10 gal round cooler EHERMS

[juggabrew]

So I’m doing some early planning on going electric. I see most people convert a kettle to a mash tun for an eherms setup. I currently use a HD 10 gal round cooler and thought I could just use the cooler to save money.

Is there a downside to using a cooler vs ss kettle. The all SS pike system looks sweet but if I could save money that would be sweeter.

 

[Dcpcooks]

You can do that. I did it on my first herms. You just need a way to return the wort to the top of the cooler. A bulk head fitting or the Blichmann auto sparge will work for you

 

[GoeHaarden]

I still use a 10g cooler for mashing in my RIMS setup. Since you have a way to control steady temps, and your vessel doesn't loose heat rapidly (which a cooler doesn't) then it works great.

FWIW, when I used to do infusion mashes in my cooler, it only dropped about 3F in an hour.

Downside. It's plastic and it's not shiny!

Upside. Insulated heat retention and it's cheap!

 

[mirthfuldragon]

I'm still planning my e-build. The limiter is the 10g mash tun size of the cooler - it is just big enough for high-gravity 5g and moderate gravity 10g batches, which is fine for most circumstances. My original plan with to use the cooler as an eHERMS mash tun.

Ultimately, I discarded the plan and am moving towards a single vessel recirculating e-BIAB setup instead. I don't see the differences between the systems as being worth the extra complications (and cleaning), but that's just me.

 

[juggabrew]

I still use a 10g cooler for mashing in my RIMS setup. Since you have a way to control steady temps, and your vessel doesn't loose heat rapidly (which a cooler doesn't) then it works great.

FWIW, when I used to do infusion mashes in my cooler, it only dropped about 3F in an hour.

Downside. It's plastic and it's not shiny!

Upside. Insulated heat retention and it's cheap!

Do you have any issue with circulation? Did you have to adjust your mash thickness to allow for good flow?

 

[GoeHaarden]

Eh, I use a biab bag on top of a cheap false bottom and I havent had any problems. Im about to ditch the false bottom and just use 1/2" expanded stainless mesh to keep the bag just above the drain bulk-head to increase flow, as my false bottom barb is 3/8". I still run my pump wide open without issue tho...

 

[golfindia]

Perhaps i'm a dummy, but I could never recirculate in My cooler mash tun without a getting a stuck mash. I wrapped the false bottom with a paint strainer bag and stuck a bunch of SS scrubbies under it. My conclusion is that Igloo coolers are just too skinny and tall. Corn/rice lagers no way. I switched to a wide kettle mash tun and all is good. As stated above, 10g cooler is also a volume limiter. A 15g kettle will do almost all 10g batches as well as high gravity 5g. I put a sight glass below the false bottom that works as a great flow/stick mash monitor. I

 

[augiedoggy]

Perhaps i'm a dummy, but I could never recirculate in My cooler mash tun without a getting a stuck mash. I wrapped the false bottom with a paint strainer bag and stuck a bunch of SS scrubbies under it. My conclusion is that Igloo coolers are just too skinny and tall. Corn/rice lagers no way. I switched to a wide kettle mash tun and all is good. As stated above, 10g cooler is also a volume limiter. A 15g kettle will do almost all 10g batches as well as high gravity 5g. I put a sight glass below the false bottom that works as a great flow/stick mash monitor. I

I dont think your a dummy, but something in your process gave you grief that doesnt happen to many others. I used an igloo cooler mash tun for well over a year with my rims and herms before that with zero stuck sparge issues...

I can say what DID work for me.
I use small 24v tan food grade pumps that only pump 3gpm max and get stuck easily with grain if its pumped into the head so I used a round 12" false bottom screen but under that I had a small section of braided stainless line as a secondary filter. I always start recirculation my mash slowly with pwm speed controllers so I would start off at about 1gpm flow and go up to max slowly and at max the flow was still only about 2gpm or less.

If your using a larger 5gpm march or chugger you have to use a ball valve to take the flow WAY down or you will get a stuck sparge. this is partially due to the much smaller surface area of the false bottom as Golfindia hinted.

I should also mention I NEVER once used rice hulls with this setup I DID brew wheat and cream ales with it and the flow was slower (like 1gpm) which was still plenty for even consistent temps...

My 2 cents, I think a sight glass in the mash tun is useless as it doesnt give accurate levels and creates an area where air can easily be pulled into the bottom which will cause a number of issues. If you need this as a safety then your pulling through the grainbed with too much flow and are likely suffering from channeling and efficiency losses from it as well.
I have yet to see one pro system nano or otherwise that utilizes a sight glass in the mash tun. the 3bbl sungood/stout system I just bought does not have one either.

