optimatored
Well-Known Member
How long will a Rubbermaid 10 Gal hold temp... question is about using one as a HLT. So I assume the water would need to be around 180ish. Thanks in advance.
Rubbermaid Cooler, Holding Temp
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Mischief_Brewing
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I've got the igloo 10-gallon and it holds temp really well for hour to hour and a half mashes. Mine's old and beaten too, but it still mashes perfectly.
As for the temp of the water for strike and sparge, you need to use a brewing calculator to figure that out since it's based upon a lot of variables (grain bill in weight, temp of grain, target temp, thermal mass of MLT, etc.)... I've never determined the thermal mass of the cooler, but still nail my mash temps within 1 degree...
As for the temp of the water for strike and sparge, you need to use a brewing calculator to figure that out since it's based upon a lot of variables (grain bill in weight, temp of grain, target temp, thermal mass of MLT, etc.)... I've never determined the thermal mass of the cooler, but still nail my mash temps within 1 degree...
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optimatored
Well-Known Member
i guess what i meaning is... can a cooler hold the temp of 180 without an issue?
i am on a limited budget and have been putting together a all grain system for awhile now. my thoughts are to either use the cooler as my MT or a HLT. once I sell a few more items on ebay (i love ebay) i will be buying a 10-gal pot to replace my 6 gal pot.
just not sure what the better use of the cooler is... as a HLT or a MT.
i am on a limited budget and have been putting together a all grain system for awhile now. my thoughts are to either use the cooler as my MT or a HLT. once I sell a few more items on ebay (i love ebay) i will be buying a 10-gal pot to replace my 6 gal pot.
just not sure what the better use of the cooler is... as a HLT or a MT.
Mischief_Brewing
Well-Known Member
The more common use for a cooler here would be a MLT, since it's easier to direct fire a pot for the HLT making it so you don't have to lift pots of super hot water and pour them into another vessel.
rockfish42
Well-Known Member
I have a two cooler+keggle setup and use the coolers for both MLT and HLT. My only gripe is for some 10 gallon batches with long boils is that I'm lifting 9+ gallons of 180 degree water up a ladder. I guess I should buy a pump as budget allows.
shortyjacobs
Well-Known Member
Yes
Both. I know brewers who do this, works just fine. Know that you'll lose some heat, a few degrees an hour, in your HLT, but it will take the hot water just fine.
Word of caution on the 10 Gallon coolers - the lid is not always insulated. It is nothing that a drill and a can of Great Stuff won't take care of for you though. Both my HLT and MLT hold their temps for a long, long time now.
i will say that my cooler ( and i have read others had a similar issue) warps at 180. Below that it seems to be okay, but it creates a bulge in the cooler. Still works perfectly fine though. The sparging part is not the issue, it is adding water to it and then letting it come to the right temp and then adding the grains.
Just my experience. YMMV.
Just my experience. YMMV.
My 10 gal Rubbermaid made a pop and then a 3 inch buldge the first time I used it, but hasn't been an issue. It will hold 150 temps for over an hour with 1-2 degree drop at most.
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optimatored
Well-Known Member
Thanks all, just what I was looking for! 
Got Trub?
Well-Known Member
Yes, but over time the plastic will blister. No effect on function though so just keep using it. My first mash tun finally became too brittle and cracked around the spigot. It was 20+ years old and had mashed 100's of batches.
If budget is limited get one cooler and make a MLT, use your boil kettle to heat sparge water (ie as your HLT) and collect your runnings into a bucket.
GT
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optimatored
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