10 gallon or 8 gallon mash tun?

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Texastrooper

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I am looking for a mash tun for my gravity system to brew 5 gallon batches. I currently have been using DIY converted sanke kegs which are great and cheap. But I like to move to a smaller kettle based mash tun, which is:
- lighter than that heavy sanke keg
- has a false bottom which I can easily lift out without tools
- does not clog as easy
- does not leave as much mash in the tun
I am looking for a mash kettle to brew only 5 gallon batches.
I just wonder if I should get a 8 or 10 gallon kettle. Is an 8 gallon kettle big enough for a mash tun?
Does the 10 gallon kettle still provide good efficiency without too much "dead space" underneath the false bottom?

Thanks
Stefan
 
What's the highest gravity beer you plan to brew?

At 1.5 qt/lb, a 5 gallon 1.120 brew takes 35 qts, not accounting for deadspace. Assuming zero deadspace, the most grain you could fit in an 8 gallon is 1.080. Big IPAs can push well past that.

Neither will be able to make a 5 gallon batch of Barleywine.
 
+1, if you plan to do any "big" beers, go for a bigger tun. Extra space never hurts, and the incremental cost isn't huge.
 
I also got me a large 16 gallon tun which for future 10 gallon brews but in this kettle the false bottom sits about 3 inches of the ground. 3 gallon dead space underneath. To mash in with 5 gallons this leaves me only 2 gallons on top. This is barely enough to cover the grain.
Meaning I am ok with a larger pot as long is the false bottom sits low enough.
 
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