simcoe26

Recipes 

So I am getting two kegs for real cheap and I plan on converting them. I was wondering if I should make one a HLT and one a boil kettle and then use a cooler as a mash tun. Or make one a mash tun and one a boil kettle and just use the boil kettle as the boil and HLT/sparge tank

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In First: Empty
In Second:Empty
Bottled: IncrediPale Ale (dry hopped pale ale)
Kegged: Gumballhead Clone
Next: Perfecting the dry hopped pale ale

maussy

Recipes 

Right now I have one keggle as a boil kettle and 2 cooler for HLT and mash tun. I'm planning on making another keggle for a HLT.

simcoe26

Recipes 

My big thing is I want to be able to heat my mash tun so I can step mash but I only have two kegs so would it be a problem using one as dual purpose or would it be too cumbersome

__________________
In First: Empty
In Second:Empty
Bottled: IncrediPale Ale (dry hopped pale ale)
Kegged: Gumballhead Clone
Next: Perfecting the dry hopped pale ale

maussy

Recipes 

I'm pretty new to AG but that sounds like a headache to use one keggle as a boil kettle and HLT.

Transamguy77

Recipes 

I just finished making a 3 vessel system using 3 kegs, my thinking was the same on heating the mash tun and I love it. Do you have a large pot that you could use for a HLT for now? You are only heating up like 8 ish gallons at a time even for 10 gallon batches.

Although the only difference is a false bottom which you could always add later and mash in something else for now.

theonetrueruss

Recipes 

I'd go with the boil and hlt as keggles and the mash tun as an ice chest. I have stainless kettles for HLT and Boil but still use an ice chest for mash and it has worked out well enough that upgrading my mashtun (though something I want to do) is not high priority.

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TheOneTrueRuss
Fat Messiah Brewing

simcoe26

Recipes 

I was curious about how big a beer you can do in a ice chest. Does it limit you at all

__________________
In First: Empty
In Second:Empty
Bottled: IncrediPale Ale (dry hopped pale ale)
Kegged: Gumballhead Clone
Next: Perfecting the dry hopped pale ale

fall-line

Recipes 

It all depends on how big of a cooler you get. See here

Lots of people are using lots of different types of coolers (all shapes and sizes) for mashing, with great success.

Personally I'd go with a cooler MLT and use your kegs for HLT and BK for now, but we all know that you'll be keeping an eye out for that third keg soon.

fall-line

Recipes 

Also, I've done some 2 vessel brewing in the past where a single large pot served as the MLT and BK, and I used a 10gallon cooler for my MLT. It worked great!

Heat the strike water, mash in. While mashing is happening, heat the sparge water. Sparge. Transfer back to BK and boil.

If you want to just stick to 2 vessels, you could absolutely do it this way.

AngryHobbitBrewing

Recipes 

I just purchased two kegs that i should be getting tomorrow, after extensive reading i have decided to use them as an HLT and a BK for now because i will be using an old 150 qt cooler for my MLT that way i can make bigger beers such as a weizenbock or old ales without having to worry about running out of room in my MLT for a 10 gallon 28lb grain bill.

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Angry Hobbit Brew Co.
Zach Mahdak
Let's Drink!!