Murphy visited me on brewday

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bigbellybrewery

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I have spent a couple of weeks converting 5 gallon AG equipment to 10 gallon. I converted a keggle including a brewmometer. Bought a 10g Rubbermade cooler on sale from ACE hardware. Transferred my false bottom from 5g cooler (1st mistake) to 10 gallon. Bought a new spigot for boil pot and added a Bazooka screen. Finished it off by building a 3 tier stand. Then Mr. Murphy kicked in.
1. Inside of cooler buckled when I preheated w/ 180d water. Nice size buckle, but it didn't crack.
2. Grain bill and mash-in would not fit in cooler (23lb/25qts)
3. Mash temp 2d short (adjusted with qt boiling water):ban:
4. Sparge stuck, really stuck. Blew CO2 in spigot. No help. After an 1hr I transferred all ingredients to boil pot and lautered back into cooler. Lost some grain and wort in process. Discovered reason for stuck sparge. Bottom of grain was very compressed. It almost looked like mud.
5. Boil went well.
6. Transferred into fermenter. Pushed airlock thru top.
Ended up 2 1/2 gallon short on final volume and missed OG by 9.
OH WELL

I am guessing that false bottom was too small and/or grain bill to large.
Northern brewer list 12 inch false bottom for 10g cooler. Local HBS uses 9inch for both 5g and 10g. Crush looked normal.

Suggestion for lautering using Rubbermade cooler?
 
Probably a bit late, but I have a 5 and a 10 gallon cooler used for lautering. I can fit about 12# in the 5 and about double that in the 10. I don't have a false bottom in either; I use a SS hose braid and it works great.
 
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