idigg

Recipes 

So my last all grain I mashed in my kitchen while my wife was sleeping during the day. She woke up and could smell the grain throughout the house and needless to say she was pissed.

I have an alley garage, and was thinking of moving my operation outside, but was curious if it will be too cold in my garage? Will my mash temp drop from 152 to 140 or something over 60min?

Anyone have any real world experience? Temperatures will be around 20-25*F and probably 35*F in my garage.

TIA
justin

FenderSteve

Recipes 

What are you using as a mash tun?

idigg

Recipes 

48 quart coleman cooler

Hethen57

Recipes 

I have been mashing all winter in my un heated shop with temps as low 25 degrees in there, and my Coleman Extreme seems to maintain temps within a few degrees. I stand around my burners like they were a camp fire trying to stay warm (drinking home brew of course). At first I was wrapping my cooler in a sleeping bag, but I don't think it added anything, so I quit doing that. It does take me a little longer to get the water up to temp, but not a big deal.

BeardedSquash

Recipes 

Man, I got lucky with my wife. I had to move the brewing to the garage when I went all grain and my wife has been trying to find a way to get it back inside because she misses the smell of malt and hops boiling.

idigg

Recipes 

Well then, I'm going to try it out saturday in the cold garage! I'm going to have to huddle around that flame and drink some IPA's - thanks

Homercidal

Recipes 

I have mashed in the garage before and yes it drops more than in the summer, but only by a degree or few. I'd recommend taking an old blanket out with you and covering it well during the rest. I don't think it will be a problem then.

Qeelin

Recipes 

My wife's not a beer drinker but she loves the smell of me brewing, until I add the hops. She can't stand the smell of hops.

__________________
Ravenwood
Brewhaus & Meadery

"A good beer will sell itself" -Kosmos Spoetzl

Fermenting:
Bottled: Fireside Ale, Blackberry Melomel
Kegged:
On Deck: Fireside Clone

starrfish

Recipes 

I currently use an uninsulated bucket as a mash tun. An old sleeping bag does help with heat loss, if you do have an issue make sure all sides (including underside) is covered by sleeping bag. I've even bungeed it to bucket to keep a tighter thermal area around the bucket.

__________________
Yankee Sand Flea on a Southern Beach.

“Son, you are a walking violation of the laws of nature, but you’re lucky, we don't enforce them laws.”

lalnx

Recipes 

My wife also hates the smell, I too brew in the garage. In the winter time I will mash in the house though. First I bring my cooler in and stick it in the bath tub, run some hot water in it to pre heat it some, (it's been in the cold garage) start my mash/sparge water in pots on the stove, and grind my grains. When I'm ready to mash, on goes the bathroom exhaust fan, in goes the water and grains. An hour later, in goes my first sparge water addition, stir the crap out of it, and then one of the kids helps me carry it to the garage for draining.

Keeping it in the bathroom, with the fan on keeps the odor down to a minimum.