How much grain in a 10 gal MLT?

[JuanMoore]

I'm using a 10 gal rubbermaid cooler as an MLT, and I have a large (60 quart) brew kettle. I like higher gravity beers, and have been brewing mostly 5 gal batches so far. I'm thinking that I could do 10 gal batches of higher gravity beers by maxing out the MLT capacity, and then adding some extract to bring the gravity up. Does anyone have an idea of how much grain I might be able to comfortably mash in my MLT? I seem to recall a recent 5 gal batch using 18#'s of grain coming pretty close to filling the MLT, but I can't remember how close it was.

 

[amercuric]

You can comfortably mash at least 25 pounds of grain. It could be more but I know it's at least 25 pounds.

-edit: sticky says 24 pounds of grain, but my last batch was 23 pounds and I had room to spare.

 

[wildwest450]

There's a sticky that answers this question.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/how-big-your-mash-tun-needs-123585/

 

[AnOldUR]

Can I Mash It?

 

[Shay]

Can I Mash It?

I love the title of their calculator.

 

[Yooper]

I know that you can't do 26 pounds of grain with a false bottom in a 10 gallon Igloo cooler at 1.25 quarts/pound. The calculator said I could, but I found out that I couldn't in the middle of trying to mash in! But it'd be close with 24 pounds of grain, in a thick mash.

 

[Schwind]

26 lbs at 1.1 qt/lb had my cooler to the top. The very top. I have a SS braid instead of a false bottom.