Interest in countertop partial mashing...

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?

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

I started partial mashing with a simple 2-gallon MLT based on this DIY article:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=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.

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

Funkenjaeger said:

I started partial mashing with a simple 2-gallon MLT based on this DIY article:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=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.

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+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!

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

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

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.

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.

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

Re: cooler size. I made the mini 2gallon cooler MLT, mostly because I see AG down the line somewhere, and from what I'm reading you want a 10g cooler for that, so rather than buy a 5g for PM then want a 10g for AG, I spent the $10 on a 2g cooler. My understanding was that 10g was too big for these small PMs, now I don't know, some PMs need more grain and water than I can accomodate!

Another false economy, like that 22 quart brew kettle. Great work Einstein.

I did a mini mash. It's easy and requires no extra equiptment. I just had to hold the temperature steady for a while with a huge grain bag in there. I would recommend a strainer that fits on top of your brew pot without having to hold it.

Since both have been mentioned in this thread, I will ask. What is the difference between partial mash and mini mash?

There isn't one really. Some people confuse partial and mini mashed with steeping specialty grains, but really they are both the same thing: mashing a portion of your grain (base malt and specialty) to obtain some fermentables and making up the rest with extract.

cd2448 said:

My understanding was that 10g was too big for these small PMs, now I don't know, some PMs need more grain and water than I can accomodate!

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I use a 10 gal round cooler for my PM and it works fine. I am going to go all-grain shortly, but went with the 10 gal so that I would be ready after I had practiced a few of the PMs. I have a bigger temp drop from the strike water temp, which I compensate for, but other than that I have not noticed any isses with PMing in the 10 gal cooler.

The 2 gal will work just fine!!

My biggest problem thus far with the method that BYO showcased with the 2 gallon jug is finding a large enough grain bag. I have a 15" x 8" bag that barely fits it all and does not offer much "breathing room" for the water. I have not had much luck finding anything bigger at the two local stores near me. Is there a DIY workaround?

a 5 gallon paint straining bag from Lowes/HD. $3 for TWO OF THEM.

B

I like it! But will that be too big to work with my little 2 gallon cooler?

i did it once in the oven, and once on the stove although with stove mashing i had to check and adjust temp every 5 minutes to prevent heatloss. It was one of my better brews (IPA) but its a pain. Using the cooler method is much nicer

holjim said:

My biggest problem thus far with the method that BYO showcased with the 2 gallon jug is finding a large enough grain bag. I have a 15" x 8" bag that barely fits it all and does not offer much "breathing room" for the water. I have not had much luck finding anything bigger at the two local stores near me. Is there a DIY workaround?

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I dunno what the size is but the large grain bag at my lhbs has always worked fine with my 2 gallon cooler, especially with the steamer in the bottom of it.

bad coffee said:

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That was a fantastic suggestion! My too-small grain bag was like six bucks at the LHBS and didn't do the job. This 5-gallon bad boy (in a two-pack for under 4 bucks!!!) worked like a rock star!

Best four bucks I've spent brewing by far!

Thanks so much for the suggestion!!!:rockin: