Question about mashtun

[tgeary76]

Would a rectangular 48Qt rectangular cooler work for 5 gal batch of beer if I wanted to start all grain recipes? I've noticed that many people go with the cylindrical coolers but I have a rectangular cooler that I could sacrifice to make a mash tun out of.

 

[rgauthier20420]

Any cooler can be DIY'ed into a mash tun :rockin:

You can make your drainage manifold out of a number of materials: CPVC, copper, a braided SS tube, etc. All you need is a bulk head and valve, a way to drain the sweet liquid, and a way to sparge it.

A quick google search should show a plethora of pictures and options to base the conversion on. Good luck!

 

[stpug]

Definitely!

 

[roastquake]

It wouldn't be a sacrifice but an upgrade!

 

[tgeary76]

Sweet! I have a new project on my hands. I'm still a beginner still but my new obsession, I mean hobby has got me thinking about home brewing non-stop. I also want to save some $ by going all grain so it's gonna be a win, win if the beer tastes better than extract.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I'm 90% sure that's what I used, size-wise. I wanted to go with a cylindrical, but couldn't find a 10 gallon one for reasonable prices. I had this old cooler lying around, and used that.

I made the copper pipe manifold, following the tutorial here on HBT, and cut slits into it (which was a royal PITA). I also had to drill the cooler for draining, since my cooler didn't have the drain already. But I've done 4 or 5 batches in it now, and it's working GREAT

 

[FreddyMar3]

Make sure you get one with a detachable lid (or just take the hinges off). emptying one of those suckers when it is full of wet grain is really cumbersome, especially if you brew by yourself. Also, get something to prop up the end without the bulkhead otherwise you will lose a ton of wort to dead space.

 

[tgeary76]

Ok, this may sound stupid but what is the bulkhead you speak of?

 

[freisste]

Prop up the side opposite the drain, so that you can drain more

 

[rgauthier20420]

Ok, this may sound stupid but what is the bulkhead you speak of?

This is the kit you'd need for the conversion. The bulk head is just the portion that screws in on the interior of the cooler. You'll need everything in the picture to do the conversion though.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003H83G94/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

You can do stainless or you can find all this stuff at a box store cheaper.

 

[brewcephus]

everything you need to make a mash tun in this thread right here. I just built my yesterday and found everything but the washers at Lowe's, had to go to Fastenal to get the washer's.

Works like a charm!

 

[BansheeRider]

everything you need to make a mash tun in this thread right here. I just built my yesterday and found everything but the washers at Lowe's, had to go to Fastenal to get the washer's.

Works like a charm!

I did that same conversion a couple days ago. A member here on this site is sending me custom washers he made, gotta love hbt. Anyways, the OP is trying to convert a different cooler. The thread you linked to possibly wouldn't work for his cooler. Although I referenced the same thread when converting my homedepot cooler.

 

[kombat]

Would a rectangular 48Qt rectangular cooler work for 5 gal batch of beer if I wanted to start all grain recipes?

It's ideal for 5 gallon all-grain batches. That's exactly what I use for my batches (although I have a 70 qt cooler I use for 10 gallon batches). It works wonderfully. I use a stainless bazooka screen inside as my filter.