Cheap & Easy 10 Gallon Rubbermaid MLT Conversion

[eddie]

has anyone used the zip ties for this?

I have. I've only got three brews on them right now but they've held up well so far. They haven't loosened a bit as far as I can tell.:rockin:

 

[BrianP]

I guess it's decided then.

FlyGuy, cruster, and Thalon: Thanks for the advice. 10g it is.

Thanks again FlyGuy for the original post. I was wondering how to make one of these set-ups. The parts list is great, as well as the re-design edit.

Regards,
BP

 

[aekdbbop]

I have. I've only got three brews on them right now but they've held up well so far. They haven't loosened a bit as far as I can tell.:rockin:

well, 3 brews is better than one with the SSish hose clamps.. i guess I will try that..

 

[Beerrific]

has anyone used the zip ties for this?

Yes. I used the original ones for my first 5 batches. I had to take the braid off to clean it so I had to cut one. One of the originals is still there, it has discolored slightly but still holds tight.

 

[Shoopdog]

I originally made a 5 gallon version of the MLT, but Home Depot now has their 10 gallon Rubbermaid on sale for $40. I couldn't find them for less than $55, so I now am the proud owner of a 10 gallon MLT.

 

[RadicalEd]

Funny, I couldn't find any at my local HD . But they did have 10 gal rectangular ones that will neatly fit into my limited storage area for $29 .

 

[aekdbbop]

will this work on a 60qt ice cube?

 

[BrianP]

Does the same general parts list work for the rectangular coolers? Or do you need to change the valve size and/or some of the parts list? I'm not seeing the round coolers that much, just round 5's and rectangular 10's.

 

[FlyGuy]

You can use the same basic list, but the thickness of the cooler wall may be different for the rectangular coolers. So, you may need to find a different size of pipe nipple and/or different number of spacing washers on the outside of the cooler to get a tight fit.

Note that this design relies on the original seal around the spigot that came with the cooler. If you aren't going to use it, then you will probably need to go to 1/2" fittings and a silicone seal.

 

[BrianP]

Flyguy,

One trip to HD and a 10gal MLT will be mine. And an immersion chiller.

Thanks again for the original post and for the quick follow-up.

 

[RadicalEd]

Does the same general parts list work for the rectangular coolers? Or do you need to change the valve size and/or some of the parts list? I'm not seeing the round coolers that much, just round 5's and rectangular 10's.

Mostly, yes. I did need to get a larger nipple; a 2" would be about perfect if you can find it, but I just put mine together with a 2.5" (it's the closest they had) and used a few rubber grommits as spacers between washers. They make the whole assembly just slightly compressible, so if you wrench it in there good there's quite a bit of force holding it in place .

I can post a pic if you like.

Two of my brass parts don't seem to like each other, though; they are leaking at a rate of about 1 drop a minute (with a full cooler), but I wrenched them together so hard I can't get them apart . Can I just toss some epoxy on there and call it a day? I would have really like to just sweated the pipes together, but apparently plastic and blow torches don't agree .

 

[BrianP]

Thanks for the info about the adjustments for the rectangular coolers.

I lucked out and found a 10g round one at HomeDepot on clearance for $40.

If you're looking for one, now is as good a time as any. Supplies are limited - I grabbed the last one at my store. They're on clearance so they'll be gone until next spring (at HD at least).

 

[miatawnt2b]

I have a couple (possibly noob) questions about this setup. How long does the wort take to drain? I would think that the stainless mesh would plug easily, so how do you prevent stuck sparges?

Thanks
-J

 

[JeffNYC]

I've used a SS braid for many batches and have never had a stuck sparge. Someone made a good point that the SS braid actually has less chance of a stuck sparge as it promotes channeling, which is not a big issue for batch sparge anyway.

 

[Kayos]

Drined 5 gallons in 10 lbs. grain in about 5 minutes yesterday. If it plugs, just take your hand and cup it around the drain tubing and blow. Did this once yesterday and worked like a charm. BTW....first AG yesterday with this setup and got 80%!!!


Wanted to give FlyGuy another shoutout. He helped me along the way immensely. From this thread, to PM's about my MLT to worried Brewsmith ?'s and PM's during my first AG.

Great Guy Award goes to him.

 

[jfrizzell]

Well, it looks like I'm going to make the leap to all grain. I picked up a 5 gallon Rubbermaid cooler at Walmart for $16. I don't have any immediate plans for anything particularly high gravity so a 5 gallon MLT will work for me. If down the road I decide to upgrade to a 10 gallon cooler, I can always use this as a HLT.

I think I'm going to brew Dude's Boulevard Wheat recipe for my first all grain batch.

Now I just need to find a good deal on a turkey fryer with a large pot.

Can't wait to try my first all grain batch!

