How big of a MLT do I need?

[blowmax10]

I bought a 5 gallon Rubbermaid cooler to use as my mash tun but had a huge problem with a slow sparge this last time around

I'm wondering if 5 gallons was too small and my mash was just to thick for anything to move

I had about 13 pounds of grain in it and about 3 1/2 gallons of water and it wouldn't flow for jack - even after blowing into the tube

I ended up using a nylon bag to separate my wort from the grain - huge pain in the butt

 

[Dog House Brew]

What are you using to filter the mash? Braid?

 

[Dog House Brew]

Also @ 1 quart per pund your mash would be really thick.

 

[blowmax10]

its a mash screen

My first thought was that it had collapsed but I don't think that was the problem

 

[Heineken]

13 lbs of grain in a 5 gallon rubbermaid seems like a lot. I have a 10 gallon cooler and it works good. You might consider going with something a little bigger.

 

[ajf]

I've done plenty of batches in a 5g Rubbermaid with a similar grain bill and similar water amount. In each case, I fly sparged with a false bottom, and it took about 90 minutes for the sparge. I could have drained much more quickly, but my efficiency would have suffered badly.
I also had a lot of practice with smaller batches before I had the nerve to try 13# grain which is approaching the limit of what is possible in a 5g cooler.

-a.

 

[Pappers_]

+ 1 on adding rice hulls

You probably already know this, but it also helps to start with a slow flow - don't open the valve wide open right away.

 

[Brew-boy]

I am not sure about the round coolers. I have a 50qt square blue igloo and I use a CPVC manifold and for me 20lbs of grist is not a problem and I hit 85% efficiency.

 

[rico567]

I decided, after reading some threads on this and other forums, that a 10 gal. MLT was about minimum for a 5 gal. batch. Accordingly, I converted the Rubbermaid / HD orange cylindrical cooler, using the Bargain Fittings kit, including braid. I've had no trouble, up to my biggest so far, a 16.5 lb Robust Porter. I DO mash thin, around 1.5 - 1.75 qt. / lb., depending on the brew.

 

[BioBeing]

Can I mash it?

Green Bay Rackers--Mash Calculators

Was there a lot of wheat in the grist? That can cause slow sparges.

 

[blowmax10]

Can I mash it?

Green Bay Rackers--Mash Calculators

Was there a lot of wheat in the grist? That can cause slow sparges.

no wheat - it was Jamil's Irish red

I like the rice hulls idea and I'm shocked at the 90 minute sparge

Is this a normal time? Am I just too impatient?

 

[BioBeing]

Seems slow. Think my sparges normally take about 20 mins in a 10 gallon cooler.

 

[Brooklyn-Brewtality]

i always aims for a 45-60 minute sparge.

 

[ajf]

no wheat - it was Jamil's Irish red

I like the rice hulls idea and I'm shocked at the 90 minute sparge

Is this a normal time? Am I just too impatient?

The 90 minute sparge was for fly sparging (which is much slower than batch).
I haven't yet tried that amount of grain in the 10g cooler, but I'm guessing that it would take about 45 minutes based on a comparison of sparge times with smaller grain bills.

-a.

 

[rico567]

Seems slow. Think my sparges normally take about 20 mins in a 10 gallon cooler.

+1 With my braid in the 10 gal Rubbermaid conversion, this is about right, and 10 of the 20 minutes is pretty slow at the end, getting the last out, and I'm very pleased with the results. If I had to spend an hour sparging, I'd go back to extract.

 

[blowmax10]

+1 With my braid in the 10 gal Rubbermaid conversion, this is about right, and 10 of the 20 minutes is pretty slow at the end, getting the last out, and I'm very pleased with the results. If I had to spend an hour sparging, I'd go back to extract.

I wouldn't want to spend that long either

 

[Homebrewcrazy]

Everything I've read says the longer the sparge the better, I fly sparge for at least 45-60minutes for a 10 gallon batch and have had great sucess.. Besides thats 60 additional minutes added to my brew day, and what the heck when I'm making home brew I'm drinking home brew so I'm in no rush to finish ..

Cheers,
Frank