beergears

Recipes 

After my first semi-successful extract brew, I read and collected two BYO stories about countertop partial mashing and also “mini” mashing.

I am tempted to try it, as opposed to do another extract.

Searching around here I found some who did. I liked what Yooperbrew wrote -the bottling bucket and bag method.


Any others who like or liked the method?

__________________
You are looking at the hole in the doughnut and not the doughnut itself.
You primates are so predictable.

JnJ

Recipes 

I say go for it. It really isn't that hard.

__________________
Töpperwein Brewery

Funkenjaeger

Recipes 

I started partial mashing with a simple 2-gallon MLT based on this DIY article:
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/making-2-gallon-mini-mlt-19413/
It was very easy, a lot of fun, and when I finally went all-grain, I just bought a 5-gallon rubbermaid cooler for $16 and swapped the "guts" directly into it.

ohiobrewtus

Recipes 

Do whatever you're comfortable with, just get started! You will thank yourself once you're doing AG.

__________________

cd2448

Recipes 

+1 on that. although i haven't tasted the first partial mash beer yet, the hydro samples are tasting good. i won't be going AG for a while so this is a rewarding stop along the way!

__________________
new to the kegging lark.

TheJadedDog

Recipes 

I've been doing PM in a 5 gallon cooler for several months now. It's easy and the beer is much better.

__________________
And now we go AG!

On Tap: Nadda
Primary: Nadda
Planning: Extra Special Bitter

david_42

Recipes 

I like partial mashes, they're much faster than all grain. Maybe 40% of my brews are PM.

__________________
Remember one unassailable statistic, as explained by the late, great George Carlin: "Just think of how stupid the average person is, and then realize half of them are even stupider!"

9/9

Recipes 

I really like the idea of going to PM after a few extract brews as a stepping stone up to AG. I still want to get the hang of the extract brews first, but I will keep an eye on this thread.

Beerthoven

Recipes 

My last several beers have been AG, but I'm "going back" to PMs and Extract batches for some of my brews. I want to brew more than once a month and with two small kids and a full calendar of weekend activities that means brewing on weeknights so AG is not as attractive.

For my PM batches, I put the crushed grains in a large grain bag, heat the strike water (1.25 qts per pound) in a 13-qt stock pot on the stove, drop the grain bag in and mash on the stove top for about 45 minutes. For sparging, I heat enough sparge water in a separate pot to make 2.5 gallons total and add it to the main mash. Swish the grain bag around for 10 minutes or so and call it good.

This is my main boil, to which I add the hops. In the last 15 minutes I add the extract. Then cool (ice bath in the kitchen sink), pour into the fermenter, add top off water, aerate, pitch yeast, and still have time to catch the evening news before bed.

I don't do a full boil, or bother with my MLT or immersion chiller. If I'm going to do any of those, I may as well just do AG.

__________________

Primary/Secondary:

Kegged: #77 Newcastle Brown, #79 California Common, #80 Old Bushy Tail Special Bitter

Planned: American IPA, Dusseldorf Alt, American Amber

I use secondaries!

FatMonsters

Recipes 

Definitely go to PM. I made the jump a few batches ago. If you go the cooler route, like I did, just a suggestion but buy the larger cooler. The article pointed out doing it in a 2 gallon cooler, but I suggest buying the 5 gallon so you can move onto all-grain someday without buying another cooler

__________________
Drinking: Brown Ale, Belgian, Apple Ale
Planning: Scotch Ale, Stout