5 Gal AG Brewing - 36qt or 52qt Mash Tun?

[Kuhndog]

Okay - I need a little help in deciding if I want to sell my unused 52qt xtreme cooler and get a 36 qt xtreme cooler...I can get a brand new 36 xtreme cooler for $30 including shipping. I already have 2 unused 52qt xtreme coolers...

question - do you think I should sell one of my 52 qt coolers and buy a 36 qt cooler considering I'm doing lower gravity batches for 5 gal? I just think a 52 qt is overkill for batch sparging 10lbs of grain for 5 gal batches. There isn't much of a grain bed to filter out some of the 1st runnings...it's not really deep to stir around...etc.

What do you think??

Thanks

 

[Jeffinn]

I have the 52 qt. extreme and use it for 5 gallon batches exclusively. Grain bed depth is probably not an issue with batch sparging. At some point you may decide to do bigger beers and the additional space in the 52 quart model will come in handy.

 

[Kuhndog]

I plan on keeping one of 52 qt coolers for that exact reason...it just seems overkill though all that space inside the cooler that is unused with 3 gals of water and 10 lbs of grain.

 

[wilserbrewer]

I like to use as small a cooler as possible. Minimal dead space, and more importantly, it is easier handling and cleaning a smaller cooler...kinda like the old adage...right size tool for the job, just my opinion...cheers!

 

[Drake9]

I have a 36qt since that was what I had already. Big enough for a big 5 gal batch or a lower 10 gal batch. Kinda wish I had a 52qt but don't need it. Eventually I will upgrade to a bigger tun. If I were you I would just keep the 52 qt you have. Don't have to sell one and buy another plus you have room to grow.