First Mash Tun Batch, NEED HELP...

I have been an avid Extract Homebrewer for over 15 years, and am now getting ready to make the step to an All Grain Batch. I figured I would start off slowly though and do a Partial Grain Batch first. So I found an alomost new 48 qt. Cooler in the basement(One of the rectangular Colman ones), and I want to convert it into a Mash tun. But, I have a few questions first.
http://learntobrew.samsbiz.com/tab0/store/item/yzah/Brewing_Equipment/Picnic_Cooler/Mash_Tun_Conversion_Kit.html

I have found this link URL="http://learntobrew.samsbiz.com/tab0/store/item/yzah/Brewing_Equipment/Picnic_Cooler/Mash_Tun_Conversion_Kit.html"]http://learntobrew.samsbiz.com/tab0/store/item/yzah/Brewing_Equipment/Picnic_Cooler/Mash_Tun_Conversion_Kit.html[/URL]
That will be my first mash tun. My question is, how important is it to keep the temperature at a constant whatever??? I will be boiling it anyhow, so why does the wort need to be at a certain temperature?

The wort needs to be at a certain temperature so that the enzymes the operate at those temperatures can convert the starch of the grain into sugars...otherwise there will be no food for your yeast to convert into alcohol.

Also, you sig is a bit large...I actually have to scroll for half the page just to read the message side-to-side...

I'll take care of the Sig. Thanks for the reply. :rockin:

Still to big. DAG NABBIT!!!

Holding the temperature is pretty important, but if you can hold it within 5 or 10 degrees of 150 for at least half an hour, you'll do OK. A cooler works fine. The mash and starch to sugar conversion practically happens automatically with modern 2-row malt.

The more neglected part is setting yourself up with a good way to sparge. You need to be able to flow hot water gently onto the top of the mash and trickle the flow out the bottom of the mash tun. You really won't be happy with the results if you try to shortchange the sparge by, say, heating water in a pot and then scooping it onto the top of the mash with a saucepan. It'll stir everything up too much. Slow, gentle and nice and hot are the key elements of sparging.

Good luck! Cheers

My idea was to heat the Mash in my Boil Pan, then once all my mashing is done, pour everyting into my Mash Tun/Cooler. Sparge back into my Boil Pain, then go from there.


Is this not how most All Grain Brewers get started? Or should I just forgo all that and keep brewing with my extract recipes and wait until my All Grain System is built and go from there?

No, you want to mash in your cooler by heating water in your kettle and dumping it in with the grain into the cooler. (so eg, you heat water to 170F, add it to grain and it all ends up about 150F) That's infusion mashing. Applying heat directly to the grain is much more problematic.

Then you sparge into your kettle from the cooler. No problem there. So you can do it with the two vessels, but you want to leave the mash in the cooler from the get-go, do infusion mashes, and not disturb the grain bed.

Cheers

But that still doesn't address sparging...

You should get another cooler to use as a hot liquor tank and a Phil's Sparge arm...then you're set.

Now you guys are really confusing me. So, Just keep up with the extract brewing until my All Grain System is complete then.

...besause if I am going to have to get a Hot Liquer Tank, then I might as well go from scratch and build it right with 3 empty Kegs, a pump, Thermometers, and copper tubing.

i figured to keep it simple with the cooler thing until the 3 keg system is done, I would use the Mash Tun/Cooler for a Mash tun Until all is right for a Full Grain Batch. Now I am not so certain.

What about batch sparging? Google dennybrew, and there is a good link on Batch Sparging, which is a poor man's ( or a beginner's way) to sparge until you get way fancy and use the sparge arm. I'm planning on using this method my first time next weekend. I hear it's less efficient, but you can use a little more grain and get the job done. Follow the links on that page and it'll give you some interesting info on the setup and science behind it all. I'll let you know how mine goes.

RLinNH...how do you plan to sparge?

Your setup sounds fine... just do the mash in the cooler as I mentioned earlier and sparge as gently as possible however you do it.

It's definitely worth a go. Then you'll know more what you're after with your 3-keg system.

Cheers

RLinNH.

My set up is pretty simple and cheap to build, click my link.

The equipment I use is very similar to Orfy's. I just use the HLT to heat the sparge water which I then put in a cooler box which frees my HLT to be used as a boiler. I'll take a photo or two next time I'm brewing.

I'd very much like to build a system like many of you guys have but I doubt I'll ever get around to it. I also doubt I'd see much improvement in the taste of the beer!

/Phil.

I guess it's like a lot of things. when you get to a certain level then 100% in effort and cost may only return a 10% gain.

Batch sparging is certainly an option without any additional equipment (assuming you have another pot to heat water in). Runoff your mash into your kettle, add another batch of water ~170-175F to your coolertun, then run that off into your kettle. There are assuredly pros and cons to both batch and fly sparging, but no hard requirement for having the equipment to execute a fly sparge in order to do an AG batch of beer.

For an introduction to mashing and sparging, see two sources:

> Zymurgy's "Great Grain Issue" compares different methods.
http://www.store.beertown.org/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=16&cat=Zymurgy
$9.50 + S&H

> Phil Listermann's "Wanna Mash?"
http://www.listermann.com/Store/WannaMash.asp

Start with the Listemann guide. Then buy the Great Grain Issue, which is almost a complete introductory book on homebrewing in itself, with good photos.

Good luck.

tom