New mash tun

[Dhm8484]

Hello all, I just got a 48qt igloo cooler for Christmas. I was wondering when I make the jump the all grain, if this is a big enough mash tun for doing 5 gallon batches? Basically what are my limitations with this size. Thanks is advance cheers

 

[ChelisHubby]

That will be fine even if you make a barley wine or a Ris. I will be using that size when I go to 10 gallon batches, but I like lighter beers 6% or less.

 

[RevKev]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=123585

First post look at the chart. That will have all the info you need

 

[Dhm8484]

The chart won't load on my phone lol

 

[Dhm8484]

I have read that I can do up to 1.070 beers with my 48 quart, I'm going to take a guess and say that og gravity?

 

[RevKev]

Here you go. Pain in the butt to get to when I have the app set to open every link.

View attachment 1482718982879.jpg

 

[Dhm8484]

Okay thanks alot, so if I'm reading it correctly, it should do most beers at 5 gallon batches, sorry kind of a newbie to the all grain world, have been extract brewing....If you don't ask questions you can't learn lol

 

[RevKev]

Oh don't be sorry! I BIAB, I just knew of that chart so I thought it would help you out. I think that any 5 gallon batch unless you want to do something crazy, then I would say just add some extract! Cheers man and props on going all grain I hope the ups and downs motivate you and you can get some great efficiencies out of it.

 

[LBF]

When I made the jump to all grain, I went in somewhat of a big way. I picked up a 15 gallon stainless kettle (Spike Brewing), 72 quart (IIRC) Coleman Extreme cooler (Walmart, used for mash tun), and a cheap 48 quart cooler for an HLT. I batch sparge with this setup and pieced together what I needed from a local plumbing supply house to make it all work. Seems to work pretty good, my dark Belgian recipe in a double batch form comes close to maxing out my capacity, it's somewhere in the 35-40# of grain range. I got inventive and gravity flow the system for now.

 

[Dhm8484]

Yea from what I'm reading and what people are saying the 48 quart should be well big enough for my 5 gallon batches. I'm just trying to figure out the parts I need for the ball valve and such

 

[LBF]

Forget the big box stores if you can for the parts. Remove the drain plug thats in the cooler (if it has one). They usually unscrew, sometimes it's hard getting a grip, but it's not really useful to you anyway. Take some measurements for the diameter of the hole and the thickness of the sidewall. IIRC, I ended up getting 1/2" pipe fittings. Ended up with stainless pipe and lead-free brass valves. Used stainless washers, a piece of thick cut gasket rubber stuff and some O rings to make the connection through the side. Inside I took a stainless braided supply line (make sure you get actual stainless braid, most of the braided lines at the box stores are nylon and useless for our purposes), cut the ends off and stripped off the braid, then used a hose barb fitting on one end and a PEX tubing plug on the other. A stainless bolt would work too. Outside got a hose barb after the ball valve. I'll have to look, I have some pictures and video around somewhere.

 

[IslandLizard]

Coolers make awesome mash/lauter tuns.

When you do your mash, have the strike water 4-6 °F higher than calculated. This is to compensate for the heat loss when the lid is off, while you're stirring. No calculator has a correction for that built in...

Before you put the lid on, cover your mash with a double layer of aluminum foil to keep more of the heat down. You can poke a few of small holes in it with your thermometer stem.