Is my new mash tun big enough?

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Reno_eNVy

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Hello HBT, this is my first post after reading through a large chunk of the forums. I used to work at BJ's Brewery in Reno (the biggest one in the chain) and I've been partial-grain brewing for about 2 years now and have come up with some REALLY good brew (stout, wit, oktoberfest.) But I deemed it time to move up to AG.

I built my mash tun using FlyGuy's "Cheap & Easy 10 Gallon Rubbermaid MLT Conversion." Hooooowever I was stupid and didn't realize until I got home that my rubbermaid cooler is 5 gallon. Is that too small, even if I do two fly sparges instead of mash-out? (I read that was good for efficiency)

Thanks for any help
 
Oh my bad. Yeah, I'm doing 5 gallon batches, going to use a simple fly-sparge method.

I'm just worried that if I have a 12lb grain bill (making a chocolate oatmeal stout) if I can keep the water to grain ratio really low for the protein rest so I have enough room to raise the temp enough to 153.
 
Well I dont really have an answer to your question but welcome to HBT from a fellow renoite
 
Did you already make a HLT?

Maybe make the 5 gallon into an HLT and buy a 10 gallon and put your stuff in there to make it a MLT.
 
A 5g cooler is big enough for 12 lbs grain, a mash out, and a fly sparge, providing you do a thick mash (1 qt per lb). It is probable that you could mash thinner than that, but I've never tried it.
I'm not sure how you would do two fly sparges.

-a.
 
My guess is you mean BATCH SPARGE not Fly. A batch Sparge is where you dump half your sparge water in, stir the crap out of it, lit it sit and drain, then repeat. Fly sparge is where you run water in very slowly at the same time as you run water out.

And ya, your 5 gallon tun will work for all but very big beers. 12# of grain with a proper 1.25 qt/# mash thickness will use 4.7 gallons of space leaving just enough room for the lid to set on there. If you go more than that, you'll want to use less water (some challenges there) or you'll need a bigger cooler.

Having said all of that...I use a 5 gallon and it works just fine.
 
Welcome aboard!!

I have a 5 gal igloo, and I can cram up to 12 lbs of grain in it for a 5 gal batch. For my batches of 10lbs or less, I even have room for a proper mashout, which makes a 4% efficiency difference for my fly sparge.
 
+1 on using it for now on smaller beers, and using it as a HLT when/if you want to make bigger beers or 10 gallon batches.
 
And ya, your 5 gallon tun will work for all but very big beers. 12# of grain with a proper 1.25 qt/# mash thickness will use 4.7 gallons of space leaving just enough room for the lid to set on there. If you go more than that, you'll want to use less water (some challenges there) or you'll need a bigger cooler.

Having said all of that...I use a 5 gallon and it works just fine.

What's so improper about anything other than 1.25 qt / lb?
Papazian suggests 1 qt per lb.
Palmer suggests 1.5 qt per lb
Daniels recommends 1 qt per lb for the sort of brews I make.
Do you know something relevant that they don't?

Perhaps you could explain what challenges are involved in using less water?
I don't have any problems, but that's probably because I've done it.

I can't get an OG of more than about 1.075 for a 5g batch out of my 5g cooler. That's bigger than average, but it hardly qualifies as very big.

How do you sparge? I wouldn't try batch sparging anything greater than about a 1.050 OG, not because it can't be done, but because fly sparging is easier and quicker because of the limited space in the MLT.

-a.
 
Perhaps you could explain what challenges are involved in using less water?
I don't have any problems, but that's probably because I've done it.
K, First...Step Off, or use the effen smiles! If you are insinuating that I don't brew, Get Bent! If you are trying to be an advocate of a thicker mash, try a little less attitude....I'm willing to try anything twice.

Papazian suggests 1 qt per lb.
Palmer suggests 1.5 qt per lb
Daniels recommends 1 qt per lb for the sort of brews I make.
Do you know something relevant that they don't?
Sometimes the answer that doesn't make anyone happy...is the correct answer. For me, I like the "Feel" of a 1.25 Qt/# mash. IF you use a false bottom...or have some extra dead space at the bottom of your manifold, you'll actually experience an excessively dry mash. Does that mean that you can't use a QT/#? Absolutely NOT! but it does need to be a conscious decision.
In extreme cases, an extreme thick mash will prevent the enzymes from swimming around and converting all the starches....Sufficient stirring can help mitigate this. An extreme watery mash will be TOO MUCH volume, and the enzymes will swim around plenty, but they will not come into contact with enough starches to convert. Same reason as you couldn't mash in a swimming pool.

