going ag with what i got

[hobbsj]

thinking of making the jump to AG but the wife doesn't want any more beer stuff around the house. i read about converting the 10 gallon coolers. all i have is a big box cooler that i shouldn't be taking apart. could i use that guy and use a really large grain bag or two? i realize i'll be holding the little button to drain the cooler for a while.

thanks

 

[wilserbrewer]

Removing the valve is about a 1 minute job, and sticking a braid through the cooler takes about 5 seconds. I would fashion a very basic lautering system w/ a braid before I bothered w/ a large grain bag. See link below for a simple type mash tun.

Simple All Grain Brewing - German Pilsner

 

[sweet_corn]

I use a 48 quart cooler and it has worked great. I did a cpvc manifold, but a braid would probably be equally effective.

 

[jldc]

thinking of making the jump to AG but the wife doesn't want any more beer stuff around the house. i read about converting the 10 gallon coolers. all i have is a big box cooler that i shouldn't be taking apart. could i use that guy and use a really large grain bag or two? i realize i'll be holding the little button to drain the cooler for a while.

thanks

You don't want to be holding the drain button while you're draining the 150 degree strike water (or the 170 degree sparge water). You can do the job just fine with a ball valve and a big grain bag instead of a braid or false bottom. The ball valve sticks out a bit, but wouldn't prevent you from using the cooler as a cooler as well as a mash tun.

 

[hobbsj]

You don't want to be holding the drain button while you're draining the 150 degree strike water (or the 170 degree sparge water). You can do the job just fine with a ball valve and a big grain bag instead of a braid or false bottom. The ball valve sticks out a bit, but wouldn't prevent you from using the cooler as a cooler as well as a mash tun.

perfect. my fear was loosing the cooler as a cooler.

 

[david_42]

I purchased a drain cock at the local RV store, as my cooler didn't have any kind of valve. Most of the time I use my VLGB and don't bother with the bazooka.

 

[Scooby_Brew]

You could brew AG without using a cooler. You simply mash in a cooking pot and then sparge in a bucket. You could use the bucket-in-a-bucket design or build a bucket with a manifold or braid line for lautering. How to Brew - By John Palmer - Getting the Most From the Grainbed

 

[Bobby_M]

I used my converted cooler MLT as a cooler for BBQ's and stuff, just remove the braid so it doesn't get crushed.

 

[gabeweisz]

I bought an ice cube cooler from Walmart for about $20 and converted it to a MLT. I fill it with ice water to use as a swamp cooler when not mashing in it, so it does not take up any extra space in the house - and I now have a way to keep fermentation temperatures lower.

 

[hobbsj]

So, another problem. My pot is only 5 gallons. Would it be effective to boil 4 gallons and put the other two (assuming pulling 6 from the grain bed) in another small pot to boil to kill any nasties and then use it as my topping off water?

 

[mattmcl]

I wouldn't suggest boiling 4 g in a 5 g pot, that doesn't leave a lot of room for expansion. Conceivable you could collect two 3-gallon batches of runoff though. Maybe store one in a plastic fermenter while you boil the other?

 

[IrregularPulse]

Splitting the biol would alter your Hop Utilization but could be corrected with some math. I am no help in that department though. She said no MORE equipment right? SO buy bigger pot, sell old smaller pot, still same amount of equipment.