HLT and MLT recommended sizes for 10 gallon batches

[tomwirsing]

I'm putting together my first brew rig and I'm looking for some advice. I'd like to be able to comfortably brew 10 gallon batches in a 3 tier gravity system. I have a regular short and wide 48 quart cooler I'd like to use for my HLT as the drain plug is broken, so it already has limited use as a cooler and I'd be taking the drain plug out anyways. I'm looking at a 48 qt Igloo Ice Cube or a 60 qt Igloo Ice Cube for my MLT. The 60 qt has a spout, the 48 does not. The spout in the 60 qt looks much higher than I'd like. I would be able to put the drain much closer to the bottom of the 48 qt and take advantage of a little divot on one side to really maximize my ability to drain without any tipping. Does it sound like either cooler would be adequate? Do you see any problems with a standard cooler shape for the HLT? Is there any reason the Ice Cube coolers would be inadequate?

 

[tenglert]

I made one out of the 60 qt Ice Cube a couple of weeks ago. I made a copper manifold with a dip tube from the drain to the manifold.

With no solder on any joints, it will suck the cooler dry. It works great.

Also the cooler can double as a fermentation chiller.

 

[wilserbrewer]

MLT size requirements will depend on your grain bill. 48 qt will be too small if you want to do a heavyweight 10 gal batch.

 

[Bobby_M]

I had a 48qt MLT for a long time and it worked out fine. It turned out that the batches I really wanted 10 gallons of were more the sessionable beers that maxed out at 1.060 OG. If I wanted to do some kind of imperial or barleywine, I really didn't need 10 gallons of it.

A 10gallon HLT is fine because you can heat strike and sparge water in separate batches and it's unlikely that either of those infusions will require more than 10 gallons.

 

[Brewmasters Warehouse]

I use a 10G Rubbermiad round cooler. I brew a lot of higher gravity IPAs, and the cooler is just not quite big enough for a 10 gallon batch. I find myself adjusting the mash thickness to fit everything inside of it. For brews 1.050 OG the cooler is fine, but 1.065 and above I seem to have to always adjust.

Ed