SilverZero
Well-Known Member
$24 at Walmart, even cheaper than advertised online when I decided to head out to get it!
60 Quart Cooler = Cheap New Mash Tun
- Thread starter SilverZero
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
This is what I use. Works great!
SilverZero
Well-Known Member
So here's the back-story: My other mash tun was an older picnic cooler. The liner was pretty thin, and when I started using it for hot purposes (mashing and sparging) the inside started buckling. Then I started noticing that, no matter how much I rinsed and recirc'd, there would always be a bit of brown liquid at the base. I figured the manifold was just harboring a bit in the corners where it wasn't getting rinsed. But today I pulled the manifold out and noticed a small hole in the liner of the cooler! So I've got the rotting dregs of at least a couple of recent mashes stuck in the walls of my cooler. I'm interested in taking it apart to see what it's like, but in the meantime I got to make an impulse buy for my brewing setup!
alien
Well-Known Member
That's just horrible...
Homebrew Finds frequently posts really good cooler deals.
Homebrew Finds frequently posts really good cooler deals.
glockspeed31
Well-Known Member
If your worried about the drain spout being too high up, adjust your manifold drain tube for the hight difference. The suction will pull most of your wort up and out.
slarkin712
Well-Known Member
Here's my version using that cooler. Works great for me. Lose about .25 gallons in dead space. I sprayed good stuff insulation into the lid to make it even better insulated. I lose maybe 1F in an hour mash.
Stainless braid for your manifold is very interesting... Do you have any issues with it collapsing under the weight of the grain? What kind of flow rate do you get? Your efficiency? I currently have an all chopper tubing manifold but i get preferential flow nearest the bulkhead
Menards (might not have one near you, midwest big-box store) is having a lot of sales on coolers right now, too. I already have 70qt Xtreme that I use and won't outgrow for some time, but they had good variety for cheap.
slarkin712
Well-Known Member
The entire thing is made from copper pipe. I made the copper manifold and used it for a couple of years. Then I got paranoid that I was getting too much grain into my boil kettle. So I slid the SS mesh over the copper manifold portions that had the slits cut into them. No collapsing. I haven't noticed any difference in flow rate since I added the mesh. I batch sparge, so my efficiency is pretty consistent between 75-80%. I haven't noticed any change in efficiency since I added the mesh. The vorlauf step clears much faster though.
SilverZero
Well-Known Member
Here's mine. I just caniballized the CPVC manifold from my previous mash tun, cut it down and added the center T pickup. I could do better with a couple of 45 elbows to keep the height a bit lower, but as long as the outlet of the drain hose is below the height of the liquid it should drain. Physics says so. 
I did a dry (wet?) run today, drained it almost dry with no problems.
I did a dry (wet?) run today, drained it almost dry with no problems.
Slarkin,
Did you drill a hole on the opposite side?
Did you drill a hole on the opposite side?
Here's mine. I just caniballized the CPVC manifold from my previous mash tun, cut it down and added the center T pickup. I could do better with a couple of 45 elbows to keep the height a bit lower, but as long as the outlet of the drain hose is below the height of the liquid it should drain. Physics says so.
I did a dry (wet?) run today, drained it almost dry with no problems.
View attachment 121351
View attachment 121352
My setup with this cooler currently uses a SS braid attached. I was thinking about switching to a CPVC manifold like you have. 2 questions:
1. How easy is it to clean?
2. What does the bottom look like? Did you drill holes or cut slits?
Confedpirate
Member
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2013
- Messages
- 21
- Reaction score
- 0
Question will any cooler work, I picked up ( was given to me ) at work its a commerical Igoo cooler, I'll try to get a photo.
slarkin712
Well-Known Member
If you mean drill a hole through the front of the cooler to the inside. Yes. There is a ball valve on the outside that hooks up to the manifold exit. Would you like a picture?
Confedpirate
Member
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2013
- Messages
- 21
- Reaction score
- 0
Well after further inspection this won't work
slarkin712 said:
No pic necessary. I can see from previous one. I use the same cooler. As you know the drain is a little higher than bottom. Interesting to see another option. Thanks!
I have not been going to great lenghts to clean my Mash Tun and "Braid" since I figure anything coming from it is going to be boiled anyway and the mash is done in a hour...
I give everythng a good rinse and let it dry and don't worry about it...
DPB
I give the inside a good wipe down and give braided hose a good rinse. Then I let it air dry with the lid open.
socalboomer
Well-Known Member
I have the same cooler - copper manifold. Less than a quart of fluid left on drain - it siphons very well. I pull everything out, clean it, then leave the manifold unattached and slightly propping the lid open so the whole thing air dries. . . works awesome.
One thing I did - I drilled five holes in the lid (only part that doesn't actually have any insulation) and squirted expanding foam in it - took a couple of pieces of plywood cut to size and clamped it to it's "normal" size so the foam didn't swell the lid. I found it lost a few degrees before, now I don't lose much of anything.
One thing I did - I drilled five holes in the lid (only part that doesn't actually have any insulation) and squirted expanding foam in it - took a couple of pieces of plywood cut to size and clamped it to it's "normal" size so the foam didn't swell the lid. I found it lost a few degrees before, now I don't lose much of anything.
Similar threads
