MLT Size

[Corp_T]

I'm going to be doing my first AG batch the beginning of next month. I'm currently making a MLT and was wondering, just how big does it need to be? I currently have a 7.5 gal rectangular cooler and I'm worried it's not going to have a deep enough grain bed. Thanks

 

[devaspawn]

Hagen has a 5 Gallon MLT and he commonly makes 10.5 lb brews. he gets about 90% efficiency, too. He has pulled off 12 lb brews as well. I have a 10 gallon and find that my most common brews don't exceed 12 lbs. For big beers you may need something larger or you could use DME near the end of the boil to up your gravity. With 7.5 you should still have enough room to do a mashout.

 

[Sumo]

I use a 52 quart colman Xtreme with a bazooka screen. It leaves aboout a 1/2 of liquid when its drained. I can do any 5 gallon recipe and most 10 gallon recipes with it. It works very well at holding temps as long as you preheat it.

 

[devaspawn]

Yeah I guess I should have mentioned that Hagen and I do 5 gallon recipes...

 

[Corp_T]

I plan on doing a 5 gallon recipe so it sounds likes I made a good choice. I grabbed it at sears before I thought since I had a gift card and it was only $12.

 

[Southwood]

If you batch sparge, your grain bed depth should'nt be an issue. I say build a stainless braid + brass ball valve & mash on!

 

[devaspawn]

Another thought to help retain heat would be to fill the lid with some stuff you can find at the Depot or any other hardware store called "Great Stuff" I have done 90 minute mashes many a time and I literally don't lose one degree of heat since I filled the lid. Every cooler lid that I have ever run into is hollow so yours probably is, too.

 

[Wables]

I have been pulling off 10 gallon batches in a 34 qt. coleman X-treme for a while now. You should be OK.

 

[Kilgore_Trout]

Another thought to help retain heat would be to fill the lid with some stuff you can find at the Depot or any other hardware store called "Great Stuff" I have done 90 minute mashes many a time and I literally don't lose one degree of heat since I filled the lid. Every cooler lid that I have ever run into is hollow so yours probably is, too.

Definitely do this if it's not one of the coleman extreme coolers. The extreme series has an insulated lid.

I used a rectangular cheap-o cooler for my first few batches and had trouble with the lid leaking heat. I just bought a new cooler, but the great stuff would work fine.

 

[devaspawn]

How much extra are those extreme coolers over the regular ones? and what sizes?