Is this worth it?

[calderp]

I can get one of these for $50: http://homestore3.com/igkoolmat40t.html It says the max warm temp is 155 which seems perfect for mashing. However, I already have a 12gal cooler, do people think this is worth the money or is the igloo cooler just as effective?

[larin1477]

Id stick with your igloo...and buy that if you need a mini fridge for your bottles of homebrew....it would fit nicley right next to a recliner...wont have to go far for a beer...lol

[kujo]

You still need to steep the grain anyway, so I'm not sure this buys you much. You still have to heat the water anyway, and dump it in. And those coolers are wonderfully insulated. I never had a problem holding mash temps in a coleman cooler. Much better at holding temps than the kegs we use now (the kegs have other benefits - but it *is* a trade off).

If this solution would solve some problem for you that you have now, maybe it's worth it, but I can't see what that would be.... ? Think through how your process works now, and how this would change it.

[Otis_The_Drunk]

if you would pre-heat your cooler with HOT water for one Hour, you can hold your temps with in a degree or so...

[kujo]

heh.

Damn - I *always* forget to do that.

[calderp]

Yea, I guess it's unnecessary, I just looked it up and saw the max temp was 155 and thought it looked like a cool toy but you guys have convinced me to save my money. Thanks.