 

[aekdbbop]

ok, i got pissed off at my cooler because it was leaking.. so i just caulked the hell out of the outside. Shouldnt effect anything thing, right.. i have 2 hours to dry, then i will try again.

 

[FlyGuy]

ok, i got pissed off at my cooler because it was leaking.. so i just caulked the hell out of the outside. Shouldnt effect anything thing, right.. i have 2 hours to dry, then i will try again.

Which cooler did you end up using? It may depend on your setup, but often you have to get JUSSSTTTT the right amount of tightening to get the bulkhead sealed. Under-tighten or over-tighten, and they will leak.

The caulking should help, but the best thing to use would be food grade silicone. Also make sure that you sealed the whole bulkhead, otherwise you could get wort leaking into the cooler (i.e., seepage into the space between the inner and outer cooler walls).

 

[aekdbbop]

i think it was an igloo.. it didnt really have any markings on it.. but thats what it looked like..thanks for the tip about the space between the cooler.. if i ruin it, it was free.. and i can just use the hardware for a new cooler..

 

[aekdbbop]

Cool, I went to HD and bought two 5/8" rubber washers, and they worked great with my Igloo cooler. No leaks! Thanks to ohiobrewtus.

 

[ohiobrewtus]

Cool, I went to HD and bought two 5/8" rubber washers, and they worked great with my Igloo cooler. No leaks! Thanks to ohiobrewtus.

Glad I could help and that the rubber washer worked for you! :rockin:

 

[Philip1993]

I do have one concern. When you cut the SS braid are you cutting the braid material itself or the metal fitting on the end of the braid? I had always heard that cutting SS is bad, that where you cut can and will corrode.

AFAIK, rust after machining/cutting SS results from metal from the cutting tool being embedded into the SS. Cutting with an abrasive disk should not present such problems. Even if you used a hacksaw (and it worked), the surface area of the cut wires is tiny and not likely to harbor much oxidable metal.

 

[BrianP]

I finally got the 5/8" SS washer (from a local specialty fastener store) and built my 10 gal MLT.

My first attempt at assembly resulted in a very minor leak. Then I tried a 5/8" neoprene washer inside and outside per ohiobrewtus' suggestion. Perfection. :rockin:

I also knocked out an immersion chiller of 50' of 3/8" copper while waiting to see if the MLT would leak. My first AG brew day is coming soon!

Thanks again for the great post.

 

[2ndstorey]

Has anybody using the slotted hose inside the steel braid run into stuck sparges? I cut so many V's into the hose I was worried about its structural integrity. when I spargedd the frist time I thought it was slow because of the pound of oats. The slow sparge eventaully trickled to a stop. The next batch was the exact same minus the oats. Same thing. The 3rd batch I got the same thing but I ended up dumping the mash into my kettle and removing the internal hose. I reconnected the braid, dumped the mash back in, let it settle, and vourlaufed perfectly. I couldn't wait to throw that vinyl away.
Sorry for the vent.

 

[BrianP]

When i tried cutting slots with my SHARP chef knife, i thought i was going to lose a digit. I ended up skipping that. Instead I cut off two 1" sections, inserted them over the barbs, but the braid over, and clinched w/ nylon ties. The vinyl gives it something to grip, but I left the braid empty.

By the way, I replaced the cap on the free end with another barbed connection and a threaded cap. The added weight helps keep if from floating.

 

[trainfever]

I am a newbie at all this brewing stuff so please forgive my ignorance but what is it and what is it used for? I have a 10 gallon cooler in my garage that I tried to donate to local peewee football teams but no one wanted it, its like new. Anyway, after seeing it used in this thread, I thought I may finally have a use for it if I could find out what it is?

 

[Orfy]

I am a newbie at all this brewing stuff so please forgive my ignorance but what is it and what is it used for? I have a 10 gallon cooler in my garage that I tried to donate to local peewee football teams but no one wanted it, its like new. Anyway, after seeing it used in this thread, I thought I may finally have a use for it if I could find out what it is?

It's a mash/lauter tun.

www.howtobrew.com
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
http://images.google.co.uk/images?q...GB:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi

Used to turn the starch in the grain into sugar and then rinse it from the grain. Producing sweet wort

 

[trainfever]

Ok, thanks. Now whats a mash/lauter tun?

 

[Kayos]

Instead of extract, you make your own. Buy crushed whole grains and soak them at a precise temp to make your own wort. Like the big boys.

Look up "all grain brewing". There is a wealth of info.

 

[trainfever]

It seems like I may have done that with my first batch. It is a Belgian White Ale. I first had to steep some gound oats for an hour and then add the LME and the DME into the mixture. This was all done in my brewpot though and I still havent figured out where the cooler comes in but Ill keep looking.