28 replies to this topic

[nbbeerguy]

I Brew 5 Gallon batches would I be better off using a 5 gallon Mash Tun Round cooler or continue using my 10 gallon square cooler I see a lot of people use the round ones but unsure why they choose these VS the square ones

[chadm75]

Get the 10 gallon cooler (Igloo Cube). Better to have too much room that be fighting your grain and water to fit it into a 5 gallon cooler. I made that mistake and can count on one hand how many times I've used my 5 gallon cooler.

[Deerslyr]

Do you make good beer in your 10 gallon? If so, then when considering the 5 gallon, just say to yourself "these are not the droids you are looking for". Ok, all kidding aside. I don't see any reason to switch now. You have the ability, right now, to do double batches, or high gravity beers. While not impossible, the 5 gallon coolers have their limits and you are going to stretch it to the max to do it. I have a 42 qt. rectangular cooler and if I brew a batch with 23 pounds of grain, I have to ratchet down on the water ratio so it doesn't overflow. Is it a space issue when you are not using your system?Would like to know more reasons why you are considering it.

[nbbeerguy]

Not a space issue I guess more of Round VS square as Round seem to be more common ( actually donating my square one to a friend who cant afford to really get into the hobby) so Im in the market for Mash Tun I can get 10 Gallon Round also that has a screw top And yes I make good beer with my square one but if there is a way to make better beer I wanna do it that way

[djinkc]

You can make do with both the round and the square. It's really settling for second best though. Now, a 72 qt rectangular Coleman extreme is the way to go. Oh, don't get anything but the blue one.If your 10 gal is working why change? Edit-nice donation. I don't think it matters honestly. Most of the square one's I've seen are smaller than what I would want or have a hump for the wheel axle - that might present a problem if you want to fly sparge. Channeling would concern me with that - batch - wouldn't matter.

Edited by dj in kc, 26 March 2010 - 02:43 PM.

[Deerslyr]

Not a space issue I guess more of Round VS square as Round seem to be more common ( actually donating my square one to a friend who cant afford to really get into the hobby) so Im in the market for Mash Tun I can get 10 Gallon Round also that has a screw top And yes I make good beer with my square one but if there is a way to make better beer I wanna do it that way

I bought a 42 quart rectangular Coleman from Wal-Mart for something like $23. The bottom is flat and I was able to construct an excellent cpvc manifold. I don't know if its the manifold design, the crush or a combination, but I'm routinely getting between 75 and 75 percent efficiency. I have a buddy who just started using a large cube cooler. Seems to work good for him. Lot's of options and designs out there.That's a nice donation to help propogate the hobby!

[nbbeerguy]

I bought a 42 quart rectangular Coleman from Wal-Mart for something like $23. The bottom is flat and I was able to construct an excellent cpvc manifold. I don't know if its the manifold design, the crush or a combination, but I'm routinely getting between 75 and 75 percent efficiency. I have a buddy who just started using a large cube cooler. Seems to work good for him. Lot's of options and designs out there.That's a nice donation to help propogate the hobby!

yup he just got 110Lbs 2 row for $50 so he will be brewing loads

[Nick Bates]

I use the ten gallon round igloo https://www.homebrew...tom_p_1006.html, worked great for my first all grain brew last weekend.

[realbeerguy]

I use the ten gallon round igloo https://www.homebrew...tom_p_1006.html, worked great for my first all grain brew last weekend.

This has been mine for the last 10 years. Made it myself with a Phil's plastic bottom for around $75.00.

[ncbeerbrewer]

Not a space issue I guess more of Round VS square as Round seem to be more common ( actually donating my square one to a friend who cant afford to really get into the hobby) so Im in the market for Mash Tun I can get 10 Gallon Round also that has a screw top And yes I make good beer with my square one but if there is a way to make better beer I wanna do it that way

NB. I had the same debate in my mind back 3 years ago when I jumped into all grain and went the way of the 10 gallon Rubbermaid round screw top mash tun. My buddy went with a 5 gallon round and honestly I am much happier with the bigger sized cooler. I brew 5 gallon batches myself almost all the time but I am much happier with a bigger cooler since I know I can get in a 5 gallon Russian Imperial or Double IPA. I bought a round dome false bottom. Its sized for the 10 gallon cooler and works great. I say go bigger because if you do go to 10 gallon beers or brew with a friend the bigger cooler is way better. Good Luck and I agree +1 on the cooler donation thats cool.

