More effective PM technique

Ok, so I'm a noob and still haven't made the jump to AG yet, but I'm working on making good lists and pricing things out.

I recently started PM brewing and just needed some input to see if this method will work.

Last time I brewed, I used a few grain bags and steeped them in my pot of 154º water (1.25 qts/lb grain), turned off the heat and wrapped it up with a towel to keep it warm. I'd like to try a method with less heat loss this time. I have a small Ice Cube cooler that I figure I could use to maintain temperatures, but it's not drilled and doesn't have any holes in it.

I thought that I'd heat it up with hot water, then dump it, mix the grain and water in it, then let it mash for an hour or so. Following that, I'd dump all of it into a colander filled with either a paint strainer or grain bag and then sparge through that.

Does that seem like an acceptable option?

Thanks, still learning!

Get comfortable and prepare yourself for some reading:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=8805&highlight=mini+mash

I made a mini-mash tun (back when I was PMing) from a 2 gallon Igloo cooler (about $10 @ Walmart) and pieced together a ball valve bulkhead similar to what FlyGuy has done on a 10 gallon Rubbermaid cooler. Same SS braid, etc. With a 2 gallon MLT, my typical grain bill was about 4-4.5 lbs. You are doing all grain on a smaller scale

This should get you on the right track!

The easiest way to PM is to get a Very Large Grain Bag. I paid about $10 for mine. Originally I purchased it for making blackberry cider. Much easier than using a strainer (I've been that route). Mash in the cooler and heat up your sparge water in your kettle. Lift the bag out and teabag it in the kettle. Add the mash water.

flyangler18 said:

Get comfortable and prepare yourself for some reading:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=8805&highlight=mini+mash

I made a mini-mash tun (back when I was PMing) from a 2 gallon Igloo cooler (about $10 @ Walmart) and pieced together a ball valve bulkhead similar to what FlyGuy has done on a 10 gallon Rubbermaid cooler. Same SS braid, etc. With a 2 gallon MLT, my typical grain bill was about 4-4.5 lbs. You are doing all grain on a smaller scale

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I'm not willing to put the time, effort and money into making a mini mash tun when in a few more batches I'll be moving to larger equipment for AG, but thanks for the input.

David - thanks for the suggestion. That seems like it's probably a good plan and won't require any extra equipment.

My advice is not to try sparging through grains in the colander but rather batch sparge it. I've done small countertop mashes that would otherwise qualify as a PM if I had added any DME and topped off and I've hit 95% efficiency.

So, mash in any vessel you like, bucket, cooler, pot, etc. Put your 5 gallon nylon paint strainer bag in the vessel and drape it over the sides. Add your water and grain and stir well. After your 60 minute mash is over, pull the bag out and put it into another vessel that already has 180F sparge water in it. Again, drape the bag over the sides and stir up the grain/water for 5 minutes. Pull that out and now combine the two worts into your boil kettle. You could do that last step twice with smaller volumes to go for ultimate efficiency but it's not all that important in a partial mash.

When you think about it, you can make your second sparge vessel your boil kettle so that when you pull out the bag of grain, you're ready to start heating without transfering too much.

check out the link in my sig. it's the easiest, smoothest, cleanest way to do partial mash (or even small batch AG) brewing IMO.

DB is right. His thread describes what I just typed much better.

you could also use a digital thermomentor with a wire probe that you can get from target for about $15. Drop the probe in the pot that's on the stove. Keep the stove set to low and have therm alarm set for dropping to a degree below your target mash temp. Turn the heat up a little and reset your therm temp for a degree above your target mash temp. Continue to do this until your mash is done. It's more hands on but it should get the job done until you switch to AG. Also, that therm will come in handy no matter what method of brewing you are doing.

I'm not willing to put the time, effort and money into making a mini mash tun when in a few more batches I'll be moving to larger equipment for AG, but thanks for the input.

Click to expand...

Really, you're looking a minimal expense (probably about $20 total). When you upgrade to a full size MLT, pull the bulkhead and SS braid configuration and move it into your new cooler. At that stage, you're only out the $10 for the small cooler. That said, you could also do PMs in a 5 gallon MLT.

flyangler18 said:

Really, you're looking a minimal expense (probably about $20 total). When you upgrade to a full size MLT, pull the bulkhead and SS braid configuration and move it into your new cooler. At that stage, you're only out the $10 for the small cooler. That said, you could also do PMs in a 5 gallon MLT.

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I was thinking the exact same thing. You can even save the original spigot from the small cooler, and re-install it when you move the bulkhead and braid to the large MLT. Then you aren't out $10 even -- just ahead one 2 gal cooler.

FWIW, I have done PM brews and small AG brews in a pot with a colander, also with a nylon bag, and then with a cooler with a nylon bag. All were a PITA. I eventually installed a SS braid in my small cooler and that by far worked the best.

I was thinking the exact same thing. You can even save the original spigot from the small cooler, and re-install it when you move the bulkhead and braid to the large MLT. Then you aren't out $10 even -- just ahead one 2 gal cooler.

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Even better. The 'Fly' guys stick together.

I have done a countertop PM like DBs method- and it rocks as well!

DeathBrewer's post is rockin. :rockin:

I've done an AG with his method before and am planning to do a AG 3 gal IPA soon to screw around with fermenting in a corny. Last time I did it I got 80% efficiency with a single lazy sparge. Stirring it like you are mad at it would get even more sugars out.

The cooler method would work, but you'll have to figure out your temp loss by doing a few trials with your strike volume and measuring the temp loss after 5 or 10 minutes. With a 5 gal batch, I lose 9 or 10 degrees from my strike temp in my 48qt Igloo, with a PM the volume is smaller so you'll lose even more than that. If you are off your target too far it's hard to adjust the temp without mashing too thin which will result in a thin, dry beer.

Thanks for all the input. I don't mean to come off as a *****, but I'm just not willing to go out and buy a cooler to do a couple PM brews, and space in my apartment is at a premium. What it really comes down to is me being lazy and not wanting to run to home depot and walmart, and then disassemble and reassemble a cooler to do something that I could do nearly as easily without all of that effort.

that's why you just need two pots and a bag

Listen *****, you don't need a cooler.

Seriously, try the lazy sparge in any old vessel a few times and decide what to do next.

Yeah, I'm gonna try that. It seems easy enough and doesn't require extra equipment. If I was going to be doing this permanently, or even long term, I'd be doing it properly, but the lazy sparge sounds ideal!