Using "old" cooler for steeping grains

[matt-tastic]

OK, so I brew my 3rd extract kit on Sunday, and had an idea to steep my grains in a cooler & about 1.5 gal of water at 165. The cooler would probably maintain temp better than my propane burner at that temp, then I could return the tea to the boil kettle and start my hop boil

I've got a decent 2gal "igloo style" cooler (link) that i've used perhaps half a dozen times. its clean (obviously I'll clean and sanitize it), and the harshest thing that's been in it is some sangria we made a year or so ago. usually is water or lemonade.

Do I need to worry about contaminating my specialty boil by using an older cooler? I can buy a second one, but if i don't need to, I'd rather not. Thoughts?

 

[chickypad]

You don't need to sanitize pre-boil, just clean it well. You could also use it as a mini mash tun for partial mash recipes if you want, you can probably get about 5 lbs grain in there. I use an unmodified 3 gal gatorade drink cooler for 2.5 gal all grain stove top batches, it will fit 7.5 lbs of grain. I just line it with a 5 gal paint strainer bag.

 

[matt-tastic]

so, in short, you say i'm fine?

in the future, i'll do a partial mash setup, but i'm trying to do this on current equipment. I don't want to risk some weird off flavor because i wasn't paying attention.

 

[Dan]

Got a question. Are you doing a partial mash or steeping specialty grains?

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

Got a question. Are you doing a partial mash or steeping specialty grains?

Sounds like he is trying to steep the grains basically, because he can get it to 160 and the cooler will keep the temp better than trying to keep it at 155-160 outside on a propane burner.

 

[Dan]

I'm thinking steeping grains too FW. All he needs to do is put the steeping grains in water, bring to ~155dF and turn off the heat, let sit for 30 minutes. This is not a mash, just getting a bit of flavor and already converted starch out of the grain. No need to treat it as a mash. Different type of grain used for mashing.

Mashing and steeping grains are not the same process. It's not the same thing.

 

[matt-tastic]

Sounds like he is trying to steep the grains basically, because he can get it to 160 and the cooler will keep the temp better than trying to keep it at 155-160 outside on a propane burner.

^This. I know that steeping grains is different than mashing. I"m not ready to go partial mash or all grain as of yet, so I think this may be an easier alternative to trying to maintain a "low" temp on my burner. I have it almost off to keep my boil rolling.

Also, I thought I said "steep my grains" in the OP. But we've gotten off topic. I'll be steeping for about 20 mins to get some color/flavor/starch out of them.

 

[mbauer013]

Use the cooler, you should see my mash tun cooler, it probably looks worse than any food cooler you've seen. You should be just fine.

 

[jwalker1140]

I use a 20-year old 4-gallon Coleman cooler that I've taken camping and tailgating more times than I can remember. One time when I was camping a bear ran off with it in the middle of the night. I tracked it down the next morning and it had a puncture hole in the side from his tooth or claw, but nothing to keep it from working as a perfectly serviceable mash tun (I usually make 5-gal partial mash batches). I just wash it out real good with hot water and the occasional dose of oxi-clean.

In other words, I wouldn't blink an eye at the thought of using your old cooler.