Mash tun questions please help!

Hey guys, i have been searching the web for a few days now and still can't find the exact answers to my questions. i apologize if this has already come up or if i post in the wrong place.
i am new to all grain brewing, have been doing extract for a while. i want to make a mash tun from a cooler, like many posts i have seen.

here goes the questions.
1. The designs i have been looking at some of them look like the liquid flow is going up, if there a siphon created? if not how does the liquid flow through. i ask because most of the coolers i have looked at the drain hole is about an inch from the bottom. (aside from the colman extreme).
2. i was looking at coolers and i just cant decide. i mainly do 5 gallon batches but i want to eventually move to 10. some people say save money and buy larger others say you don't want the grain bed too shallow. comments on that and best cooler size and model suggestions will be much appreciated.
3. Next what type of sparging should i do and why. i was planning on using a copper manifold cause a few people have said that works best, but i haven't purchased anything yet. again comments and suggestions much appreciated.

This is a great way to start
http://hbd.org/cascade/dennybrew/
this describes batch sparging, it works great.

I mostly brew big beers and fly sparge because I don't have enough room to batch sparge in my cooler.
You want a min of 10 gal for your mash tun.

You mention 5 gal looking at 10 (maybe) in the future, but you didn't say anything about the strength of beer you wish to brew.  This impacts how much space you need for grain in the mash tun.

What do you have around the house that you can use?

Fred

Check out John Palmer's "How to Brew" http://howtobrew.com/section3/chapter17-2.html

John's got some simple explanations of what you can (or at least suggestions) do to make your new mashing life easier

asneeze531 said:

here goes the questions.
1. The designs i have been looking at some of them look like the liquid flow is going up, if there a siphon created? if not how does the liquid flow through. i ask because most of the coolers i have looked at the drain hole is about an inch from the bottom. (aside from the colman extreme).

Click to expand...

Yes there is a siphon created. There will be some liquid left in the MT, but that can be accounted for in the software.

2. i was looking at coolers and i just cant decide. i mainly do 5 gallon batches but i want to eventually move to 10. some people say save money and buy larger others say you don't want the grain bed too shallow. comments on that and best cooler size and model suggestions will be much appreciated.

Click to expand...

First let me say, I have 2. One for regular batches, and one for large 5G and anything else. As BonJour explained, the size and strength of the batch does mater. My rule of thumb is 4-12 inches of grain depth because my small MT wont handle more than 12 inches. If I have 12 inches grain depth in my small mt it will displace about 5 inches in my large MT.

3. Next what type of sparging should i do and why. i was planning on using a copper manifold cause a few people have said that works best, but i haven't purchased anything yet. again comments and suggestions much appreciated.

Click to expand...

Start with batch sparging, because it requires very little extra equipment. I helped build a friend a manifold just this past weekend. We used one of his existing coolers, and bought about $30 worth of copper/parts.

Cheers
Preston