Question on traditional AG

Is the HLT really needed? Couldn't you just get away with a MLT and BK? Do any people out there do this?

Where does the hot water come from? If your mash water comes from the kettle and the first runnings go back in, you still need a source of sparge water.

I've only done one batch so far, but I just drained my first runnings into a bottling bucket until the BK was available again.

Sure, that'll work. An hlt simply makes things faster and more convenient.

I don't use a HLT, and I just started AG brewing. I don't have a HLT mostly because I would rather brew at the moment rather than invest in even more equipment. Here's my setup for mashing:

10 gal Mash Tun
10.5 gal brew kettle
5 gal "HLT" (My old brew pot)
Tupperware lid
2qt pitcher

In the 10.5 gal kettle, I prepare my strike water. After dough in, I use the 5 gal pot to heat my sparge water. After fist runnings, I drain the mash tun into the 10.5 brew kettle, while fly sparging water from the 5 gal pot into the tun (with the pitcher pouring over the tupperware lid, as to not disturb the grain bed).

Is this perfect? No. I have only brewed one AG batch so far, and I had to return the sparge water to the burner to bring the water back to temp. A HLT would correct this and keep a stable temp.

Hope this helps.

That's virtually identical to my own setup, with the addition of another 3 gal pot.