How to change an "all-grain" recipe into a "partial" recipe?

I've brewed 15 or 20 extract beers and have had great success thanks to this forum!!! I now want to try my first partial mash beer. Is there an easy way to look at a all grain recipe and make it work as a partial recipe? I did a search but didnt find anything on it. Thanks!

Yes, it's pretty easy. You would keep all of the specialty grains, and then use some base malt (generally US 2-row for American style beers) in place of some of the extract. You'll want to mash as much grain as you can, so it's good to know approximately how much grain you can mash in your system.

A sort of rule of thumb guestimate is that 1 pound grain = .75 pounds LME = .6 pounds DME.

If a recipe had 10 pounds of 2-row, you could simply change it to something like this:
5 pounds 2- row
3 pounds DME (which be roughly equivalent to 5 pounds 2-row)

So, if you post the recipe we can convert it for you and show you how it's done.

First, figure out how much room you have to do a partial mash. For example, if you have a 2-gallon container. Then use this calculator to figure out how much grain you can mash: http://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml (the last one at the bottom of page).

So say you can fit in 4.25 lbs of grain. And you have 2 lbs of specialty. So then use 2.25 lbs of base malt (i.e. 2-row pale). Now make up for whatever is left using dry or liquid extract using the formula's provided in the response above.

Austin homebrew has an option to order their kits as "partial mash"

When I did PM, 5 lbs of 2 row to 3 lbs DME was my rule of thumb. I kept the specialty grains the same, and rounded off my mini-mash to 5 lbs of grain with 2 row as needed. I suggest adding that 2 row to your mini-mash to ensure all of your grains convert themselves to their full potential.

Run it through beersmith (or, if you want a free tool, beercalculus) to see if the expected FG and SRM match what you're looking for.

Thanks! I read the sticky on how easy it can be and I want to tackle it this weekend maybe. I usually boil in a 7 gal pot on a propane cooker but also have a 3 and 5 gal pot so it shouldn't be too difficult....I hope.

breez7 said:

Thanks! I read the sticky on how easy it can be and I want to tackle it this weekend maybe. I usually boil in a 7 gal pot on a propane cooker but also have a 3 and 5 gal pot so it shouldn't be too difficult....I hope.

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If you're doing Death Brewer's mash method I would suggest using the 3 gallon pot if you can fit your mash because the reduced headspace will help you maintain temp.

I have done this twice as stovetop partial boils and it has worked well both times and it's not difficult. When I do partial mash I do what Yooper suggested and just replace base grain with DME, but I just use beersmith and set the amount of grain I can fit and then increase the DME amount until I'm at my OG.