Rubbermaid 10 Gallon Cooler MLT Conversion

[ctb6760]

I'm in the market to start getting everything together for all-grain. I have decided that I want to use a 10 gallon round cooler for my MLT. I have seen people using the 3/8" ball valve and parts but I want to try and stick with all 1/2" parts. I was wondering whether people have done this with this cooler and if you have did you have to drill out the hole any more?

Just looking for some advice so I don't screw it up the first time

Thanks in advance

Connor

 

[Crazytwoknobs]

Found the thread here.

Should point you in the right direction.

I did mine in a 5gal cooler, and I didn't have to drill or anything, but a larger diameter ID pipe would require a larger hole, and I'm sure you could just drill it or even grind it with a dremel... Just be careful.

Bargainfittings.com has a sort of kit available.

 

[ctb6760]

Thanks. I have looked at that thread before and they use 3/8" pieces. I know that 3/8"
will work, I just wanted to see if anyone has used 1/2" and if it has worked

 

[Rippt530]

I did mine exactly the same as the linked post with 3/8 all around. It was my first build I didn't need to run back to the hardware store.

Do you think there will be any benefit to 1/2, as in a sparge, I don't look for speed. "How to brew" lists 1qt/min and I can grab this easily with just the 90 degree ball valve and some bazooka screen.

If there is any reason you can think of that makes it beneficial, I'll be the first one with a step drill and brass fittings though.

 

[Lost Pirate]

If your using an Igloo cooler the 1/2 inch fittings fit just fine. You just need to pull out rubber gasket thats in the hole.

 

[ctb6760]

If your using an Igloo cooler the 1/2 inch fittings fit just fine. You just need to pull out rubber gasket thats in the hole.

Thanks just the news I wanted to hear.

Rippt530 - I am planning on eventually going to a HERMS system so I want to try an keep it all 1/2". I don't think there it really an advantage for sparging for going 1/2" but I think it will make it easier for me with using pumps and the HERMS set up eventually.

 

[BendBrewer]

I built mine with a 3/8". Now that I have a stand and pump I thought about changing it out to 1/2" but the 3/8" works just fine. Either way.

 

[BrentM]

I just bought my 10 gallon HD Rubbermaid cooler and a couple of parts, the 1/2" threaded hose barb fits just fine through the existing hole see pic below. the seal that comes with the spigot will not work with the 1/2" nipple without modification. Not sure what I am going to do, o-ring may work, probably try to modify the factory seal or I may change to 3/8" if it leaks.

 

[ctb6760]

Thanks Brent. That is what I'm planning on doing. Check this out. http://www.bargainfittings.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=36_42&product_id=105 It may be what you are looking for. Not sure what their shipping to HI is but it may be worth it to check it out.

 

[Rippt530]

I'm months out from doing any system like that, but this is good info that I will need to go 1/2 in. for compatability to pumps etc.
Guess I know what I need to do to get these setup. Now I don't know if I want to remod mine, or to start fresh and sell this one off to a friend.

 

[MrStrangeBrew]

Thanks. I have looked at that thread before and they use 3/8" pieces. I know that 3/8"
will work, I just wanted to see if anyone has used 1/2" and if it has worked

i did mine with 1/2 inch its fine. no drilling. got stuff from northern brewer

 

[ctb6760]

Great, Thanks StrangeBrew

 

[SEABrewer]

I'm just at the beginning of thinking of maybe trying all grain (is that vague enough? ), so apologies in advance if this is a silly question, but is the desire to go to 1/2" just a personal choice or is there some distinct advantage over 3/8"? Either from a volume/flow perspective or hooking up to other equipment (e.g. pumps) or maybe something else?

Thanks!

 

[MrStrangeBrew]

Great, Thanks StrangeBrew

np. i went stainless too

 

[topend]

I did. It works. I have a 10 gallon Rubbermaid fitted with 1/2" plumbing, no drilling, no modifications. If you need more details on how to make it work, just let me know.

 

[ctb6760]

Yeah there is just some appeal to stainless haha

I'm just at the beginning of thinking of maybe trying all grain (is that vague enough? ), so apologies in advance if this is a silly question, but is the desire to go to 1/2" just a personal choice or is there some distinct advantage over 3/8"? Either from a volume/flow perspective or hooking up to other equipment (e.g. pumps) or maybe something else?

