Mash Tun Size?

[REPO]

Looking to purchase an assembled Rubbermaid cooler mash tun. My plan is to make 5 gallon batches. Is a 5 gallon cooler big enough? Or do I need to get the 10 gallon one?

 

[TANSTAAFB]

5 gal will allow you to do average gravity brews (up to about 1.058) but not anything too big and won't let you move up to 10 gal batches. I think 11-14 pounds of grain is the max and that is one full tun. Go with the 10, you won't regret it.

 

[bajaedition]

I got a 5 gallon at first
then added a 10

spent money twice

anyway I use the 5 all the time, but for bigger beers I use the 10, 5 is easier to use and clean

in retrospect, I should have stayed with the 5 and not spent money on the 10, I can always add extract for a bigger beer

I do not do that many bigger beers

take it from there, if your target is beers over 1.050 a lot, get the 10

If not, flip a coin

 

[snowtires]

I do up to 1.060 in a 5 gallon run no problems with great efficiency and temperature control. But I have to batch sparge twice. If you fly sparg then no big deal but yeah about 13lb of grain is tip top full

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[REPO]

What do you guys consider big beers? I really don't ever expect to go up to 10 gallon batches........that is a lot of beer! I personally hope to do lots of smaller batches so I can try new recipes. I don't want to make batches bigger than I can drink fairly quickly. I would hate to be dumping beer thst went stale.

Edit: My brew pot is only 10 gallons..........

 

[TANSTAAFB]

Any 5gal batch over 1060 is going to be too big. I use my 5gal MLT for session beers, 10gal for everything else and the 5 becomes my HLT. I find value in my 5 and it is so much cheaper it is worth it to get started, but be on the lookout for a 10. I found both my coolers at thrift stores or yard sales and built them super cheap.

 

[MarcusKillion]

10 G is the thing . Never tried 5 but I like plenty of room . Squeezing stuff in just causes problems . What if you decide to brew a beer that takes more grain than your normal beer ? Just like the crapper room . you do not need a lot of room to crap but isn't it nice to have ?
Like others said . build your own and save money . No need to pay for them expensive way over priced false bottoms either . This is what I did and I never get stuck sparges mainly due to the addition of the nylon strainer bag over the filter instead of the screen https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f85/my-new-mash-tun-filter-376005/

 

[355Newell]

I'll second the 10 gallon. You could always split your grain bill in half and mash/sparge twice if you want a beer over 1.060, but just doing one mash in a 10 gallon would be a lot easier. I use my 10 gallon for mostly 11 gallon batches, unless I make a IIPA or some other high gravity beer I just do a 5.5 with it and it works great. Even if you only us a 10 gallon MLT for 5 gallon batches, you won't get much temperature drop.

 

[uatuba]

One thing to look at is that the less dead space there is, the less temperature loss you will have. I filled my 10 gallon lid with foam sealant, cover with a sleeping bag, etc. and still lose around 3-4 degrees in a 60 minute mash. I have not yet tried covering the mash water with a pizza pan or similar device to reduce the effect of the dead space, but that's next. I actually have both the 5 and 10 coolers but have not yet modified the 5 gallon version. I plan on doing it for my 5 gallon batches so that dead space will be reduced.

 

[LovesIPA]

What do you guys consider big beers? I really don't ever expect to go up to 10 gallon batches........that is a lot of beer! I personally hope to do lots of smaller batches so I can try new recipes. I don't want to make batches bigger than I can drink fairly quickly. I would hate to be dumping beer thst went stale.

Edit: My brew pot is only 10 gallons..........

When I started out, I thought the idea of brewing 10 gallon batches was absurd. I mean, what am I, an alcoholic?

Now I'm putting equipment together to do just that. I'm looking forward to being able to split the wort up and use different yeast strains or different dry hop schedules. I also don't have to brew as often. Maybe once or twice a month now.

Also - beer doesn't go stale.

 

[bajaedition]

big ber

I do a Scotch ale every year or 2

it starts with a initial gravity of 1.120, that is wine range

no way I could get that out of a 5 gallon tun
kinda hard in a 10 gallon tun

big beers is not batch size, it is OG size

 

[patthebrewer]

The short answer is yes....Actually I started out that way, and still have my five gallon tun I like to use it for low to med gravity 5 gallon batches. It's smaller and easier to clean than my 10 gallon.

For larger batches or higher gravity I think you'll need a larger vessel.

I would say up to 1.050 a five gallon tun is perfectly acceptable for five gallon batches

 

[REPO]

Thanks for all the recommendations guys. I went ahead and ordered the 10 gallon Igloo cooler. My parts & pieces are slowly coming together now. Should hopefully be brewing my first AG in a few weeks!

 

[snowtires]

Probably a good idea going with the 10

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[iijakii]

One thing to look at is that the less dead space there is, the less temperature loss you will have. I filled my 10 gallon lid with foam sealant, cover with a sleeping bag, etc. and still lose around 3-4 degrees in a 60 minute mash. I have not yet tried covering the mash water with a pizza pan or similar device to reduce the effect of the dead space, but that's next. I actually have both the 5 and 10 coolers but have not yet modified the 5 gallon version. I plan on doing it for my 5 gallon batches so that dead space will be reduced.

Do you preheat it?

 

[uatuba]

Do you preheat it?

Yep. And on 10 gallon batches, it works fine. But when there is a lot of space between the lid and the wort, I lose temperature. I also cannot feel any heat whatsoever on the outside of the cooler, even 30 minutes in.

 

[TANSTAAFB]

Try putting foil on top of the grain bed...or stop brewing outside in -10° weather!

 

[iijakii]

Yeah Ive never heard of anyone losing that much when preheating, even with headspace. Interesting.

 

[uatuba]

Try putting foil on top of the grain bed...or stop brewing outside in -10° weather!

Like I said...I'm looking for a good sized pizza pan that I can use for that very purpose. There is no heat at all on the outside walls of the cooler, so even if it were -10 degree weather, I don't think that would be the issue. However, the next time I see -10 degree weather in Alabama will be the first.

 

[TANSTAAFB]

Brother I brew in Southern Colorado where it gets colder than a witch's tit in a brass bra, and I might lose 2° during a 60 minute mash in my Igloo. You might have a bum tun