Cheap Esky/coolers - Where To Buy And What Size?

[Sully]

Hi all,

Much to the dismay of SWMBO, now is the time I feel I MUST venture into the realm of AG brewing. I have been reading and reading and reading and made a couple of partials a few years back, so I am not entirely green on the process and feel confident enough in taking the task at hand.

So first things first, I would like to get one of those round water coolers for a MLT and will mainly stick to a 23L batch size. What size would I need and where can I pick up a cooler reasonably priced? Kmart and such is my first port of call, but is there any out-of-the-way camping suppliers or a dodgy back alley store that sell them cheap, prefer in the North Brisbane area. Most of the other stuff I know what and where to source.

This will be a gradual process to sneak it past SWMBO, "What? This? Had it for ages"

Cheers

Sully

 

[yardy]

try op shops, vinnies or even your local tip shop first

cheers

 

[wabster]

Hi all,

Much to the dismay of SWMBO, now is the time I feel I MUST venture into the realm of AG brewing. I have been reading and reading and reading and made a couple of partials a few years back, so I am not entirely green on the process and feel confident enough in taking the task at hand.

So first things first, I would like to get one of those round water coolers for a MLT and will mainly stick to a 23L batch size. What size would I need and where can I pick up a cooler reasonably priced? Kmart and such is my first port of call, but is there any out-of-the-way camping suppliers or a dodgy back alley store that sell them cheap, prefer in the North Brisbane area. Most of the other stuff I know what and where to source.

This will be a gradual process to sneak it past SWMBO, "What? This? Had it for ages"

Cheers

Sully

Hiya Sully,

If you can't find anything locally I got the following mail order.

http://www.dealsdirect.com.au/p/10-gallon-...-jug-dispenser/

I know they are out of stock but if you log onto their website and request a "Restock advice" they'll email you when new stock arrives. They are 10 US gallons or 38 litres.

PS How is Narangba these days? I've got some friends in Culcross Drive but haven't been there or seen them for years.


Cheerz Wabster.

 

[Effect]

I went for the 55 litre willow esky ($99 and comes with 2 extra little coolers)

I will be able to happily do my 23 litre brews - and when I want to venture onwards it is large enough to do bigger brews.


Also, I can still use it as an esky (can you rims and herms owners say that )



- wish I had enough room to have a herms set up

 

[Murcluf]

Try Ray's Outdoors, they have them on sale acouple of times a year for around $50, normally $100. Christmas is coming up so it would most likely be in their next cattledog or just give them a call to if they have got them and how much etc.....

 

[wakkatoo]

BCF have the type of cooler you are after. Picked mine up from there for about $70 I think. There are a few people on here with the same cooler (Bonj as an eg).

 

[Bribie G]

Recently tossing up whether to go BIAB for my AG career or more 'conventional' with HLT, mash tun etc. Had a look round Bunnings and they only stock Willow round eskys with tap up to 15L and the tap is a push-in little thing that would turn into a world of pain trying to drain a mash out of it.

They said they don't stock the larger round ones any more, likewise KMART and BigW, and nowhere could I find any rectangular esky of 30L or below with a tap hole. Best of luck, and you may need to go mail order as suggested. BoatingCampingFishing might be the go as well.

FWIW I'm going BIAB with a stainless steel 40L 2400w urn. One vessel for the lot, although around $260 to get into one.

 

[bradsbrew]

Sully ive seen a few eskies at the dakabin dump shop normally about 15 to 20 bucks for the around 50L ones.



Cheers brad

 

[Fourstar]

I was in the reject shop the other day, they had esky's for $20, i think they were 20-25L Italian made.

 

[Sully]

Thanks all, will check out all these avenues.

Sully ive seen a few eskies at the dakabin dump shop normally about 15 to 20 bucks for the around 50L ones.

Cheers brad

Made this first port of call already this morning. No eskies but had an old keg with tap, smaller than a 50L, prolly about 35L-ish, quite grubby on the outside and a few small rusty looking spots on the inside, needs a clean inside too but in reasonable condition, for $20. I passed but someone may be interested if they want to put the work into it.


Going past Caboolture dump T&T so will check there.

Cheers

Sully

 

[yardy]

No eskies but had an old keg with tap, smaller than a 50L, prolly about 35L-ish, quite grubby on the outside and a few small rusty looking spots on the inside, needs a clean inside too but in reasonable condition, for $20.

i would've grabbed that, might have cleaned up ok for a HLT

 

[Sully]

i would've grabbed that, might have cleaned up ok for a HLT

I did a trip to the Caboolture Dump T&T first up this morning and scored a keg in better nick, 50L and for $10. :beerbang: Still no eskies though.... BCF next port of call....


