I may have accidentally outgrown my MLT, PLZ help

[Wingless04]

I am currently using a 10 gal bevergage cooler as my MLT.

While visiting my LHBS to pick up random supplies i decided all of a sudden i wanted to brew something big. I hadn't come prepared, so i just chose their Imperial Stout recipe. The recipe uses 23.75 lb of grain for a 5 gal batch. With a water/grain ratio of 1.25 I'll need to mash with nearly 7.5 gallons.

Can anyone see this fitting in a 10 gal beverage cooler?

Ordering a 15 gal mash tun is not completely out of the question, but i don't want order if it's not necessary.

 

[HVBrewtality]

Just doing a quick look on BeerSmith:

23.75lbs of grain, 7.5 gallons of water for infusion; you will use 9.36 gallons of tun volume.
So, no mash-out, but you'll fit

 

[Yooper]

I have a round Igloo cooler with a false bottom. I max out at about 23 pounds of grain. It fits, but right to the tippy top!

 

[Teromous]

Maybe you could do 2 mashes? It would be a long brew day

 

[Golddiggie]

Or just mash with as much water as you can fit with the grain in there. You can always add the balance to the sparge, even if you need to sparge more than once...

 

[skeeordye11]

Mash thick if you have to. And here's the calculator that I use:
http://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml (Can I mash it?)

 

[Wingless04]

Wow, ok thanks for the info. I'll be ordering a 15 gal stainless MT from homebrewstuff today. Hopefully it gets here by next weekend. If not then i may mash thicker and use more sparge water. The recipe says to try and collect around 9 gallons and boil down. It's gonna be a long brew day!