Mash cooler Durability vs Keg cost

[MplsUgly]

I know this has probably been beat to hell but I need to get a little input on experiences so I can pick a direction for a new mash tun. I had been using a red 52 qt igloo cooler with a stainless braid for batch sparging and everything has been working OK. I just put a 9/16 OD thru the hole in the cooler and it was a tight fit for what I needed at the time. I made the decision to go to 10 gallon fly sparging (HERMS is the end game) and so I was going to put a bulkhead in this cooler and make a manifold. When doing this I cracked the area around the hole so now I can’t get anything to seal. I could maybe weld it and fix it but I wasn’t too connected to this thing anyway as it didn’t hold heat too well.

So I could get a new cooler, round square, manifold or false bottom but I don’t want to deal with breaking another one and junking it especially if I buy something rather than this red one that I just found in my garage. Do people have leaking and cracking issues often or was that just me? The concept of a compression seal on two flexible plastic walls is really asking for trouble.

The alternative is to get a third keg as a mash tun. Silver solder a fitting and buy or build a false bottom. I made my HLT and boil kettle this way and think it worked out really slick. I like the idea of a third keg but holding heat isn’t going to be as good and kegs and false bottoms aren’t exactly cheap.

I figure the keg is going to cost around $100 all said and done and I could get a 52 qt xtreme with a manifold for about $70. If this cooler is going to last and hold heat im all over it but if this thing is going to crack break and be a PITA ill just chunk up the cash and make a third keg.

How long do coolers last you guys?

 

[Homercidal]

My 48qt Igloo has been in use for many years. The inside is only slightly warped. Can hardly tell if you weren't looking for it.

I bet you can fix your crack with a SS washer drilled out and some silicone sealant.

Well, long story short, I think if you are going to go HERMS eventually, it makes sense to get a DURABLE, and easily modifiable mash tun like a keg/kettle, rather than go cheap with a plastic cooler. Some thermal wrap can help with the heat retention.

Of course, this is a moot point if you know how to drill or expand a hole in plastic. If you have one, simply expanding the existing hole with a Dremel will work fine. You can use a drilled washer or something the size of the hole you want, taped in place to guide your grinding. Of course if you don't have a Dremel, I highly recommend one for anyone who does basic DIY around the house.

I guess I don't think there is a clear winning answer here. Cost not being an option. If it were, I'd simply fix the cracked cooler. Maybe clean out the insulation between the walls and install some plastic or metal bushing in side there to reinforce the walls when you clamp down on it. In my experience, a silicone O-ring on the bulkhead fitting is fine and they don't need to be cranked down too tight. Mine swivels around easily, yet barely loses a few drops. I get more water coming out when I lift the lid and the condensation runs down it and down the back of the cooler.

 

[xpops]

I agree with Homercidal if you're intent is to eventually go HERMS, go the keg/kettle route.

for your existing cooler - you could definitel seal it back up to stop any leaks with some silicone.

As for how long they can last - i've been using a 48qt for 5gal batches and a 72 qt for 10gal batches for over 2 years now, and they look like they have quite a few years left in them!

 

[beernutz]

I use a 40qt Igloo cube cooler with a bazooka strainer for a mash tun with a natural gas HERMS system. My HERMS coil is in the HLT and I use a Chugger pump to circulate wort through it and another smaller pump to recirculate water in my HLT to keep the water temp consistent throughout.

My cooler has been used for about 40 batches over the last 3+ years and is still in great shape. I wish it was a bit larger to accommodate very high gravity recipes but I've gone up to 1.080 OG for 10 gallon batches without a problem.

 

[MplsUgly]

10 gallons of 1.080 out of a 40 qt cooler? I didn't do the math but that sounds aggressive. Either way that sounds like a slick system.

I think I'm just going to hunt down another keg and go big. At this point I'm 90% there anyway. I would love to have an electric system in my basement but adding a 220 circuit probably won't happen until winter. I'm looking at a combo sauna/brewery panel but that's a whole nother story.

I might patch the cooler I have for regular cooler use but not for brewing. Having a patch fail with 20 pounds of grain and grist sounds like way more trouble than just getting something that works. I love that this hobby can be really budgeted and you can do some cool things on the cheap but I'm getting too old to ruin a Saturday by saving $40.

Cheers fellas.

 

[xpops]

lol yes - a smooth successful brew day is definitely worth $40! Good luck with your new and improved system!

cheers,

 

[beernutz]

10 gallons of 1.080 out of a 40 qt cooler? I didn't do the math but that sounds aggressive. Either way that sounds like a slick system.

