Mash tun

[Seanboy]

Im gathering up equipment to do all grain would this be a good mash tun?
http://www.adverts.ie/camping-outdoor-pursuits/42-ltr-cooler-box/1526204

[Rossa]

Yep.

[Ciderhead]

When I comes to mash tuns the best and biggest you can afford the better, at the end of the day they are just two skins injected with a polyurethane filler.
Tucan will tell us depending on the composition of the foam, mineral etc will determine how efficient it is especially trying to keeping your mash lose no temp up to a 75-90 minute mash.
Like everything in life you get what you pay for and product you linked will be perfectly adequate, I can't see if there is vent or exit valve?
if you have the money consider
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Coleman-36QT-Xtreme-Cooler-Celsius/dp/B002MUA3LC/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1360194446&sr=8-6 or similar

[johnrm]

Is that the yoke you've got John?
I need to upgrade.
"Darling, it will make for a GREAT Picnic!"

[Ciderhead]

yeah but I got free delivery as it was sold by amazon , even with monster beers never been able to fill it for 5 gal batches

[ColMack]

This is not a bad one either by the looks of it.  Decent price and free delivery.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thermos-Cool-Box-32-L/dp/B000TAOVY2/ref=pd_rhf_ee_s_cp_4_PV7D
or this one
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Coleman-Excursion-36Qt-Hard-Cooler/dp/B000G64I38/ref=pd_cp_sg_1

[Dr Jacoby]

When I comes to mash tuns the best and biggest you can afford the better

I'm not sure I agree with this. If you plan to do 20 litre batches, for example, a 60 litre coolerbox is not necessarily the right piece of kit because your grain bed will be quite shallow and will likely reduce your efficiency, sometimes by quite a bit. The 42 litre coolerbox should be fine for standard 20 litre batches though.

[mr hoppy]

Does anybody have any war stories about using expanding insulation foam to beef up the insulation properties of cheap, poorly insulated picnic boxes?

[mr hoppy]

When I comes to mash tuns the best and biggest you can afford the better

I'm not sure I agree with this. If you plan to do 20 litre batches, for example, a 60 litre coolerbox is not necessarily the right piece of kit because your grain bed will be quite shallow and will likely reduce your efficiency, sometimes by quite a bit. The 42 litre coolerbox should be fine for standard 20 litre batches though.

How do you think this applies to batch sparging? A lot of internet pundits suggest that it doesn't make any difference, but I've also seen comments that it impacts heat retention.

[Ciderhead]

When I comes to mash tuns the best and biggest you can afford the better

I'm not sure I agree with this. If you plan to do 20 litre batches, for example, a 60 litre coolerbox is not necessarily the right piece of kit because your grain bed will be quite shallow and will likely reduce your efficiency, sometimes by quite a bit. The 42 litre coolerbox should be fine for standard 20 litre batches though.

I should have qualified my comments, I posted to a 37 litre coolbox and that gives me more that enough headroom for 25 litres and will maintain temp even down to "light" 20 Litre batches

Using a 60 litre coolbox for 20 litre batches is obviously not advisable.

[Dr Jacoby]

How do you think this applies to batch sparging? A lot of internet pundits suggest that it doesn't make any difference, but I've also seen comments that it impacts heat retention.

It's a good question and I don't have a ready made answer. I just know from personal experience, and the experiences of brewing friends, that when you mash small batches in an oversized coolerbox your efficiency tends to drop off, sometimes to a very significant degree. I've tested this on numerous occasions on my own system and the result is always the same. My efficiency drops from about 70-75% down to about 60% when I mash mid strength 20 litre batches in a 60 coolerbox.

Ciderhead, I had a feeling I was reading you a bit uncharitably but I thought I'd make the point just in case anyone misunderstood what you were saying 

[mr hoppy]

My efficiency drops from about 70-75% down to about 60% when I mash mid strength 20 litre batches in a 60 coolerbox.

That sounds familiar. I've two smallish tuns (20l and 27l) and I split the mash between the two to do a 5.5kg grist. I often get about 70% efficiency but my efficiency came in about 60% this time,

[Ciderhead]

Ciderhead, I had a feeling I was reading you a bit uncharitably but I thought I'd make the point just in case anyone misunderstood what you were saying 

No offence taken, I spent hours looking for the right Picnic cooler size as there was little or no advice out there and you are absolutely right to correct me. I would conclude that depending on your desired AbV 35-45l  is the optimal size for 5 gal batch.
My efficiency runs between 70 and 80, but got an 85 once which is fine if you are expecting it 
I fly sparge but gather from american sites no major difference vs properly done batch sparge.

[Snuff]

My efficiency drops from about 70-75% down to about 60% when I mash mid strength 20 litre batches in a 60 coolerbox.

That sounds familiar. I've two smallish tuns (20l and 27l) and I split the mash between the two to do a 5.5kg grist. I often get about 70% efficiency but my efficiency came in about 60% this time,

I use a small tun, think it is under 25l, not sure. I batch sparge twice to get 27l in the boiler and generally my efficiency is above 75%. Don't see the need to go any larger.

[ColMack]

My efficiency drops from about 70-75% down to about 60% when I mash mid strength 20 litre batches in a 60 coolerbox.

That sounds familiar. I've two smallish tuns (20l and 27l) and I split the mash between the two to do a 5.5kg grist. I often get about 70% efficiency but my efficiency came in about 60% this time,

I use a small tun, think it is under 25l, not sure. I batch sparge twice to get 27l in the boiler and generally my efficiency is above 75%. Don't see the need to go any larger.

Snuff, how do you do it?  I too have a small mash tun am aiming to produce approx 23L batches to fill a corny and 6-8 bottles.  I use approx 12L of water for mash (2.5L/Kg) and 2 X 10L for sparge but almost always end up with 19L at the end.  That was why I was looking at the larger mash tun.