put a towel over the lid. Then I covered it with the reflectix jacket that I use when I mash bigger beers in my kettle. Temperature was 150F at dough in and, wait for it... 150F an hour later.
redrocker652002
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That's awesome. I am going to have to start using my cooler more. I like the idea that I can lauter the grain and try and get a clearer wort into the kettle. I have had enough trub at the bottom of my kettle that my banjo screen clogs up and I have to sterilize my hand and clear it to get as much of the wort as I can. Now, with that said, I am sure some of it is hop matter getting thru the bag as well. But, if I can use the cooler and get a clear wort with just a bit more work, I am all for it. Rock On!!!!!!
Well I don't lauter, I just batch sparge. And for whatever reason(s), I had a helluva lot of gunk with this brew. I always put my wort through a 250 micron strainer when I transfer into the FV - today I filled two of them with trub and hops (only used 3 oz of pellets). Also seems like a few gravity points went with the stuff I screened out. But it's still going to be beer and SWMBO will probably like it better at just over 6% ABV instead of just under 7.
VikeMan
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Lautering does clarify the wort, but it doesn't really filter out the significant stuff that comprises kettle trub. Besides hop matter, kettle trub is largely coagulated proteins from the hot and cold breaks. That said, I'm a firm believer in lautering, as it can keep a lot of the lipids from reaching the kettle. Excess lipids aren't good for wort/beer.
VikeMan
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Enzymatic and non-enzymatic oxidation to make Trans-2-nonenal, a driver of beer staling. Also, soapy off-flavor if beer left too long on trub (containing excess lipids).
How long is too long on the trub? I'm always wanting to hurry and get done when I'm chilling, so the last few batches I've been impressed how clear the wert is after letting it settle for about 15-20 minutes after chilling.
Thanks.
VikeMan
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Can't give you a good answer to that, because it would depend on how much fatty stuff made it to the fermenter, the style of beer, drinkers' taste thresholds, and probably other factors beyond my ken. But if you're wondering if there will be significant oxidation of lipids in the kettle during/after cooling, then I'd say no.
All interesting to read what other techniques folks are using.
I do full volume mashes with no lautering. I use a small low GPM pump to recirculate during the mash time though. When the mash is complete the wort is drained into a filtering grant I built from a quarter barrel with a 300 micron basket filter. From the grant the wort is pumped to the brew kettle. After the boil I drain back into the filtering grant then pump to the plate chiller. The grant acts as an accumulator too so I can better control flow.
Lots of pumping and draining going on but I haven't seen a whole lot of difference from doing it the other way. Somewhere in my vast collection of pictures I have one of the grant in action.
I do full volume mashes with no lautering. I use a small low GPM pump to recirculate during the mash time though. When the mash is complete the wort is drained into a filtering grant I built from a quarter barrel with a 300 micron basket filter. From the grant the wort is pumped to the brew kettle. After the boil I drain back into the filtering grant then pump to the plate chiller. The grant acts as an accumulator too so I can better control flow.
Lots of pumping and draining going on but I haven't seen a whole lot of difference from doing it the other way. Somewhere in my vast collection of pictures I have one of the grant in action.
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