First crack at PM

Hey guys,

So i'm planning on brewing my first partial mash batch pretty soon. This article is a godsend.http://***********/feature/1536.html

I understand the process, but i'm still unsure of which ingredients i should be choosing for the mash. Im thinking i would like to make an ale, or maybe even a somewhat modest IPA. something good for hot weather. Point me in the right direction please?

Also a little random question..What does mashing grains in a separate vessel do for the beer that steeping them in the kettle doesn't? Is it just a difference in the grains used?

For a partial mash, you want a few pounds of base grain, say 3lbs of 2-row, and all of your specialty grains.

You can do this in the kettle, but the reason people don't is because it can become quite a large amount of grain to remove from the kettle, when you can just drain the liquid out from a cooler, you also don't want any ramnants behind, and a cooler with a manifold or false bottom keeps all the grain bits behind.

Steeping gets color and a small amount of flavor from the grains, mashing converts the starch in the grain into fermentable sugar by holding it at optimum enzymatic reaction temps for a specific amount of time.

The Kluster Kreme recipe in that article is pretty much the best batch of beer I've made so far. And it's light and summery. I highly recommend it!