Largest grain bill possible in a 10 gal cooler MLT?

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carliezdad

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I've been using a 10 gal pot with a rectangular cooler as a MLT to make 5 gal batches (batch sparge only). I have just come across an old 10 gal rubbermaid cooler and sanke keg. I am planning on making a keggle and using the 10 gal cooler as my mash tun with my current cooler as a HLT and start fly sparring for increases efficiency. What is the biggest grain bill that can effectively be mashed in a 10 gal rubbermaid cooler? Thanks for the help!
Cheers!
Carliezdad
 
24# at 1.25 quarts per pound will take 9.5 gallons of space, you could mash thicker and squeeze another pound or so in there, good luck. That is assuming no false bottom in the cooler.
 
jagg said:
24# at 1.25 quarts per pound will take 9.5 gallons of space, you could mash thicker and squeeze another pound or so in there, good luck.

Thanks! I'm really excited about moving up to 10 gal batches but don't want to dilute my wort to reach volume or extract tannins to get there either. Thanks again!
 
Given how thin I mash, "jagg"'s assessment is pretty close. I did the Founders Breakfast Stout clone in the recipes section, which is about 22# of fermentables, and the level of the mash was within 1/5" of the top. Couldn't hardly lift that sucker......

I use the Rubbermaid "big orange" cooler for an MLT, but of course how full it is depends not only on how big your grain bill is, but your mash ratio of water to grist.
 
I did a doppelbock last weekend and got 21# of grain in mine. I use Beersmith and didn't adjust quarts per pound so when I added my water it was barely touching the lid. Had to sparge a bit before I could do the mash out but everything came out ok. Next time I have to remember to adjust the software parameters.
 
This one had 28lbs grist in it, fly sparging will limit it more.

3572691457_e4b871aee6.jpg


Don't remember the water ratio. The picture is during one of the sparges. Copper manifold, 14lbs Hugh Baird brown malt, 14lbs pale, sparges were a little slow, not bad though. :mug:
Some notes on the batch: . . . ."the first runnings ended up with 1.072OG (5gals) and the second and third runnings ended up at 1.060OG (17gals). . . . . . It appears we got around 78% eff. . . . Needless to say we used all three keggles and utilized the 20gal fermentor for 2nd/third runnings."
 
In my 10 gallon round Igloo with a false bottom, I max out at 24 pounds. It's to the tippy top, and even a spoon going into it causes it to spill over a little. Ask me how I know..............:drunk:
 
Thanks for all the great replies! I am checking out the mash calculators now but am pretty sure I'll be using the 10 gal cooler as my MLT. I was concerned about loosing beer quality in switching up to 10 gal batches instead of the 5 I'm currently doing.
Carliezdad
 
a pink mash tun?

This one had 28lbs grist in it, fly sparging will limit it more.

3572691457_e4b871aee6.jpg


Don't remember the water ratio. The picture is during one of the sparges. Copper manifold, 14lbs Hugh Baird brown malt, 14lbs pale, sparges were a little slow, not bad though. :mug:
Some notes on the batch: . . . ."the first runnings ended up with 1.072OG (5gals) and the second and third runnings ended up at 1.060OG (17gals). . . . . . It appears we got around 78% eff. . . . Needless to say we used all three keggles and utilized the 20gal fermentor for 2nd/third runnings."
 
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