Mash in the boiler vs Mash in the Tun

[safcraft]

I am kind of in the middle of the bridge here, would love some insights and opinions on what to go for regarding the mash vessel.

I have a 27L electric boiler.
I am using it to do the mash, i can keep the temperatures oscillating between 150F to 158F during the mash. The boiler looses heat, has to turn on and i need to swirl with the spoon so i dont burn the grain and keep temp fairly even.

When mash time is over i move the wort and liquid to a bucket with a SS filter to do the vorlauf and sparge. Then transfer back the wort into the boiler to start my boil.

Problem : I find it hard to keep a constant temperature, unless i keep stirring and always with my eye on the thermometer during the mash. I also need to transfer the wort to a separate bucket with filter, and loose a lot of heat in the process, and risk oxidation. Raising temperatures for 3 stage mash temps is easy though...

I am thinking of investing on some gear to help me out.

1. Install a mash tun stainless steel braid on the boiler, so i can use it for vorlauf and sparge. This is very cheap, just install the mesh braid filter and in the end of mash, just turn the boiler off and do the vorlauf. Of course in the end of sparging i would have the clear wort in a bucket, had to clean the boiler (remove the grain bed) and transfer the wort back to the boiler.

2. Buy a mash tun cooler and do the mashing in the cooler, and the vorlauf and sparge. In the end i could transfer the clean wort directly to the electric boiler. Seems simpler....but....

For those who use this mash tun (cooler) how do you cope with different mash temperature rests? If a certain recipe asks for :
-mash 60min at 142F
-mash 30min at 152F
- mashout at 170F

Do you keep adding boiling water to the mash tun, to achieve the temperatures? I ask this because i brew 2.5 gallon batches. So i have less water to sparge, do not know if enough to raise grain bed temperatures...
Or do you do a decoction mash ? Which do you all use? I do not wish to over-complicate...i wish to "simplify" my process , not the opposite.

Would appreciate some inputs
Thanks

 

[Double_D]

I basically used the same method you're describing when I started brewing. It was a real PITA moving hot liquid and heavy pots or buckets full of grain and wort around the garage.

I'd go with the cooler mash tun. It is a very popular option.

Adding hot water is called an infusion mash and is very common especially with modern malt. You could do a decoction mash but it's not technically a necessity.

If you got beersmith it would help simplify your brewday. It can calculate the temperature and volume of water additions to reach your next temp step.

 

[safcraft]

There is 3rd option, which i do not favor very much : brew in a bag.
Basically its the same as using the braid filter, with simpler sparges but less access to steer the water while heating...which can be a problem...but i know there are ppl doing it...i just dont know which is simpler
Kind of thinking towards the mash tun...

 

[blizz81]

I think BIAB would probably be the "simplest" option, esp at that batch size. Your technique would change re: sparging options - something I'm only vaguely familiar with having never brewed BIAB, so better researched in the BIAB forum I'm sure.


Most batches / grains will lend fine to a single infusion mash, even if a recipe may call for steps / rests.


A lot of brewers seem to do pretty well with coolers. Hold temp well, there's a lot of known lautering methods out there to help avoid stuck sparges, etc.


1. seems like an unnecessary pain. 2 or 3 would seem to be better options to me.

 

[aamcle]

BIAB may your way forward, its cheap, easy and makes beer that's just as good as the other methods.

Have a look here :- http://www.biabrewer.info/viewforum.php?f=25

Its not messy if you you organise and have a bucket to hand.

Aamcle