[denny]

Not a space issue I guess more of Round VS square as Round seem to be more common ( actually donating my square one to a friend who cant afford to really get into the hobby) so Im in the market for Mash Tun I can get 10 Gallon Round also that has a screw top And yes I make good beer with my square one but if there is a way to make better beer I wanna do it that way

The cooler doesn't make the beer, the brewer does. Really, whether one is _better_ than the other depends on you and your brewing style. FWIW, I don't think round ones are more popular these days. I think most people have found that rectangular coolers are easier to use and you get more for your money with them. I've used a 48 qt. rectangular for 12 years and 370 batches and if I couldn't make great beer using it, I would have switched a long time ago.

[Sidney Porter]

round vs rectangle was a big debate when everyone was fly sparging. The concern was grain bed depth in the rectangle.This debate is is not seen very much anymore because of- The Ice cube cooler which is sq became popular and is cheaper than the round but give the similar benefit in bed depth- More new brewers batch sparge- imho the depth issue was often over blown because you didn't really have people brewing 5 gallon mild batches in 70qt coolers. Most "normal" size batches in "normal" size coolers provide proper depth in a rectangle cooler regardless of sparge method.

[MtnBrewer]

Not a space issue I guess more of Round VS square as Round seem to be more common

Nearly everybody I know uses an Igloo or something similar. The only people I see using round coolers built their system before Igloos were available. 10 gallon water coolers are way more expensive than Igloos and similar. So if your motivation for wanting to switch is that all the cool kids are doing it, I'd reconsider.

[CaptRon]

Nearly everybody I know uses an Igloo or something similar. The only people I see using round coolers built their system before Igloos were available. 10 gallon water coolers are way more expensive than Igloos and similar. So if your motivation for wanting to switch is that all the cool kids are doing it, I'd reconsider.

This..I have 10 gallon round coolers because at the time that was what you got for HLT and MLT. I wouldn't have a problem at all with a rectangular/square one with a manifold at all. I might switch anyways before too long if my false bottoms continue to piss me off.

[MtnBrewer]

Another thing...personally, I've gone the opposite direction. I started with a 5-gallon round cooler. When I started wanting to do bigger beers, I needed a larger MLT. I bought an Igloo at Wal-Mart for something like $15 or $20. I never use the round cooler anymore.

[MyaCullen]

Another thing...personally, I've gone the opposite direction. I started with a 5-gallon round cooler. When I started wanting to do bigger beers, I needed a larger MLT. I bought an Igloo at Wal-Mart for something like $15 or $20. I never use the round cooler anymore.

exactly this , started with Rubbermaid 5 gallon with a Phil's Phalse Bottom, and grew tired of it's limitted capacity and propencity for stuck sparges I moved on to an Ice Cube 48 Quart with a Denny Style^tm stainless braid, haven't looked back

[Howie]

I Brew 5 Gallon batches would I be better off using a 5 gallon Mash Tun Round cooler or continue using my 10 gallon square cooler I see a lot of people use the round ones but unsure why they choose these VS the square ones

Here's a new option as well - The Mash HawkI don't have one, but am considering it. Holds like 70qts, is super insulated, food grade (even at very hot temps), and has a molded hole for your ball valve (no leaking into the insulation!). Not too expensive, either.

[denny]

Doesn't it look like the ball valve is mounted pretty high on that thing?

[MyaCullen]

Doesn't it look like the ball valve is mounted pretty high on that thing?

It looks like from the other pics in the link that it has some sort of dead space underneath the mash chamber, can't figure the purpose of that other than insulation.

[siouxbrewer]

I went from a 10gal rubbermaid round to a direct fired sanke for volume reasons. I originally used a manifold but recently switched to one of swagman's falsebottoms. Manifold flows better, FB's prevent scorching better. You can fly or batch with either. I may end up with a manifold/FB combo, I know, overkill but the best of both worlds.