Two 5 gallon coolers?

[McCall St. Brewer]

I just came up with an idea. I wonder if it would work well.

I have a 5 gallon cooler with a false bottom for my mash tun and another one for sparge water. I have pretty much given up on fly sparging, though, in favor of batch sparging.

I have noticed that the 5 gallon cooler is just barely big enough for 12 pounds of grain (I know, I know, you can fit more in if you're really careful).

I don't really want to buy/build a bigger mash tun, but it just dawned on me that I could very easily and cheaply make my sparge water cooler into another 5 gallon mash tun.

That way, couldn't I just divide my grain in half and do my mashes in two coolers at once?

 

[malkore]

As long as you don't mind the extra work, sure.

I wonder if you could even do one half at a beta rest, and the other at an alpha rest (or at least different temps).

then again, I have been drinking tonite...

 

[ohiobrewtus]

I see no reason why you coudn't do that. It would add some twists, like making sure that your mash temps remain relatively equal over two coolers, but it's do-able.

 

[avidhomebrewer]

You could easily do what you brought up, but it would bring up more work. I have a 5 and a 10 gallon cooler, and have found that you can't get much more than 12# in the 5 gal. You bring up a good idea; try it and provide the results for the rest of us.