I think I'm just going to hunt down another keg and go big. At this point I'm 90% there anyway. I would love to have an electric system in my basement but adding a 220 circuit probably won't happen until winter. I'm looking at a combo sauna/brewery panel but that's a whole nother story.

I might patch the cooler I have for regular cooler use but not for brewing. Having a patch fail with 20 pounds of grain and grist sounds like way more trouble than just getting something that works. I love that this hobby can be really budgeted and you can do some cool things on the cheap but I'm getting too old to ruin a Saturday by saving $40.

Cheers fellas.

1.080 in that cooler is below 1.25 qt/lb but there's nothing magical about that ratio. As long as I manage pH and don't get a stuck mash my efficiency is fine at a 1 qt/lb ratio. I do try to be careful sparging to not extract tannins.

 

[Stillraining]

Cant help you with the decision to make but I can give you a tip:

Drilling into a cooler and installing a bulk head fitting is dicey..the original drain holes at the bottom have an internal stiffer in that area something you wont have drilling in higher up on the side walls for a sparge manifold. But you could drill a small hole first and then use the same technique we use on foam cored boat hulls and decks to accomplish the same thing and give a water tight seal. You can do this as a repair measure to if you have already drilled the larger hole. Here is the procedure below if you haven't already driller the larger hole, but it still works after the fact as in your case and it is even easier to extract out all the foam pieces if you have. Just go slow and be carfull not to tear the inner or outer skin any more then it already is.

Drill about a 3/8" to 1/2" hole just through the other skin only, and then chuck up the long part of a small Allen wrench in your drill. insert the shorter bent section into the hole and use it as a sort of auger to windmill out any foam in that area between the inner and outer skins. You can use a vacuum to help extract the foam dust. Go up in Allen wrench sizes( longer reach) until you have carved out an area that is at least 1/2" larger then the final hole size your wanting to crate. Then fill this void with an epoxy micro balloon mixture and let cure. You can now safely drill with out cracking to your desired finished diameter and have internal backing for proper gasket seating pressure as well.

Just use some duct tape as backing on one side now for your epoxy build up seeing as you already have a hole all the way through. Once cured pull off tape and re-drill as needed.

 

[xpops]

Drill about a 3/8" to 1/2" hole just through the other skin only, and then chuck up the long part of a small Allen wrench in your drill. insert the shorter bent section into the hole and use it as a sort of auger to windmill out any foam in that area between the inner and outer skins. You can use a vacuum to help extract the foam dust. Go up in Allen wrench sizes( longer reach) until you have carved out an area that is at least 1/2" larger then the final hole size your wanting to crate. Then fill this void with an epoxy micro balloon mixture and let cure. You can now safely drill with out cracking to your desired finished diameter and have internal backing for proper gasket seating pressure as well.

Just use some duct tape as backing on one side now for your epoxy build up seeing as you already have a hole all the way through. Once cured pull off tape and re-drill as needed.

awesome suggestion. It's great to see homebrewers lend suggestions that relate back to their personal/professional experience!

 

[MplsUgly]

Cant help you with the decision to make but I can give you a tip:

Drilling into a cooler and installing a bulk head fitting is dicey..the original drain holes at the bottom have an internal stiffer in that area something you wont have drilling in higher up on the side walls for a sparge manifold. But you could drill a small hole first and then use the same technique we use on foam cored boat hulls and decks to accomplish the same thing and give a water tight seal. You can do this as a repair measure to if you have already drilled the larger hole. Here is the procedure below if you haven't already driller the larger hole, but it still works after the fact as in your case and it is even easier to extract out all the foam pieces if you have. Just go slow and be carfull not to tear the inner or outer skin any more then it already is.

Drill about a 3/8" to 1/2" hole just through the other skin only, and then chuck up the long part of a small Allen wrench in your drill. insert the shorter bent section into the hole and use it as a sort of auger to windmill out any foam in that area between the inner and outer skins. You can use a vacuum to help extract the foam dust. Go up in Allen wrench sizes( longer reach) until you have carved out an area that is at least 1/2" larger then the final hole size your wanting to crate. Then fill this void with an epoxy micro balloon mixture and let cure. You can now safely drill with out cracking to your desired finished diameter and have internal backing for proper gasket seating pressure as well.

Just use some duct tape as backing on one side now for your epoxy build up seeing as you already have a hole all the way through. Once cured pull off tape and re-drill as needed.

I'm not looking at drilling a hole in a cooler but if i was this sounds like a good way to go about it! I should have done this to fill the area around the existing hole before I started and I probably wouldn't have cracked it.

At this point i'm going all steel and getting another keg but thanks.

 

[Stillraining]

Well it fixable with the same method if you want to re-purpose it back into a cooler or mash ton.

Carry on.