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Author Topic: Best igloo cooler for all grain brewing  (Read 21657 times)

Offline dbarber

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Re: Best igloo cooler for all grain brewing
« Reply #30 on: July 16, 2013, 07:55:07 am »
I use a 36 qt or a 52 qt Coleman Extreme.  I do tend to lose a couple of degrees during the mash, but I don't worry about it.
Dave Barber
Orwigsburg, PA
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Offline beersk

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Re: Best igloo cooler for all grain brewing
« Reply #31 on: July 16, 2013, 12:28:21 pm »
I figured it was normal and I used to lose a few degrees with my round 20qt Rubbermaid cooler, but I'm still losing a few degrees with this one...kind of frustrating, but I guess I'll forget about it.
Jesse

Offline thebigbaker

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Re: Best igloo cooler for all grain brewing
« Reply #32 on: July 16, 2013, 12:43:06 pm »
I have a rectangular BLUE rubbermaid 50qt cooler and I usually will lose 2-3 degrees in the hour mash.  That doesn't bother me and it seems to be the norm when mashing with a cooler.

As for cleaning, it was a little more difficult to clean when I was brewing in my kitchen.  Brewing in the garage has made cleanup very easy.  After dumping the grains and spraying out with a garden hose, I use the cooler to collect the initial hot water runnings from my chiller when chilling the wort.  I then throw in some Oxiclean and use the mixture in the cooler to clean off other brewing equipment.  When I'm finished, I dump the cooler, spray it out and dry it.  Keeps the cooler clean and bright white!
Jeremy Baker

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Offline beersk

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Re: Best igloo cooler for all grain brewing
« Reply #33 on: July 16, 2013, 01:19:47 pm »
I have a rectangular BLUE rubbermaid 50qt cooler and I usually will lose 2-3 degrees in the hour mash.  That doesn't bother me and it seems to be the norm when mashing with a cooler.

As for cleaning, it was a little more difficult to clean when I was brewing in my kitchen.  Brewing in the garage has made cleanup very easy.  After dumping the grains and spraying out with a garden hose, I use the cooler to collect the initial hot water runnings from my chiller when chilling the wort.  I then throw in some Oxiclean and use the mixture in the cooler to clean off other brewing equipment.  When I'm finished, I dump the cooler, spray it out and dry it.  Keeps the cooler clean and bright white!
Maybe I should spray paint my orange cooler blue, haha. 
Jesse

Offline dak0415

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Re: Best igloo cooler for all grain brewing
« Reply #34 on: July 16, 2013, 02:24:53 pm »
Maybe I should spray paint my orange cooler blue, haha.
That would be like photoshopping Denny with a suit and tie!
Dave Koenig
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Offline fmader

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Re: Best igloo cooler for all grain brewing
« Reply #35 on: July 16, 2013, 06:23:00 pm »
Go with the cube... I only lose a 1/2 to 1 degree over an hour... It's blue too
Frank

Offline clef051

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Re: Best igloo cooler for all grain brewing
« Reply #36 on: August 01, 2013, 05:24:04 am »
I found a 120 qt igloo rectangle cooler on amazon for around $60, earlier this year when I went to bigger batches.  I made a PVC manifold for it.  Before that I used a 48 qt coleman that I found for $20.

Offline beersk

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Re: Best igloo cooler for all grain brewing
« Reply #37 on: August 01, 2013, 07:03:34 am »
Could one do a reverse Hochkurz step mash starting at 158F and letting it drop to 145? Does it matter if the Beta rest is before the Alpha rest? Or vice versa?
Anyway, I do have a fair amount of head space in my cooler (36qt Coleman Xtreme) since I'm doing 4 gallon batches. The last batch I did, I mashed at 152F for 90 minutes and at the end of the mash it was at 147F. Oh well.
Jesse

Offline denny

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Re: Best igloo cooler for all grain brewing
« Reply #38 on: August 01, 2013, 10:03:12 am »
Could one do a reverse Hochkurz step mash starting at 158F and letting it drop to 145? Does it matter if the Beta rest is before the Alpha rest? Or vice versa?

If you hold the 158 for any length of time, you will denature the enzymes that work at lower temps.
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Offline beersk

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Re: Best igloo cooler for all grain brewing
« Reply #39 on: August 01, 2013, 11:38:26 am »
Could one do a reverse Hochkurz step mash starting at 158F and letting it drop to 145? Does it matter if the Beta rest is before the Alpha rest? Or vice versa?

If you hold the 158 for any length of time, you will denature the enzymes that work at lower temps.
Ah, I see. Well, that's cool I guess. A Hochkurz step infusion is easy enough.
Jesse

Offline denny

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Re: Best igloo cooler for all grain brewing
« Reply #40 on: August 01, 2013, 11:45:07 am »
Ah, I see. Well, that's cool I guess. A Hochkurz step infusion is easy enough.

Here's a good chart...

Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline gymrat

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Re: Best igloo cooler for all grain brewing
« Reply #41 on: August 01, 2013, 11:56:16 am »
Maybe I should spray paint my orange cooler blue, haha.
That would be like photoshopping Denny with a suit and tie!

You mean you haven't?
Ralph's Brewery
Topeka, KS

Offline beersk

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Re: Best igloo cooler for all grain brewing
« Reply #42 on: August 01, 2013, 02:54:02 pm »
Maybe I should spray paint my orange cooler blue, haha.
That would be like photoshopping Denny with a suit and tie!

You mean you haven't?
Someone really needs to.

Thanks for the info, Denny.
Jesse

Offline Stevie

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Re: Best igloo cooler for all grain brewing
« Reply #43 on: August 02, 2013, 09:07:07 pm »
I just purchased the new version of the 70qt Coleman Xtreme. The drain seems a bit higher than before and the channel is not as long either. Long story short, bulkhead + bazooka tube does not work as well as before.

I am not giving up the bulk head as I enjoy being able to close the valve with one hand. I am now thinking 3/8" barb inside with a bit of tubing and a hose braid.

Overall i like the dimensions of the new version better. It is a bit shorter in length and a bit deeper. Walmart still sells the older version online.