Going partial mash....is there a cooler in my future? (and an AG bonus Q:)

So I want to do a partial mash brew, it'll likely be an AHS kit. According to the AHS site, all I'll need is a reusable nylon grain bag (which I have) and longer steeping time. Would a cooler improve efficiency, or help in any way with partial mash brewing?

Bonus Q:
I eventually want to go all grain (hence wanting the cooler now). I am thinking of getting a 3gal better bottle (or two) and doing 2.5gal AG batches so that I can do a full boil in my 5gal pot on my weakling of an electric stove (bigger pot not an option). Then, maybe brew 2 half batches of the same beer (each in own 3gal BB) and combine into a 5gal secondary.

My main reason to go AG is to save money in the long run, since grain is WAY cheaper than LME or DME, and SWMBO put me on a yearly brewing budget.

Thoughts on this system?

I started with PM in my bottling bucket and a grain bag. It worked fine, except it did lose alot of heat. I wrapped it in a sleeping bag, but then decided a cooler was more efficient.

A cooler is not that much money and you can put your own ball valve on it. Walmart has the Ice cube cooler for $27.00 and you can use the SS braid. Pots loose to much heat as a mash-tun and you really want to have all your mash in one container.

Alright, looks like there IS a cooler in my future. Any advice on using said cooler for 2.5 gal all grain brews?

WBC said:

Pots loose to much heat as a mash-tun and you really want to have all your mash in one container.

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Not if you put it in a pre-heated oven. I do 60-70 minute mashes and barely lose any heat when I take a post mash temp. Granted a cooler does typically make a better vessel, but a pot is not a death sentence.

Good thinking with the pre-heated oven, I wouldn't have thought of that. I use an igloo icebox I got from Target for $20. I think it is about 52quart which will be plenty large enough for batch sizes of 2.5gal. Don't think you'll be getting away -that- cheap though cause you'll need to buy the ball valve and other hardware which will probably end up costing you another 25 dollars. Also if your only doing 2.5g batches you can probably save money on a smaller cooler, but you will have to upgrade to a larger cooler if you ever decide to go to 5 or 10 gallon batch sizes. Good luck with whatever you choose.

The pre-heated oven is a good idea, except that I don't know if the plastic parts on the handle of my pot are heat-resistant enough to stand up to oven.

Well the oven shouldn't be more than 155 or so degrees right, I doubt that would be hot enough to melt any of the plastic.

Valid point, the plastic is resistant enough to be on a hot pot, I suppose it should stand up to the oven at that temperature. I'll give it a try (carefully)!

I set ours to 170 (the lowest it will go), then shut it off as it hits ~160, allowing for a few degrees drop opening the door and putting the pot in.

The plastic handles that go on cookware should have no issue with this, I used to work in the plastics industry.

carl spakler said:

Not if you put it in a pre-heated oven. I do 60-70 minute mashes and barely lose any heat when I take a post mash temp. Granted a cooler does typically make a better vessel, but a pot is not a death sentence.

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That's fine foe a small batch but if you accidently go too high temp your effort is lost. It is very hard to control low temperature (150F to 153F) in an oven.

patrck17 said:

... Don't think you'll be getting away -that- cheap though cause you'll need to buy the ball valve and other hardware which will probably end up costing you another 25 dollars. Also if your only doing 2.5g batches you can probably save money on a smaller cooler, but you will have to upgrade to a larger cooler if you ever decide to go to 5 or 10 gallon batch sizes. Good luck with whatever you choose.

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You don't need a ball valve - just use a inline plastic valve or some sort of clamp on the end of the hose. Ball valves are nice, but not necessary.

You are spot-on about a bigger cooler - I started with a 10 gallon unit and I'm glad I did. You won't regret getting the big one.