10 gallon "Gatorade" coolers

Any hardware used for mashing, fermenting or aging.

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Down_Home52
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10 gallon "Gatorade" coolers

Post by Down_Home52 »

Getting ready for first AG run. Has anyone used the 10 gallon, round coolers for mash tuns? Has anyone gone ahead and fermented in that vessel on the grain? Also, is there a process or procedure to season the plastic to insure nothing is present in a new cooler that would kill the yeast? Thanks.
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Re: 10 gallon "Gatorade" coolers

Post by kiwi Bruce »

Look on line, the homebrewing folks have used the these for a decade or two. They'll have plans to add a 1/2 inch copper tube "false bottom" to one, that vents out the spout. Easy to keep clean...use a mild bleach or bisulfate to sterilize. Don't add a large amount of boiling liquid to one of these...I melted mine.
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Re: 10 gallon "Gatorade" coolers

Post by Down_Home52 »

Doing a scotch and was reading somewhere here the distilleries ferment in open vessels and run as soon as it is finished. You see any issue with fermenting with a loose lid? I have a bazooka filter that I could attach to a spigot if need be. Probably would get a good grain bed build up on the filter.
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Re: 10 gallon "Gatorade" coolers

Post by kiwi Bruce »

I don't try to copy the commercial scotch distillers...their protocols are not a good guide-line for us. They use open fermenters to "catch" the local wild yeasts that inhabit their distilleries, also why the use wooden fermenters. So if you have a local wild yeast...you will if you homebrew...you can open-top ferment to use them. I feel I have more control with a closed system...I'm a bit afraid of the "hit or miss" approach.
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Re: 10 gallon "Gatorade" coolers

Post by still_stirrin »

Down_Home52 wrote:Getting ready for first AG run. Has anyone used the 10 gallon, round coolers for mash tuns?
Mine are Coleman coolers...10 gallons each. One is a mash tun, the other is a hot liquor tank.
Down_Home52 wrote:Has anyone gone ahead and fermented in that vessel on the grain?
I ferment in glass carboys...not plastic. Also, I lauter my mashes...I don't ferment on-the-grain.
Down_Home52 wrote:Also, is there a process or procedure to season the plastic to insure nothing is present in a new cooler that would kill the yeast?
I wouldn't worry so much about "killing the yeast" ... in fact, it is likely that the yeast will get imbedded into the plastic fibers such that yeast strains will "auto-innoculate" when the wort is added.

If you were to try to use different (exclusive) yeast strains, fermenting in plastic fermenters would have a tendency to "homogenize" the strains. Even filling a plastic fermenter with boiling water won't fully "kill" the resident yeasts. Sanitizers will help, but they're not fool proof either.

But, pay attention to what was in the plastic containers before repurposing into fermenting vessels. If it was poison, then pass on the opportunity. You can't risk ingesting something like that.
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Re: 10 gallon "Gatorade" coolers

Post by Down_Home52 »

Sage advice SS. I was buying new.
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Re: 10 gallon "Gatorade" coolers

Post by jonnys_spirit »

I have a 10gallon Igloo MashTun that I find is nice for barley. When I mash corn the false bottom gets clogged easily and doing 20 or 30 gallon mashes becomes problematic. Next bourbon mash I’m using my 20gal brute fermenters and wrapping in packing blankets. I’ll probably do two of em with 30# grain bill to 15gal water each. I do like the cooler for barley or wheat and can use less water to mash then sparge and then easily ferment on grain in strainer bags for easy squeezing. I’m finding that it’s easier to do larger batches in AG and let it sit and clear in carboys while you start running. Then refill carboys with more wort while integrating backset low wines and feints.

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Re: 10 gallon "Gatorade" coolers

Post by Bushman »

NorCal Brewing Solutions make customized false bottoms that are pretty cool and well built.
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Re: 10 gallon "Gatorade" coolers

Post by Down_Home52 »

Just a side note. I have had trouble with glass carboys and temperature changes eg washing with hot water and then sitting down on cold floor. I have had a couple that I bought used break the bottoms out. Don't know what they had been used for in the past. I have since started using plastic milk crates to place them into. Glass always is a liability for me. Had a real bad experience while bottling some wine... Anyway, I have recently been using foreshots I have saved up for sanitizing followed by a cold water rinse. Anyone see an issue with that? I always like the smell of the foreshots evaporating in the basement.....
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Re: 10 gallon "Gatorade" coolers

Post by RedwoodHillBilly »

Down_Home52 wrote:Just a side note. I have had trouble with glass carboys and temperature changes eg washing with hot water and then sitting down on cold floor. I have had a couple that I bought used break the bottoms out. Don't know what they had been used for in the past. I have since started using plastic milk crates to place them into. Glass always is a liability for me. Had a real bad experience while bottling some wine... Anyway, I have recently been using foreshots I have saved up for sanitizing followed by a cold water rinse. Anyone see an issue with that? I always like the smell of the foreshots evaporating in the basement.....
Interesting, I have three 5 gal carboys that I bought in 1984. They are pretty thick, and I haven't had any problems with them, no carrier, I just handle them as usual. Of course, I still have my P&T hydrometer as well as my mash hydrometer from then as well, haven't broken either of them. Are the current glass carboys thinner that they used to be?
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Re: 10 gallon "Gatorade" coolers

Post by 8Ball »

I use them for fermenting exclusively. The lids have a vent hole on the bottom of the outer ring. I drill a few small holes in the center of the lid on the inside to create a vent path. I just scoop everything out and squeeze through a paint bag, no false bottom or filter. Rinse, wash, sanitize with StarSan, repeat.

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