How Big is Sufficient?

[Grimsawyer]

HAIL ALL!!! I want to buy a couple coolers soon so I can do some AG brewing. Looking at the 666 recepie AG would be SO much cheaper than extract. I mean, one pound of this, 6 of that.... I can't get certain denominations like that without spending $5 on one pound and $12.95 on 3Lbs.... So screw it. With recepies like that, and others some friends have suggested, AG is the way to go. The big question is which cooler to get. I know the IGLOO 10 gal coolers aren't going to work for me. My buddy frequently brews with me. Splitting 5 gallons SUX!! you end up with 27 or so beers, which just dosn't last long enough, so I need to be able to do 10 gallon batches. 5 gallon igloo coolers, from what I have read, work GREAT for lower grav beers but just can't handle the grain bill of a higher gravity beer. So for a 10 gallon batch in a 10 gallon cooler I'd have the same problem. At the same time I want the option to do a 5 gallon batch. Yes, I want to have my cake and eat it too. Would a 48 Quart cooler do the trick for higher grav 10 gallon batches and a 5% abv 5 gallon batch at the same time or am I out of luck? Would a (can't remember who makes them) a Ice Cube cooler (it is a tall square shape) be more what i'm looking for, or would that make the grain bed too deep on a 10 gallon batch? Also, should I be looking for a cooler with a Drain Hole in it or should I drill my own hole? Eventhough coolers are relatively cheap, I don't want to buy 3 or 4 to figure out what I really want. Man, that's like 6-8 batches of brew!!! more if they are wimpy girly beers!!! (cause ya gotta keep the woman happy.... *sigh*) How big of a cooler does it sound like I need? 48 Quart 52? Help, somebody please. So many coolers, so little time!

 

[cweston]

To do 10 gallon batches, you'd need a cooler with a minimum of 10 gallons capacity, I'd say. (A ten gallon cooler would allow you to mash up to about 24-25 lbs of grain, which at 70% efficiency gets you a 1.060 beer).

If it were me, I'd go a little bigger than that. I use an 8.5 gal cooler for my 5-6 gallon batches and that seems just about right.

 

[Glibbidy]

I have been plagued with some of these issues since I migrated to 10 gallons at the start of this year. In light of recent discoveries in my brew lab, here is what I have come up with.

I enjoy around 55-70% efficency, which I am still dialing in.
My mash tun is rectangular and holds 45 quarts or 45 liters.
The most malt that I can jam in it is 28 lbs or 12.7 kilos
The maximum amount of H20 I can thow in the mash is 8.75 gallons or 33.11 ltrs.
The max gravity I can achieve in the mash is around ~1.060. with a 60 minute lauter.

I realize it's not the most efficient brewery, but fortunately I have an endless supply of inexpensive malt to throw at my wort. It will probably be a few more batches til it is totally dialed. I'm on the fence about continuing using DME to boost the gravity for my bigger beers or migrating to a 96 quart mash tun.

 

[Blender]

Get a 52 quart. I have one and it works fine for 5 gallon batches and would easily take twice the amount that I usually use which is 12-13 lbs. I batch sparge and set mine up like Denny Conn did on this site.>http://www.hbd.org/cascade/dennybrew/
A lot of brewers use the Ice Cube or a Coleman Extreme.I would also get one with a drain hole. The mini keg bung fit perfectly and held 3\8" tubing without a leak. It took 5 minutes to install.

One thing that you should also consider is purchasing a good grain mill. I just did my first batch using mine and extraction went up considerably. You can then purchase 55# bags of grain which will lower your costs.