10 gallon Beverage cooler as a mash and Lauter tun

[mnpaddler]

Hi, I am ready to go all grain after a few years of Extract. My questions are this
#1. Will the 10 gallon Rubbermaid cooler work for doing 10 gallon beer batches either as a fly or batch sparges? I typically only brew IPA's and Porters.

#2. Is a false bottom better than the stainless braid...and if the braid is better, is twice the suggested length better than just the 10 inches shown in the picture of how to make the MLT?

#3. Am i dreaming when I suggest that I want to do 10 gallon batches in the 10 gallon cooler? I have read that the Coleman 70 Qt Xtreme cooler is the ticket, but if I should decide to only do a 5 gallon specialty batch in the xtreme, will it be too big and not properly cover the grains with enough sparge water?

Money is not the main concern, I am not cheap and I want what will work the best for me and purchase just once so I do not have to upgrade!

Thank you for any helpful advise.....cheers

 

[djsethall]

You can do 10gal batches in the rubbermaid. You might have to adjust strike water volumes and such, but it is possible.

 

[Spludge]

It will be tough to do an IPA or other high gravity beer in that cooler, if you want to do 10 gallons. I had a fifty quart cooler, and recently bought a 100 qt cooler simply because I couldn't do 10 gallon batches of the beers I wanted without mashing twice, separately.

 

[mnpaddler]

is it possible to use a large false bottom in the 70 qt extreme cooler or do you need to make the stainless steel braid collection system?