I have two 10gal Coleman Beverage coolers. Yesterday, I ran my RIMS heater for around two hours and held the temp at 153. Later in the day, I turned it on again and let it heat back to 153 and at 5pm, I turned it off. Today at 12pm, the water inside the cooler was still 110F in my garage. I have had these coolers since about 1996 and have never tested their efficiency like this and I am amazed. The lids were hollow and I drilled some small holes and filled them with Great Stuff spray foam. I know that had to help.
Instead of being round like the Rubbermaid or Igloo or Home Depot models, these are actually square and maybe 2ft tall. The walls may also be a little thicker. I think this type of cooler is probably going to hold temp longer than the long coolers that people use for cans and bottles. So for all you out there wondering about using a cooler for a mash tun, what are you waiting for?
Instead of being round like the Rubbermaid or Igloo or Home Depot models, these are actually square and maybe 2ft tall. The walls may also be a little thicker. I think this type of cooler is probably going to hold temp longer than the long coolers that people use for cans and bottles. So for all you out there wondering about using a cooler for a mash tun, what are you waiting for?
