Can I use this for a Mash Tun

[unclevername]

I am moving up to 10Ga batches and my 10Ga cooler isn't big enough to hold the mash in some of my recipes, so I am considering making a mash tun out of this

http://www.ebay.com/itm/15-Gallons-Barrel-Open-Top-Metal-Strap-/200917836443

Once I put insulation around it to hold the heat is there any problem with using it for a mash tun?

 

[Toymaker]

Is that really 15 gallon? it looks a lot smaller than a 1/2 barrel keg. Unless the floor tiles in the pictures are 20". Optical illusion?

 

[JohnK93]

If you assume the handles are big enough for your hand (about 3"-4" through handle), looks like that could be a good sized bucket. Maybe the tiles really are pretty big.

I can't speak to using it to ferment though...not my department.

 

[JohnK93]

If you assume the handles are big enough for your hand (about 3"-4" through handle), looks like that could be a good sized bucket. Maybe the tiles really are pretty big.

I can't speak to using it to ferment though...not my department.

Edit...I mean as a mash

 

[Polboy]

edit:
i missed the part that you gona isolate it, it may work but i would just go with bigger rectangular cooler

 

[GenIke]

"23" tall x 47" Gird x

8 ponds"

Seems a little sketchy to me...

 

[logdrum]

Why not spend all of your cash on the tun rather than 1/2 on shipping?

http://www.sears.com/coleman-52-quart-xtreme-cooler/p-00620000000P

I use this exact cooler for 10 (and 5) gallon batches, and can only sing praises-very little heat loss, easy to convert, and very heavy duty.

 

[Stauffbier]

Why not spend all of your cash on the tun rather than 1/2 on shipping?

http://www.sears.com/coleman-52-quart-xtreme-cooler/p-00620000000P

I use this exact cooler for 10 (and 5) gallon batches, and can only sing praises-very little heat loss, easy to convert, and very heavy duty.

I also have a 52qt xtreme, and I love it. I've never run out of room even on fairly big 10 gal batches.

 

[slarkin712]

I use this for 11 gallon batches:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Igloo-60-Qt.-Ice-Cube-Roller-Cooler/5663765

For 11 gallon batches I can use it with up to 30 lbs of grain, and maybe a little more if I mash thick.

 

[unclevername]

I see a lot of guys use the square coolers when the batches get larger, perhaps that is what I will do.

It seems like there would be a lot of dead space given how large the bottom of the cooler is. Do you tip it?

 

[slarkin712]

I see a lot of guys use the square coolers when the batches get larger, perhaps that is what I will do.

It seems like there would be a lot of dead space given how large the bottom of the cooler is. Do you tip it?

You mean tip it to get the wort out of the dead space? If that's the case, no I do not. For that cooler I didn't use the spigot that it comes with. I put a new hole in the front of the cooler with a ball valve that is an inch or so off the floor of the cooler. I have a copper manifold. I've got about .25 gallons of dead space, and maybe even a little less. Works great for batch sparging, but I've designed it for fly sparging as well, just never attempted it. It's a pretty common setup, and I can post a few pictures if you'd like.

 

[Stauffbier]

I see a lot of guys use the square coolers when the batches get larger, perhaps that is what I will do.

It seems like there would be a lot of dead space given how large the bottom of the cooler is. Do you tip it?

I don't tip mine, but I have recently taken to compressing the grain bed towards the end of lautering. This way I get a little more wort that seems to be very high in sugars. It also speeds things up, because the last couple of quarts can take a while to drain.

 

[unclevername]

You mean tip it to get the wort out of the dead space? If that's the case, no I do not. For that cooler I didn't use the spigot that it comes with. I put a new hole in the front of the cooler with a ball valve that is an inch or so off the floor of the cooler. I have a copper manifold. I've got about .25 gallons of dead space, and maybe even a little less. Works great for batch sparging, but I've designed it for fly sparging as well, just never attempted it. It's a pretty common setup, and I can post a few pictures if you'd like.

1/4 gallon is nothing, I get that with my igloo cooler. Post up a picture I would like to see it.

 

[unclevername]

I don't tip mine, but I have recently taken to compressing the grain bed towards the end of lautering. This way I get a little more wort that seems to be very high in sugars. It also speeds things up, because the last couple of quarts can take a while to drain.

I have never compressed the grain. Any worry about squeezing tannins or other bad stuff our of the grain?

 

[Stauffbier]

I have never compressed the grain. Any worry about squeezing tannins or other bad stuff our of the grain?

The tannin squeezing thing is just a myth. For those doing BIAB, go ahead and squeeze the heck out of the bag. And if you want to compress the grain bed in your tun there's no worries about that either.

Also, the reason a lot of brewers like the Coleman Xtreme is because the drain valve is located very low on the unit, and it even has a channel on the inside that helps direct the wort out.

 

[Stauffbier]

Here's a photo of the inside of my Coleman Xtreme. I removed my braid so you can see the long V shaped channel under the valve. Once everything drains I get a cup or two of dead space at the most...

 

[unclevername]

Sold, looks like I am buying an extreme box. Thanks for the feedback and info.

 

[unclevername]

This place is great, time to become a supporting member.

 

[dapete]

For me, dead space is not a real issue with the 60qt Igloo Ice Qube. If you get your pick-up line to the bottom (I use stainless steel mesh) then the siphon effect will pull your wort up and out.

Head space is not an issue either. I just mashed a 14 lb grain bill and only lost 1 degree over 1 hour! I thought I was going to need to insulate the lid with Great Stuff foam spray, but I just draped a sleeping bag over the top.

$24 for the cooler at WoeMart and approx $24 in parts to convert, you can't go wrong.

 

[Polboy]

side question, how much heat do you guys lose over an hour mash?, no mater what i do i always lose 2-3 F after 1h, i know its fine but it does bother me a bit

 

[Stauffbier]

I lose about 1- 2* per hour depending on how big the grain bill is and how thick I mash. More grain and more hot water = less heat loss.

 

[logdrum]

side question, how much heat do you guys lose over an hour mash?, no mater what i do i always lose 2-3 F after 1h, i know its fine but it does bother me a bit

I preheat my extreme with the full volume of strike water @ 8-10ºF above dough in temp; Monday I lost 1/2º on a 10 gal batch.

 

[Stauffbier]

I preheat my extreme with the full volume of strike water @ 8-10ºF above dough in temp; Monday I lost 1/2º on a 10 gal batch.

I do the exact same thing. You definitely lose less heat on 10 gallon batches because of the fact there's less headspace, but 5 gallon batches still maintain temps pretty good as well. A loss of 1-3* is really a non-issue though.

 

[slarkin712]

1/4 gallon is nothing, I get that with my igloo cooler. Post up a picture I would like to see it.

Here it is. It has slots cut into the copper manifold on the bottom of the pipes. I got paranoid that I was getting too many pieces of grain in my boil kettle after vorlauf, so I added SS mesh braid. Clears super fast now.

 

[frod1963]

Here it is. It has slots cut into the copper manifold on the bottom of the pipes. I got paranoid that I was getting too many pieces of grain in my boil kettle after vorlauf, so I added SS mesh braid. Clears super fast now.

Nice idea withe braid. Looks like it will work well, I should have done that when I had a cooler.

 

[unclevername]

I like the braid as well. Nice job