10 gallon Beverage cooler as a mash and Lauter tun

[mnpaddler]

Hi, I am ready to go all grain after a few years of Extract. My questions are this
#1. Will the 10 gallon Rubbermaid cooler work for doing 10 gallon beer batches either as a fly or batch sparges? I typically only brew IPA's and Porters.

#2. Is a false bottom better than the stainless braid...and if the braid is better, is twice the suggested length better than just the 10 inches shown in the picture of how to make the MLT?

#3. Am i dreaming when I suggest that I want to do 10 gallon batches in the 10 gallon cooler? I have read that the Coleman 70 Qt Xtreme cooler is the ticket, but if I should decide to only do a 5 gallon specialty batch in the xtreme, will it be too big and not properly cover the grains with enough sparge water?

Money is not the main concern, I am not cheap and I want what will work the best for me and purchase just once so I do not have to upgrade!

Thank you for any helpful advise.....cheers

 

[weirdboy]

Please see the "Can I mash it?" calculator on this page:
http://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml

If you mash at 1.25 gallons per pound you can fit about 25 lbs of grain in there, so you should be good for IPAs but if you were thinking Imperial you're probably going to have to scale your recipe down to maybe 7-8 gallons to get it to fit.

 

[TANSTAAFB]

Hi, I am ready to go all grain after a few years of Extract. My questions are this
#1. Will the 10 gallon Rubbermaid cooler work for doing 10 gallon beer batches either as a fly or batch sparges? I typically only brew IPA's and Porters.

#2. Is a false bottom better than the stainless braid...and if the braid is better, is twice the suggested length better than just the 10 inches shown in the picture of how to make the MLT?

This is my 3/4" water heater flex braid https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/upgraded-mlt-braid-water-heater-supply-223403/
More is not better when it comes to a stainless braid as most of the action takes place in the last couple of inches...you can put 6' of stainless braid in your MLT and all you have essentially done is hang truck nuts in your tun

#3. Am i dreaming when I suggest that I want to do 10 gallon batches in the 10 gallon cooler? I have read that the Coleman 70 Qt Xtreme cooler is the ticket, but if I should decide to only do a 5 gallon specialty batch in the xtreme, will it be too big and not properly cover the grains with enough sparge water?

Depends on your OG...you can do 1068 10gal batches at 80% efficiency in a 10gal MLT...barely

Money is not the main concern, I am not cheap and I want what will work the best for me and purchase just once so I do not have to upgrade!

Thank you for any helpful advise.....cheers

 

[brewstaedt]

I used 3/4" SS braid in a loop configuration. In "How to Brew" Palmer states this should work as well as a false bottom for batch or fly sparging.

 

[crghou]

how did you take the tube out of the braid?

 

[ptakers]

It's a PITA, but I did it by using needle-nose pliers. Grab the hose with the pliers and with the other hand start to twist the braid to loosen it off of the hose. You can't just pull the tube out because the braid acts like chinese finger-cuffs - the harder you pull the tighter they get. However, by twisting, I was able to slowly work the tube out by pulling it gently.

 

[camus]

Push it off the tube, comes off rather easily.

 

[TANSTAAFB]

how did you take the tube out of the braid?

If you cut both ends off, definitely push the braid off the tube while twisting and cursing...pliers help too

I cut one end off w/ a Dremel and left one factory end on. Used a screwdriver w/ a bent tip that I heated in a propane torch flame and melted through the inner tube until I could twist it with needle nose pliers. The factory end kept the braid from acting like chinese finger cuffs, so I was able to carefully and slowly twist and pull the tube out.

I have brewed several batches with this set up and it works exceptionally well. If I tilt my MLT by propping it on the lid I have essentially no deadspace or lost wort. I typically vorlauf about half a gallon very slowly then drain off at a moderate pace. I CAN crank it wide open, but I find I get more grain particles this way. I can crush VERY fine and walk the stuck sparge line but get 80-85% efficiency :rockin:

 

[crghou]

yeah that is what i was planning on doing. what about that other guy..brewstaedt

looks like his piece of braid was never cut being the couplers are still on the end.

 

[TANSTAAFB]

I used 3/4" SS braid in a loop configuration. In "How to Brew" Palmer states this should work as well as a false bottom for batch or fly sparging.

yeah that is what i was planning on doing. what about that other guy..brewstaedt

looks like his piece of braid was never cut being the couplers are still on the end.

It looks like both ends were cut off and he used compression fittings to attach them to the nipples coming out of the tee...all brass.

 

[bandt9299]

If you might fly sparge too, go with the false bottom, for sure. I think all around its the best choice.