Bruheat Boiler/Masher

[TREMBLE]

Hi everyone, so far I have just been brewing with kits, just a big tin of gloop, 1kg brewing sugar and away I go! However I really want to try making my own receipes and getting into partial mashes (still not got it all sussed but I am getting there)

I live in a flat so space is at a premium and I dont have a garden for outdoor brewing, but this item cought my eye on ebay and I was wondering if anyone has used one or something similar?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....50035012695&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1

I found a few shops selling these and there are a number of add ons you can buy for it such as brewbags, hop strainer sparging arm etc.

I am just wondering if this would be a cheap and easy way to get to the next level of brewing!

Also, if I did get this would I still need to be boiling lots of extra gallons of water to sparge? Or am I getting my techniques all mixed up?

 

[Monk]

Tremble: As far as I know, we don't really have those boilers available to us in the States (most of the people on this board are in the States). I seem to recall seeing a "how-to" on the net that had pictures of a boiler like this, with a sleeping bag or heavy blanket wrapped around it for insulation, being used to mash grain.

Ah, yes. Check this out:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jim.dunleavy/mashing.htm

As for sparging with lots of water, I think it's only about a quart per pound. So maybe 2.5 gallons of sparge water for a batch that will end up in the 4-5% abv range. This is a really rough estimate, though. I've only done all grain once, and I've yet to find out if it really worked.

Some people use cooler chests for their mash tun.

Hope that helps.

Monk

 

[Dude]

That looks cool. I have no reason to believe it wouldn't be ideal for your situation.

I'd love to have something like that in my mashtun for step mashes.