5 gal vs 10 gal Rubbermaid cooler

[CanadianQuaffer]

Which is better for 5 gallon batches? I know the question must seem silly, but I wonder if a 5 gallon cooler is big enough to serve as a MT for 5 gallon batches. I also wonder if there would be excessive heat loss when using a 10 gal cooler for 5 gal batches given all the extra air speace in there.

Thoughts?

Nick

 

[chromados]

You can only do low gravity brews in a 5 gallon mash tun. I have been using a 10 gallon cooler for years now and it works great for 5 gallon batch and normal gravity 10 gallon batches.

Chromados

 

[kyleslattery]

Check out this thread:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/how-big-your-mash-tun-needs-123585/

 

[Boodlemania]

10 gallon. When in doubt, always go big.

That being said, I use a 10 gallon and love it.

 

[DosGatosBrewing]

what boodlemania said

 

[ajwillys]

10, without a doubt.

 

[nebben]

I see no heat loss with five gallon batches in my 10 gallon tun.

 

[scottatdrake]

You'll end up wishing you had 10.

 

[DangerRoss]

I use a 10 gallon cooler and wish I had gone bigger!

 

[jafo28]

What all the others said. When I first went to all grain I could only find a 5, but when I ran across a 10 gallon one I grabbed it. The five works fine for smaller beers, and I still use it, but the ten lets you get a lot more grain in there. Plus if you ever start doing ten gallon batches the ten will work, but only for lower gravity beers.

 

[_JP_]

I've done a 1.088 in my 5-gal, so it's definitely adequate. If buying new, go for the 10-gallon. It'll keep you from having 2 coolers in the long run.

 

[rekoob]

+1 with JP... I had a 5 gal for many years and didn't have a problem doing any 5 gal batch. However, I always was on the lookout for a 10 gal for a good price, never came accross one so never upgraded that before making my brutus 10 clone. Now, I use keggles for everything.

 

[scadieux]

I owned a 5-gallon and it served me well for 10 batches or so at OGs below 1.060.

You can't really do a mash out or add boiling water if you're too low with your mash temp because you are runnung it close to full capacity.

I own a 10G now and I have no problem keeping the mash temp steady with 5 gallon batches... And it gives me more flexibility and I can do the occasional 10G batch.

So in brief, 5G would work well but if you can afford I would go straigth to 10...

 

[DrJerryrigger]

This comes up a lot, but I don't blame you for posting this as I can't seem to use the search successfully myself 80% of the time.

I use a 5 gal myself and love it. I made a 1.070 last week with no problem. I've gone higher than once too.

For 5gal batches you really don't need a 10gal at all. It could be nice though.

A lot depends on what you want to do with it. If your'e fly sparging there are advantages to the 5gal as it's not as wide. If your putting in a false bottom the 5gal may get too small for you.
If for some reason you need to use more than 12lb of grain for a beer. If you like the idea of having your tun half empty when you use it. If storing a larger object is hard for you in your living space. If you want to spend a little less money on it. If you need extra space for strike water as you do 3 step mashes.

There are advantages and disadvantages for both. If you aren't planing on making batches larger than 7 gal you can use a 5gal fine, would a 10gal be better? That's up to you and depends on your situation and what you want it to do.

 

[rjsnau]

I originally bought a 5 gallon but returned it for a 10 and have never regretted it. It is nice to not have to worry about having space for a 5 gallon batch no matter the gravity and it is also nice to know I can do a lower gravity 10 gallon batch if I want to. I have never had a problem holding the temp for 60 minutes if I preheat the tun and wrap a blanket around it.

 

[HawksBrewer]

It's been said. +1 to 10 gal MLT for 5 gal batches.

 

[DrJerryrigger]

I just looked at my notes from my last brew: 13.25 lb of grain. It worked, though I didn't have room to mash out until the second batch sparge.

 

[ddrrseio]

10 gallon. When in doubt, always go big.

That being said, I use a 10 gallon and love it.

i'd simplify: go big

you will always want to do more. better to spend a small amount more today than to duplicate everything later

 

[microbusbrewery]

Anything you can do in a 5 gallon you can do in a 10 gallon, but not vice versa. I started out with a 5 gallon but ended up switching to a 10 gallon after a couple years. If it helps, the last time I checked it seemed Home Depot had the best price on them ($40-ish). This time of year you might even find them marked down.

 

[mjohnson]

I'll offer a dissenting viewpoint - I bought a 10 gal because of the advice given above. However, contrary to most people, my batch size has decreased over time - I tend to do about 3 gallon batches now because I like to brew more often. With a 10 gal, there is an awful lot of headspace which can make holding temps difficult. So if you like to brew often and aren't drinking a ton of beer, a 5 gal cooler might be good. If you're sure you'll always want to do at lease 5 gallons and you do a lot of high gravity beers, then go for the 10 gallon.

 

[royale]

I just picked up a 5 gallon cooler at my local lowe's for $20 bucks. I might not be able to make high gravity 5 gallon batches but 2.5 or 3 gallon batches will be no problem. 3 gallons is not a whole of beers but I can make more experimental batches with it.

 

[DrJerryrigger]

I'll offer a dissenting viewpoint - I bought a 10 gal because of the advice given above. However, contrary to most people, my batch size has decreased over time - I tend to do about 3 gallon batches now because I like to brew more often. With a 10 gal, there is an awful lot of headspace which can make holding temps difficult. So if you like to brew often and aren't drinking a ton of beer, a 5 gal cooler might be good. If you're sure you'll always want to do at lease 5 gallons and you do a lot of high gravity beers, then go for the 10 gallon.

This is a great thought that I'm approaching myself. I love to make beer. I drink quite a lot too, but have a hard time drinking 5gal of the same thing (even my favorite store bout brew). I'm planing on scaling down a bit, and brewing more often.
I can do this quite well in a 5gal.

But many people are going the other direction, always scaling up. If you feel that'll be you, go for the bigger one.

 

[RichBenn]

My experience is the 10 gallon is what you want for a 5 gallon brew, unless you never plan on doing 90 minute boils, IPAs, IIPAs, or any other beer with a reasonable grain bill. Assuming you only do 5 gallon batches of low alcohol beers, you "might" get away with a 5 gallon tun.

I only do 5.5 gallon batches (.5 to account for trub and hop losses) and I'd never be able to do the beers I do most often with a 5 gallon mash tun. And I get 80% efficency which means not as much grain as some may need.

These are two things you'll regret going too small:
1. Size of mash tun.
2. Size of boil pot.

Do it right and you won't look back.

One negative is it takes longer to pre-heat (more thermal mass). However, it also holds heat better (more thermal mass).

Rich

 

[ekjohns]

I had a 10 and lost heat even after insulating the lid and adding a floating styrofoam disk. Ended up getting a 5 gallon for $20 at lowes and with a floating disk lose 2 F over an hour very happy with the 5 gallon.