Would it be better to buy a setup for a double batch even though 95% of the time I will be making a single batch? Or is there anyone in the area that would be interested in going halves in ingredients for a double batch maybe and make a brewday once a month over a few brewskis?

Cheers

Sully

 

[yardy]

I did a trip to the Caboolture Dump T&T first up this morning and scored a keg in better nick, 50L and for $10. :beerbang:

mate that's a good score B)

before you do any mods to it have a search on here, some of the brewers have used the keg upside down and utilised the beer out fitting as their outlet, wish i had of seen it before i did mine.

cheers

 

[Sully]

Apologies I dont want to keep flooding with questions, but if I go down the double batch road will a 38L esky for the MLT be sufficient or will I have to go larger.

Cheers

Sully

 

[justsomeguy]

Sully,

I use a 38L "Gatorade" cooler as my mash tun.

I can do double batches of lower gravity beers (1.055 or thereabouts) with no problems. Double batches of higher gravity beers are a problem as the tun is not large enough.

My 2c worth.

Wally

I suppose it also depends on whether you fly/batch sparge as well.

My 44 litre esky can handle batch sparged double batches up to around 1060 with about 1cm room at the top to spare.

HTH

gary

 

[Sully]

Well, Sully's been shopping and scored some bargains - well I hope they were.

Yesterday I picked up what I was told and marked a 50L SS Boiler for $70 from a camping store up at Caloundra. Unfortunately it turns out it is only 38L, which I will be ringing up and correcting them as they may have mis-marked the other sizes there.

But today was the goldmine score. I picked up two 55L SS Boilersthat were marked as 45L for $50 each, and a 75L which was marked as a 60L for $59. Of course these are the thinner metal boilers but I am planning on going electric and insulating anyway.

My original plan was to use the 50L (which turned out to be 38L) as the inner of the MLT and use the 60L (which is actually 75L) as an outer casing and stuff in between the two with insulation, and then hey presto, a 50L insulated SS mash tun for not much more than the price of a plastic one.

BUT, I now have a dilemma.... what do I do with what?

The diameter of the 38L is about 37cm, the 55L is about 43cm, and the 75L is about 46cm.

If I put the 38L in the 55L there is enough room for 3cm of insulation, which is fairly good. If I put the 55L in the 75L there is only 1.5cm of insulation which is hmmm....

My brew plan is to make smaller double batches at a higher gravity, no-chill in a 15L cube and add 5L water when fermenting. Reason being, 15L cubes are cheaper and more compact, and a 20L batch will fill 19L kegs with no bottling. Well it sounded reasonable to me. I am already pushing the space issue with SWMBO <_<

I hope I explained it well enough to follow.

Any suggestions?

Oh, and would anyone be interested in joining me to pop my AG cherry when I get this up and running? :lol:

Cheers

Sully.

PS How is Narangba these days? I've got some friends in Culcross Drive but haven't been there or seen them for years.

Cheerz Wabster.

Sorry Wabster, wasnt ignoring you, just kept forgetting to respond to you. Narangba is great, we love the place. If you havent been here for years you will be shocked. gone ahead leaps and bounds. where there were paddocks there is houses, where there was scrub there is houses. New primary school and shopping centre as well.

Cheers

 

[yardy]

If I put the 38L in the 55L there is enough room for 3cm of insulation, which is fairly good. If I put the 55L in the 75L there is only 1.5cm of insulation which is hmmm....

Hey Sully,

what insulation do you plan on using between the tuns ?

cheers

Yard

 

[Sully]

Hey Sully,

what insulation do you plan on using between the tuns ?

cheers

Yard

my original thought was expanding foam between the tuns and make it permenantly specific use. a thicker layer is better hence the gap between the tuns. I see alot of use of camping mats etc. using those will make it easier to disassemble and get more uses out of both boilers but I cant forsee the need for me using a 75L boiler, and if the occasion ever arose I will work it out before then.

what I'm thinking is:

38L HLT

55L lining/75L outer MLT (pending insulation)

55L Boiler

Open to suggestions.

Cheers

Sully

 

[yardy]

is that foam ok with heat ?

 

[Sully]

is that foam ok with heat ?

have to investigate furthur. its was late last night when I thought about it.


cheers