Thanks!

For me it is just a personal choice. Down the road I want to incorporate pumps and the less I have to spend on switching out fittings the better. I know not all pumps are 1/2" but the one I plan on using will be. There would be some advantage to flow rate with the larger diameter but I'm not really worried about that right now.

 

[topend]

Oh, and I got all my stuff from the hardware store.

 

[ctb6760]

I did. It works. I have a 10 gallon Rubbermaid fitted with 1/2" plumbing, no drilling, no modifications. If you need more details on how to make it work, just let me know.

Thanks. I think I should be ok once i get the parts but if I have any questions I'll ask.

 

[ctb6760]

Did you guys use 1" or 1.5" nipples to go through the wall

 

[topend]

1.5".

 

[topend]

Use flat washers to snug it up as needed.

 

[Patirck]

I did this about a year ago with the exact HD 10 gallon cooler. I chased parts around for probably 8 or 10 trips and had to "make it work". It does work but if I had to do it over again I would just order it from bargain fittings and be done with it. I did this for my HLT just last week and everything fit perfectly and is a little better quality than the local HD/Lowes/Local place fittings I mashed together.

 

[ctb6760]

Well I purchased the 10 gallon cooler today. I went to Home Depot yesterday and had no luck. So I went online to see if Lowe's had it and some checking around here and saw that Lowe's has price matching and will take 10% off. So went to Lowe's, got a price match with a 10% discount (Lowe's didn't need to know HD didn't have it right now), and got the cooler. Also ordered the parts for the valve and everything from bargainfittings.com. I have been looking at it for a while and like how the parts looks and the reviews people have given them. Hope to see the parts early next week and get it all together. I'll post pics then.

 

[BrentM]

Thanks Brent. That is what I'm planning on doing. Check this out. http://www.bargainfittings.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=36_42&product_id=105 It may be what you are looking for. Not sure what their shipping to HI is but it may be worth it to check it out.

I looked at bargianfittings, but shipping to Hawaii sucks and I'm not that patient. I got all my parts at the hardware store, had to use a 3/8 nipple and a reducer to my 1/2" valve since I couldn't get the inside barb fitting in 1/2" or find a 3/8" valve. its all assembled, leak tested and ready for the first batch tomorrow.

Check out the pics:

 

[ctb6760]

Looks great. Good luck on the first batch.

 

[ctb6760]

i got all the pieces from bargainfittings today. Great shipping those guys have ordered the stuff late Friday and got it this afternoon. I'll get pictures up tomorrow. It looks great and sat with hot tap water for about 30 mins with no leaks!!

 

[Opivy]

is a 10 gallon really necesarry for 5 gallon batches?

It seems like more heat would be lost with it being that alrge.

 

[jafo28]

10 gallon will allow you to do bigger beers. With the five gallon your probably going to be limited to 1.060 maybe a little higher, plus if you decide to goto ten gallon batches it will still work. Using a five gal. you can only use about 12.5 lbs. of grain with 1.25qt ratio. Check out this link, scroll down to "can I mash it".
http://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml

 

[ctb6760]

I plan on going to 10 gallon batches and figured I'd just make one purchase the first time rather than go buy another one when I go bigger.

 

[ctb6760]

So I got all the pieces put together. Leak tested it yesterday and its holding good. No leaks. Here are some pics.

Here's the cooler just purchased

Sorry for the blurry picture but this is the pieces that I used that I got from bargainfittings.com (from right to left) :
- 1/2" NPT Street 90 Elbow
- 1/2" SS Camlock F style
- 1/2" SS Camlock B style
- 1/2" SS 2-piece ball valve
- 1.5" SS Nipple
- 2 SS Flat washers
- Silicone O-ring
- Lock Nut
- 1/2" Female NPT X 1/2" Hose Barb

Inside the mash tun ... just need the false bottom now

All assembled and working great.

