How much grain can I cram into a 10G igloo?

[mtbaesl]

So I was researching some big beers last night, and I saw an interesting recipe for a Strong Scottish Ale on Beersmith. It called for 26 lbs of grain. Which got me to thinking, could I even do that with the equipment that I have? I use a 10 G Igloo cooler as my mash-tun, would it fit? And what do you think is the highest I could go?

 

[Coastarine]

Use the can I mash it tool here Green Bay Rackers--Mash Calculators

 

[BigKahuna]

+1 for Green Bay Rackers. While you are there, go ahead and bookmark that page. I refer to it all the time!

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

On another note;

Even if the "Can I Mash it" calculator says you could get 92lbs of Grain in your 10 Gallon Igloo with .5qts/lb water what it won't tell you is

Can you sparge it?

Even 30lbs of grain is a lot of weight held in a tight column. Think about your false bottom, braid, or whatever you have in the bottom of the tun for wort collection and the effect of all that weight on it.

Will it collapse under the weight and heat?

I have had a dome stainless steel false bottom collapse under the weight of 30 pounds of grain in a Keggle. It ain't fun, let me tell ya'.

So, consider whether or not you can get any runnings from that much grain in your system because there is nothing worse than looking down onto 30 pounds of converted grain and not being able to get the wort out.

 

[mtbaesl]

Thanks for the info guys, looks like a nice website. And I don't want to even imagine a stuck sparge with 30 lbs of grain bed, I'd cry.

Mark

 

[jmulligan]

You should be OK. I mashed ~27 lbs in my 10 gallon Igloo for the 09-09-09 Barleywine (but it was TO THE BRIM). I had to collect runnings in two pots though, because my normal boil pot is only 9 gallons.

 

[humann_brewing]

I have a 10G round cooler too. I am using a false bottom and my first and only AG I had 14LB of grain which fit great, but I don't think I would want to go any higher than about 17-18LBs.

If I plan on going any higher than that I am going to have to get something like this:

Walmart.com: Coleman 70-Quart Xtreme Marine Cooler: Camping

70qt will give you 75% more room that you have now. They have a 100 and 150 qt size too if you want to do a double batch 52 lbs of grain :rockin:

 

[ghart999]

You could just go with 20lbs or so and then add some malt extract to make up the difference.

I have fit 26lbs in my 12 gallon igloo cooler at a 1.25qt/lb ratio. That is the absolute most I would ever do.

 

[Coastarine]

I'm about to finish up a 20.5lb partigyle brew. It was pretty full but I could easily fit more without even thinning the mash.

 

[henrychinaski]

26# at a 1 qt./# ratio is the max.

 

[carnevoodoo]

I have fit 26lbs in my 12 gallon igloo cooler at a 1.25qt/lb ratio. That is the absolute most I would ever do.

that's where I ended up too. 26 pounds was the limit.

 

[mattreba]

I just did 25 lbs @ 1.2 qt/lb in a 10 gal Rubbermaid bev cooler. I had a slight overflow when stirring but it was barely doable. Next time I'd do 1lb/qt, though. I batch sparge with a stainless braid though. No false bottom. Flyguy says 28 lbs @ 1lb/qt is the theoretical max using the 10 gal rubbermaid cooler.