[jaftak22]

So if I went for a rectangular cooler for my MLT what size is recommended. Don't know how often I would be doing high gravity beers, but I definitely know that I will vary quite a bit in the size batches I will be doing. Five to ten gallon batches that is.

[morticaixavier]

So if I went for a rectangular cooler for my MLT what size is recommended. Don't know how often I would be doing high gravity beers, but I definitely know that I will vary quite a bit in the size batches I will be doing. Five to ten gallon batches that is.

I have a 72 qt coleman extreme. I have made 11 gallon batches of 'normal' gravity (around 1.050-1.060) with it and was able to do mostly no sparge (I had to run off a small part of the first runnings before I had room or the last gallon or so of sparge water) I can do a 1.100+ beast at a 5 gallon batch but it's pretty full (partigyle so no sparge again)

[denny]

So if I went for a rectangular cooler for my MLT what size is recommended. Don't know how often I would be doing high gravity beers, but I definitely know that I will vary quite a bit in the size batches I will be doing. Five to ten gallon batches that is.

I have a 72 qt coleman extreme. I have made 11 gallon batches of 'normal' gravity (around 1.050-1.060) with it and was able to do mostly no sparge (I had to run off a small part of the first runnings before I had room or the last gallon or so of sparge water) I can do a 1.100+ beast at a 5 gallon batch but it's pretty full (partigyle so no sparge again)

I have 48, 70, and 152 qt. mash tuns.  If I was going to only have one, it would be the 70.

[jaftak22]

Hey thanks guys for all the good info. Think I am gonna go with the Coleman Xtreeme 70 qt. looking forward to getting back from Afghanistan for the big brew day! Have a bunch of cool stuff to set it all up and running. Can't wait to try out the Blichmann burner I got. When I used my stove before I left it took forever to brew

[ynotbrusum]

FWIW, I had a round HD Rubbermaid cooler deform a bit when using it as an HLT with a heat stick; it's still functional, but it has a bulge on the inside wall now, so I stopped using it for that purpose anymore.  Even 5 gallon buckets seem to hold up better for HLT's using heatsticks.

[ncbluesman]

I use 2 of the Coleman 70 QT extreme coolers, one for my HLT and one for my mash tun.  I have them on a sturdy shelf on the back wall of my garage, HLT over the mash tun.  I use a pump to pump the mash water into the mash tun and the sparge water into the HLT.  I have a ball valve on the HLT to drain the sparge water into the mash tun.  This works really well for me.  The pump saved me from having to buy another burner and an expensive stainless steel HLT.  And it multi-tasks:  The pump is handy for batch sparging and for chilling as well.  The over/under configuration on the wall (shelving is heavy duty and mounted into studs) makes for a very small footprint, too.