 

[MrStrangeBrew]

let me know where you find false bottom. i have false bottom with 3/8 outlet. looking for one with 1/2 outlet

 

[trl2112]

So I got all the pieces put together. Leak tested it yesterday and its holding good. No leaks. Here are some pics.

Sorry for the blurry picture but this is the pieces that I used that I got from bargainfittings.com (from right to left) :
- 1/2" NPT Street 90 Elbow
- 1/2" SS Camlock F style
- 1/2" SS Camlock B style
- 1/2" SS 2-piece ball valve
- 1.5" SS Nipple
- 2 SS Flat washers
- Silicone O-ring
- Lock Nut
- 1/2" Female NPT X 1/2" Hose Barb

All assembled and working great.

So did you piece this together yourself or buy the cooler kit? If so did you get the soldered bulk head kit?

I got the same cooler from Lowes price match from HD + an extra 10% off and a nice color red. My false bottom should be delivered tomorrow. I took advantage of morebeer $10 coupon they had last week. They were 1 of the only vendor that had the 12" FB in stock. It seams to be sold out everywhere even my LHBS.

 

[ctb6760]

I got the cooler kit with 1.5" nipple. I checked to see if piecing it together was cheaper but it is cheaper getting the kit and they just took $2 off today. And no i didn't get the soldered kit, I don't think that it is long enough to go through the cooler and put everything on it.

What size false bottom/barb fitting did you get, 12" with the 3/8" barb?

 

[trl2112]

It's 3/8" barb on the FB. I talked with bargainfittings requesting 1/2" Female NPT X 3/8" hose barb, he said he could probably source it for me but suggested heating the 3/8" and stretch it over the 1/2" barb fitting.

I have not made a decision on which way to go yet.

 

[ctb6760]

Yeah thats what I did so far. Don't have the false bottom yet but I got the 3/8" tubing for it. You don't even need to heat it up to put over the 1/2" barb, its a snug fit.

 

[MrStrangeBrew]

I got the cooler kit with 1.5" nipple. I checked to see if piecing it together was cheaper but it is cheaper getting the kit and they just took $2 off today. And no i didn't get the soldered kit, I don't think that it is long enough to go through the cooler and put everything on it.

What size false bottom/barb fitting did you get, 12" with the 3/8" barb?

yeah 12'' with 3/8 brass hose barb. and then i have 1/2 MPT x 3/8 barb fitting going into my ball valve. but i want to have 1/2'' on false bottom and on ball valve. so you have 1/2 barb fitting on valve and are going to have 3/8 barb on FB? and your goin to use 3/8 tubing to connect the 2 of them?

 

[ctb6760]

Yup. As of right now I have 1/2" barb going into the valve and 3/8" tubing going to 3/8" barb on the FB. I haven't gotten the FB yet so if I find one with 1/2" i will get that, but so far all I have found is 3/8" so I'm probably going to go with that unless I find 1/2".

 

[MrStrangeBrew]

Yup. As of right now I have 1/2" barb going into the valve and 3/8" tubing going to 3/8" barb on the FB. I haven't gotten the FB yet so if I find one with 1/2" i will get that, but so far all I have found is 3/8" so I'm probably going to go with that unless I find 1/2".

cool. i got FB from northern brewer and the thing sucks. doesnt even sit flush on the bottom of my cooler. probably just going to end up with using braided hose. cheaper and seems to be working for everyone else. or maybe ill try different place for FB.

 

[trl2112]

cool. i got FB from northern brewer and the thing sucks. doesnt even sit flush on the bottom of my cooler. probably just going to end up with using braided hose. cheaper and seems to be working for everyone else. or maybe ill try different place for FB.

Doing some research I will surround mine with siphon tubing slit down the middle to help the seal.

I found this:

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_33_82_449&products_id=12793

There is a nice install pix if you click the "Click to View Images" link. I could not get it to show-up well in the thread without some work.

 

[MrStrangeBrew]

Doing some research I will surround mine with siphon tubing slit down the middle to help the seal.

I found this:

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_33_82_449&products_id=12793

There is a nice install pix if you click the "Click to View Images" link. I could not get it to show-up well in the thread without some work.

very nice! only problem is mine is pretty bad not sure if this will be enough. but def worth a try thanks