I can't get an OG of more than about 1.075 for a 5g batch out of my 5g cooler.

Using 1 qt per batch, 14# of grain, and 74% eff, you'd get about 1.076 and use up a nice 4.6 Gallons of volume....So YES, You're pushing it trying anything higher.
I'm not saying you're wrong here. Yes! You have a LIMITED range with a 5 gallon Mash tun, and you'll need to be aware of the down sides...but it IS totally a workable solution...especially for those with limited funds or space.
I'm not really sure where your frustration is coming from here, but there is not really any reason to cop an attitude. I think that if I've learned ANYTHING from HBT, it's that there are any number of ways to skin this cat! I don't think there is any reason to look down your nose at anyone for any reason. We are all here to exchange ideas and to brew the best beer we can in our brew houses, with the space, equipment, time, and budget that we get...and each of those items varies greatly between any one of us. The best we can do is offer our opinions, and accept that there is NOT a definitive answer to any of these questions.
 
BK +1 for that post
and fu for jabing my spelling
:) :):fro::D
see that shĩt that was 4 smiles big guy
ßєĕЯ
 
Mine thinks mabi We All done did maked up?

I sent ajf a cyber beer, and now that I know you're from OK, well ...that 'splains a lot!

We all one big happy drunk family again.:drunk:

Humph! Only 2... :confused:;)

How come in all the chest puffing hooha no one brought up the Green Bay Rackers "Can I mash it?" calculator. You imput your grainbill and it tells you how big of a cooler you need?

Green Bay Rackers--Mash Calculators

Scroll down to the third calculator...

:D
 
Wow, this is amazing. I've used other forums before and I have NEVER received this much feedback in such a short time. Thank you to all who contributed.

And even though it seems moot now, I did mean two batch sparges, not fly sparge... but I think I'll be doing the fly now.

And Green Bay Rackers calculator is awesome!
 
How important is it to have a 5gal cylinder cooler with a threaded lid when using it as a MLT?? Would a press on lid be alright??
 
Not making any recommendations...nor trying to contradict anyone...but mine is a press on lid, and I wouldn't change it.


I've never come across a cooler that had a threaded on lid in the 5-10 gallon size....my 2 gallon one for mini mashes has a screw on lid..But the type of lid doesnt really matter as long as heat is not escaping out of it...or not much anyway..no MLT is going to be perfect....but they all make beer.
 
I have a 10 gallon threaded lid. The damn thing lets a ****load of heat escape so I'm always throwing a blanket on top. If you can, grab the press on.
 
I have a 10 gallon threaded lid. The damn thing lets a ****load of heat escape so I'm always throwing a blanket on top. If you can, grab the press on.

Just a guess -- to be clear, I use rectangular coolers, not round ones -- but it's probably not the threads losing the heat .... it seems most of the lids are hollow plastic. I'd drill a couple holes from the top, and spray in some of that GreatStuff! (or other brand) expanding foam insulation. Then once it's dry, just carefully trim off any excess with a razor.

That being said, a blanket is always a great approach. I brew on my enclosed porch, and so I don't lose much temp when it's cold out.... but when I take my setup to friends' houses, I bring the spare blanket in with me from the truck, and wrap my MLT to make sure it stands a fightin' chance.
 
I don't know that it's hollow, but the plastic is fairly thin. That said, the heat is definitely escaping through the seam, no matter how hard I twist it. That spray stuff sounds cool, but I don't really want to have those chemicals come in contact with my beer. The blanket and sleeping bag combo are what I use for overnight mashes. Rarely do I lose more than 7 or 8 degrees.
 
I don't know that it's hollow, but the plastic is fairly thin. That said, the heat is definitely escaping through the seam, no matter how hard I twist it. That spray stuff sounds cool, but I don't really want to have those chemicals come in contact with my beer. The blanket and sleeping bag combo are what I use for overnight mashes. Rarely do I lose more than 7 or 8 degrees.

Oh no, there's no contact with the beer. You're just filling the inside of the lid with the foam, from the top, so even the steam doesn't contact the foam.

(That, or you have a different lid than I'm thinking of.)

But, as I said, the blanket is still great positive assurance.
 
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