Mashing in a Kettle

[twentynothing20]

Ok, so I am planning out my first all grain brew. They guy at beer and grow in Chicago convinced me to get two 15 g kettles, one for the mash tun one for the boiling (Claiming its most sensible for large batches and doing different temps for mashing). I plan on making both 5 g batches and eventually 10. Here are a few questions of mine:

1) Upon reading alot of these forums it seems a cooler mash makes the most sense. Do I have to maintain a constant temp during my sparging in my kettle? I do have a false bottom on it. I feel like it would be pretty difficult to be fly sparging and trying to maintain my temp in the Mash tun (turning heat on and off/sparging). This brings me back to another question.

2) Will the depth of a 5g batch in a 15g mash tun with about a 3 inch false bottom be too low (and wide) to mash in?

3) When it comes to the sparge water I have an old 5g pot I'm using for holding the sparge water (I have one burner and I plan to brew outside, right now its cold). SO, Will it be a pain in the ass to keep the sparge water at its correct temperature AND the mash tun (Kettle) at its correct temperature? It seems like an effective solution would be two coolers for mashing and sparge and obviously the 15g kettle for the boil.

3) Should I just return the kettle and get a 10g cooler as my mash tun already?

If theres a way to improve my setup or give me solutions to my current setup up, please share. I appreciate the response

 

[iijakii]

Your false bottom has 3" of deadspace? That's going to be a LOT of the water for a 5gal mash. Either lower your stand and use a diptube, or yeah get something else. It'd be if you did 10gal, but for 5 you're going to have some real deadspace issues.

 

[sawbossFogg]

Dude, you got like 40 questions here. I say commit to the 10 gallon setup you were sold. Continue reading, mash, sparge, chill, aerate, and pitch a good crop. Then decide how you want to rack, condition and dispense and great beer awaits.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Brewing a 5 gallon batch with a 15 gallon MT with 3" below the FB in the winter, outdoors in Chicago will likely be a problem! From your description, that MT needs a 10 gallon batch to counter the large deadspace below the FB.

You could build a cooler, or perhaps mash indoors in your 5 gal pot with a paint strainer, dunk sparge the bag in your 15 gal kettle waiting outside and boil outside.

Simplest approach to brewing 5 gallon batches, would be to get a cooler MT, or just BIAB w/ your 15 gal kettle, or commit and make a leap to 10 gallon batches.

 

[smyrnaquince]

+1
If you are going to mash in the kettle, might as well BIAB!

 

[DeeEnvy]

+2.
BIAB eliminates the need for a mash tun and extra cleanup.
Only one kettle is needed along with your fermenter. Very cost effective.