Beginner - Question about setup.

[cgpitcher]

Hi everyone,

I have a setup question. I have 2 8 gallon kettles, both fitted with temp gauges and a large pot for boiling. I dont have the Mashtun cooler that most seem to use. I have 2 questions.

1) Can i use one of the 8 gallon kettles as my Mashtun?
2) If answer to the 1) is yes, then given that it is not a cooler, can i keep the mashtun on my heat source at the constant temperature for the mash-in?

 

[Nagorg]

1) Yes you can. But thermal loss would be the concern as you have noted on question 2.
2) This is a harder question to answer without knowing more about the kettles but generally this is not a good idea without a really good way to regulate the temp inside the mash. The biggest risks are with scorch potential as well as overshooting mash temp.

The best way to use a kettle for the mash is to incorporate RIMS or HERMS into your system which also requires a pump. A cooler would be a cheaper investment. (Why so many of us use coolers...) But, more power to you if you want to do this!

 

[RM-MN]

1. Yes.
2. Questionable as heat does not circulate in the grain as it would in just plain water so it is really easy to overheat the bottom.
3. Put a bag (paint strainer works well, there are better bags available) into the pot of water when you reach strike temp and stir your grains into that. Insulate the pot with a sleeping bag, overcoat, reflectix, or whatever you have available. Ignore it for your mash period. The mash period that matters is during conversion which depends on how well your grain is crushed. Give it an hour for your first few batches and then decide if you want to try a shorter mash.

 

[Nagorg]

Put a bag (paint strainer works well, there are better bags available) into the pot of water when you reach strike temp and stir your grains into that. Insulate the pot with a sleeping bag, overcoat, reflectix, or whatever you have available.

Ahh yes, there's also BIAB (Brew in a bag) that you can consider. I dont personally use that method so it's not at top of mind. But there are plenty of folks on this forum that do BIAB. It certainly minimizes your equipment requirements.

 

[jrgtr42]

It can be done, but you're probably better off just putting the lid on the pot and maybe wrapping a blanket around it to keep temps stable. You'll lose a few degrees, but it's nothing to worry about if you're not opening the lid every few minutes. A quick stir (and temp check) halfway through is all that is needed (and 'needed' is debatable.)

The other question is, how will you get the wort from the pot to your boil kettle? Do they have spigots at the bottom? what is your sparging plan?

 

[cgpitcher]

Hi everyone, Thanks for all the awesome tips!

 

[cgpitcher]

It can be done, but you're probably better off just putting the lid on the pot and maybe wrapping a blanket around it to keep temps stable. You'll lose a few degrees, but it's nothing to worry about if you're not opening the lid every few minutes. A quick stir (and temp check) halfway through is all that is needed (and 'needed' is debatable.)

The other question is, how will you get the wort from the pot to your boil kettle? Do they have spigots at the bottom? what is your sparging plan?

Hi there, Thanks for helping me out. THe Kettles that I am going to use have temperature gauges and spigots at the bottom. My plan for setup was to have one of these kettles at the top with Hot water, and the second kettle (as the Mashtun) as my second one and then a boiler at the bottom with no spigot.

 

[RM-MN]

Hi there, Thanks for helping me out. THe Kettles that I am going to use have temperature gauges and spigots at the bottom. My plan for setup was to have one of these kettles at the top with Hot water, and the second kettle (as the Mashtun) as my second one and then a boiler at the bottom with no spigot.

If the kettle you have planned for the top is for sparging, save yourself the problem of heating it. Sparging works almost exactly the same with cool water as hot.

 

[cgpitcher]

If the kettle you have planned for the top is for sparging, save yourself the problem of heating it. Sparging works almost exactly the same with cool water as hot.

Really? I have never heard that before. That is a huge time saver. I guess it means the boil will take longer to heat up, but thanks for that!

 

[RM-MN]

The boil will take a minimal extra time to heat because you will be adding the cool water to hot, wet grains and the wort you collect will be quite hot yet.