New to AG: Is this cheap cooler worth getting?

[LiquidFlame]

First let me say sorry for posting this without really doing much research, but this sell ends soon. Menards has a sell on their 5 gallon cylinder type water coolers for $9.99 after rebate and I was trying to find out if I should get two of them (http://www.menards.com/main/outdoor/camping-hunting/5-gallon-menards-cooler/p-1705936-c-9474.htm).

Now, I've been doing extract brewing, but I want to get into all grain brewing and I'm currently reading up on it, but I don't really know much about it.

What I do know is
• I want to start small with 3 gallon batches.
• The largest I want to brew is 5 gallons.
• I don't want to be limited to the type of beer I want to brew.
• Liked to keep things cheap at first to see how I like doing all grain.

So with that, should I go pick up one or two of these coolers?

Thanks.

 

[1stTimer]

Personally I wold go with a 10 gallon one. I got mine at Home Depot for something like $20. I use it for 10 gallon batches and it all fit in. It was no problem with the 5 gallon batches. That way if you decide to brew a bigger batch you will already have the equipment. Only thing I would recommend with either purchase, is using spray foam to fill the lid. I was loosing 10 degrees in 60 mins before I did. Now I loose maybe 2.

 

[Malticulous]

I think even 10 is too small. My Coleman extreme 52 is perfect. With five you wont make any strong beers. For three gallons of regular gravity I just use a paint strainer.

 

[BeerDoctor5]

I have a Home Depot version of that 5 gal cooler that I use for my HLT. If you only want to start with small batches this would work fine and is easily convertible to a MLT. Go for it!

 

[lazycomet]

I also started with a 5 gal cooler of the same kind and converted it to a mash tun. Did a few batches with it and it worked fine. The one down-side is that there wasn't enough room to do a mash out, so I ended up buying the same 52 quart Coleman Extreme that Malticulous referred to. The 52 quart one works awesome! I then just started using the 5 gal cooler as my HLT.

So if you're just getting into all grain I'd say go for it because if you find you want to upgrade to a bigger cooler later you can always repurpose this one.

 

[SouthBay]

I think even 10 is too small. My Coleman extreme 52 is perfect. With five you wont make any strong beers. For three gallons of regular gravity I just use a paint strainer.

You can always spike the brew with dme to increase gravity if you want to make a big beer with a small cooler.

But, I agree. Go for a 48qt or bigger if you can find it cheap.

 

[Bobby_M]

The 60qt ice cube is $35 at Lowes:

Item #: 116152

I never converted one but I think a lot of people have.

 

[pelipen]

I use a 5 gallon because I had it collecting dust for years. As stated, mashout is tough. Double sparging puts me at the very top. 5 works, but 10 is better. For $9, it might be a good way to see if you like all grain. Go cheap with a house through a rubber stopper instead of a ball valve. You'll be all grain for under $20 including manifold.

 

[overdbus]

The first time you overflow it ,you'll know it's to small,
(ask me how i know)
10 gal minimum

 

[nukonamo]

Save your money. I use a 6.5 gallon bucket wrapped in a blanket. Not the prettiest thing but if works great and it is low cost.

 

[ButcherBoy]

Wrestled with this question myself a couple of months ago. Finally bought a 52 or 54 qt Coleman marine cooler and I love it, plenty of room for 10-12 lbs of grain + water with lots of room to stir, holds mash temps very well (loses 2 deg in an hour). If I move to 10 gal batches I don't have to upgrade. Paid around $35.

 

[TrubDog]

I am also mashing in a 5 gallon Rubbermaid cooler and have had to get creative for larger beers. My last batch I had to cut down my grain bill by three pounds and then add a pound and a half of DME to the boil. 14 pounds is about the max you can fit in it, and it's a pretty thick mash. I'm going to put together a 10 gallon version and use it for big beers and the 5 gal MT for normal beers.

 

[LiquidFlame]

Thanks for all the information guys. I think I'll save my money and read up more on the AG process and then get a larger cooler that you guys suggested.

 

[SouthBay]

If you dont like the AG process, you can always de-convert it into a regular cooler and use it for putting your beers in, too!

 

[BeerDoctor5]

Thanks for all the information guys. I think I'll save my money and read up more on the AG process and then get a larger cooler that you guys suggested.

I use a 5gal for my HLT (Holds my sparge water) and a 10 gal for my MLT. For 10 bucks you can't go wrong.

 

[pelipen]

I can't use as an HLT. I'm typically sparging with 6+ gallons to get 8 in the boil, so I have 6 in the primary.
This is annoying, and if it weren't free, i'd buy a 10.
I have a large rectangular, but no drain, so I siphon over the top.... So fyi, whatever you do, bottom drains rule.

 

[LiquidFlame]

Well looks like Walmart right now has the Coleman Xtreme 50-Quart Wheeled Cooler for $29.99, so I'll probably go pick that up. I could probably use the 5 gallon cooler from Menards as my HLT, but as pelipen pointed out, not really sure how many gallons I'll need for sparging.