Best Mash Tun

[cyberbackpacker]

Order them online from acehardware.com and have it shipped to your closest store for free! Plus spend $75 and use discount code "ACEWTRACE" (caps sensitive) and get $15 off your order before 10/31/08.

I got the ten gallon cooler and some quick disconnects this way-- saved money and didn't have to drive all over.

 

[humann_brewing]

Yeah, sounds like I was a week too late. The home depot guy said they were on sale last week to sell them out for the year.

Well, the home depot on the opposite side of town says that they have the 10 gallon size, but the lady said that they were "Home Depot" brand. I am thinking she is just getting confused since they are orange. What do you think, is there an actual "Home Depot" brand?

I wish I was certain before I trek 45 minutes over there.

 

[FSR402]

Craig,
I am using a 70 QT Coleman cooler, and have the CPVC manifild, I was just looking to glue the end pieces so I dont have to assemble 30 little pieces every time I brew, just 10 would be good. LOL

I am just worried about glues having a smell to them that would leach into the mash water during the mash process.

I glued my CPVC sparge manifold together and have not had any flavors from it. Gave it a good two day soak in Oxiclean before I used it.

 

[Whisler85]

I ordered my 10 gal GOTT (rubbermaid) water cooler from CSP Outdoors- its based in Louisiana, and was the cheapest I could find on the internet- brand new and shipped to me it was 53 dollars. I only waited like three days for it too- just got here today- now I need to decide what type of drainage to put in it...

 

[ajf]

So if your efficiency has gone down with fly sparging with the 10g, is your efficiency good with batch sparging in the 10g size?

I just don't want to buy the 5g size and have to then later get the 10g. In reality, is there any cons to the 10g over the 5g.

5g cooler and fly sparging, 85% efficiency
5g cooler and batch sparging, 80% efficiency (but lower gravity beers).
10g cooler and fly sparging, 70 - 75% efficiency
10g cooler and batch sparging, 70% efficiency

But, I've been using the 5g cooler hundreds of times and have gotten used to it. I've used the 10g three times (1 batch and 2 fly sparges) and I am not used to it. In particular, with the batch sparge, I over estimated the amount of sparge water by more than 1/2g which undoubtedly hurt my efficiency. I think that I could get the batch sparge efficiency up to 80% without too much trouble, but I'm not going to use it again for fly sparging unless it's a very high gravity brew where the mash won't fit in the 5g.
With both coolers, I lose less that 1 degree F during the mash

-a.

 

[ajf]

Well, the home depot on the opposite side of town says that they have the 10 gallon size, but the lady said that they were "Home Depot" brand. I am thinking she is just getting confused since they are orange. What do you think, is there an actual "Home Depot" brand?

I wish I was certain before I trek 45 minutes over there.

My 10g has the Home Depot label on it, but if you look on the bottom it's stamped "Rubbermaid. Made in USA"

-a.

 

[humann_brewing]

My 10g has the Home Depot label on it, but if you look on the bottom it's stamped "Rubbermaid. Made in USA"

-a.

Yep, your right on, it has the big Ol' Home Depot label, but is also well labeled with Rubbermaid too. I took the trek and saved a few bucks too, they were $37.

 

[jbloeser]

A few years back you wrote not to glue together a cpvc manifold for easy cleaning. I'm building mine this weekend and are there any problems knocking it apart as you stir the mash if you don't have it glued together?

Thanks in advance,
Jeremy

If you go with a manifold either copper or CPVC don't solder or glue it together, just press it together. It makes it easier to take apart to clean.