New Mash Tun

[Tony]

Well, I was getting tired of being restricted on my mash volumes with my 5 gallon Rubbermaid set up, and dont have the room (indoor brewer) to build my scupture I designed, so I decided to change my mash tun. So, I picked up an Igloo Ice Cube 48 quart cooler from Sears online for $24.99. (Yeah, Wal Mart used to sell em for cheap money until they became the rage).

I bought a Zymico Kewler Kitz Basic + and a Bazooka Screen, drilled my hole with a hole saw, and VIOLA, in a matter of basically 2 minutes, I made my mash tun. I have a Kewler Thermothingy, but am missing the small O rings for the thermometer. So I will pick those up soon and will have a nice BIG mash tun from now on!

The Rubbermaid set up is nice (B-150 from MoreBeer), but it limits you on you gravity size. Im good at brewing 1.050 and 1.060 beers, but for Imperials and wild recipes, I was unable to do them, unless adding DME, honey or brown sugar to the boil. So, now Im golden!

 

[justbrewit]

well, you could have done a double mash. mash one batch, spargw. dump and add new grains and start over, keeping a lid on your brew kettle while your second mash is being done. but, i think i'd have gotten a bigger cooler too! i'm looking at getting one of those big 10 gallon round industrial coolers for my mash tun. i've seen them as low as like $40 to $50 bucks. not too bad i guess. i want to make sure i have enough room in my mash tun for all the grains it will take to do a barley wine or 50 lol

 

[RichBrewer]

I've got the 10 gallon round rubbermaid cooler. I bought it so long ago that I don't remember what I paid for it. I've done up to 14 pounds of grain and it wasn't half full. It works for me so I'm going to stick with it.

Rich

 

[justbrewit]

i was wondering how much that thing would hold. think it will hold up to 30 pounds of grain?? some of the barley wines recipes i've been looking at call for almost 30 pounds thats why i'm going for that one as my mash tun

 

[Tony]

... i'm looking at getting one of those big 10 gallon round industrial coolers for my mash tun. i've seen them as low as like $40 to $50 bucks...

Just to let you know, the Igloo Ice Cube is 12 gallons. I had stuffed a little over 14 pounds of grain in my 5 gallon Rubbermaid before, so 7 more gallons of space should allow for 30 easily, and they are 25 bucks!

 

[RichBrewer]

If you look at my gallery I've got a photo of my Mash/Lauter tun durring the sparge. I've got almost 14 pounds of grain in there.

 

[justbrewit]

that one doesn't look too bad, i was hoping for round because i heard that its easier to keep a uniform mash temp in the round ones, but that one looks nice and its close to the same shape, its not one of the rectangular coolers! thanks for that tony!!

 

[Tony]

You are very welcome.

I looked everywhere for either the Igoo 12 gallon, or a Rubbermaid 10 gallon. I couldnt believe how much people wanted for the Rubbermaid. Believe me, I loved my 5 gallon Rubbermaid, but just couldnt find a 10 gallon one for cheap money. I think people are catching on to their alternate purposes.

 

[justbrewit]

igloo also makes a one its the Igloo 400 Series Industrial water cooler. thats the one i've been looking at. i'll keep looking all over and find one some time soon!!

 

[justbrewit]

i was just looking at coolers and found this bad boy its the Igloo Party Barrel. sucker holds 109 quarts!!!! hows that for a mash tun??

 

[Tony]

You know, I saw those before, and some had refrigeration units in them for outdoor partys and such, and was at first wondering about making one into a kegerator. I never even thought about making one of the regular ones into a mash tun. Way cool idea!

 

[justbrewit]

thier a bit spendy though, place i looked at it was like $140 or some thing like that.

 

[Tony]

That would definately throw a curve to keeping the yearly brew amount below 200 gallons... LOL.

 

[justbrewit]

hahaha very true, but it would be a great thing for say a homebrew club!!! do a club batch once a month, every one pitches in and every one brings a fermenter!! now that would be cool!!

 

[RichBrewer]

It's on wheels! Oh the possibilities!

 

[Tony]

Okay...who here is gonna pick one up first????

 

[cowain]

My buddy already has one of those. However, we use it to put kegs in for parties and I don't think he'd let me convert it into a gigantic mash tun. In fact, I used it yesterday when I brought two kegs of homebrew to the Super bowl party.