 

[golfindia]

I dont think your a dummy, but something in your process gave you grief that doesnt happen to many others. I used an igloo cooler mash tun for well over a year with my rims and herms before that with zero stuck sparge issues...

I can say what DID work for me.
I use small 24v tan food grade pumps that only pump 3gpm max and get stuck easily with grain if its pumped into the head so I used a round 12" false bottom screen but under that I had a small section of braided stainless line as a secondary filter. I always start recirculation my mash slowly with pwm speed controllers so I would start off at about 1gpm flow and go up to max slowly and at max the flow was still only about 2gpm or less.

If your using a larger 5gpm march or chugger you have to use a ball valve to take the flow WAY down or you will get a stuck sparge. this is partially due to the much smaller surface area of the false bottom as Golfindia hinted.

I should also mention I NEVER once used rice hulls with this setup I DID brew wheat and cream ales with it and the flow was slower (like 1gpm) which was still plenty for even consistent temps...

My 2 cents, I think a sight glass in the mash tun is useless as it doesnt give accurate levels and creates an area where air can easily be pulled into the bottom which will cause a number of issues. If you need this as a safety then your pulling through the grainbed with too much flow and are likely suffering from channeling and efficiency losses from it as well.
I have yet to see one pro system nano or otherwise that utilizes a sight glass in the mash tun. the 3bbl sungood/stout system I just bought does not have one either.

Yeah, I've burnt up several of those cheap 24v pumps. They work well for a few months, but that's about it. I'm not using the pump right.... No, I'm not a pro brewer, however i'd note that you never see any pro breweries using Igloo cooler mash tuns either, LOL. The sight glass makes a great vaccum gauge. I never have any efficiency problems or channeling issues, never use rice hulls. Maybe you just had a better cooler false bottom than I did.....

 

[augiedoggy]

Yeah, I've burnt up several of those cheap 24v pumps. They work well for a few months, but that's about it. I'm not using the pump right.... No, I'm not a pro brewer, however i'd note that you never see any pro breweries using Igloo cooler mash tuns either, LOL. The sight glass makes a great vaccum gauge. I never have any efficiency problems or channeling issues, never use rice hulls. Maybe you just had a better cooler false bottom than I did.....

Ive been using these 24v pumps for over 4 years without issues, Ive burned one up out of stupidity but Yes you have to be doing something wrong to keep burning them up, They are rated for like 40,000hrs of run life..
Obviously there arent large cooler based pro brewing equipment but there are many 3 and 5 bbl and larger brewery setups with insulated mash tuns.. From and engineering standpoint stainless has to be used on that level for a number of reasons its not a design difference so much as putting a non functional sight glass (as far being a sight glass anyway) in to act as a vacuum buffer because your pulling liquid too fast..
Im not sure if your kidding or you dont understand the point of what I was saying but there is a much bigger operational difference between having the sight glass or not and what you mash tun is made out of. You simply shouldnt need the "vacuum indicator" at all as pulling that hard only promotes channeling and hurts performance as well as causes stuck mash tun flow and (as you already seem to know) can burn up pumps.

I used a simple bazooka tube in my mash tun for a while and then went to the $30 standard 12" domed FB from my local HBS store... maybe the second piece of finer stainless braid helped keep the grain out of my pumps but thats about it.

I have since replaced my cooler with a 16 gallon stainless mash tun for two reasons, larger diameter FB and BLING factor... Seriously I had upgraded my other kettles and equipment to the point where the cooler just didnt make sense, plus I can brew bigger beers now. with a WORKING rims the whole point of an insulated mash tun is no longer justified.

Some folks use both, they spend hundreds on the insulated stainless mash tuns and use them with herms or rims too, but then again some folks apparently like spending time scooping all the grain out of large insulated stainless mash tuns instead of just carrying the thing outside and dumping it.. For me only one form of percise temperature control is enough. especially if it streamlines my brewday instead of needlessly complicating it. I alsways had plans to open a nano and experimenting with herms and rims setups at the homebrew level made more sense due to that but yeah you dont need either with a cooler..

 

[GoeHaarden]

I'm not a pro brewer, however i'd note that you never see any pro breweries using Igloo cooler mash tuns either

I'm not exactly a "pro brewer," but I did stay at a Holiday Day Inn last night.

with a WORKING rims the whole point of an insulated mash tun is no longer justified.

^^^ This pretty much nails it. Either way, if you're on a budget my advice would be to try it with your cooler. If it doesn't work, you're out nothing and then you can buy a shiny upgrade. I've had great results recirculating in my cooler, like others, and then other people have had issues with it. Doesn't hurt to try....