Mashing in a stock pot?

[Dougan]

Does anybody here do it? I usually use a picnic cooler, but I am looking to do step mashing and I think it might be easier to mash in my pot and use my stove to handle the temps.

has anyone tried this? any insight on whether or not I could mash 10 lb of grain in a 20 qt stock pot?

 

[GuldTuborg]

any insight on whether or not I could mash 10 lb of grain in a 20 qt stock pot?

That might be a bit tight. 20 quarts is 5 gallons, yes? Most people seem to report maxing out at 11-12lbs of grain in 5 gallon coolers, so a pot should be no different. If you tend to mash thick, you might be OK. If you like to mash thin, you may not have enough room.

 

[ILuvIPA]

Haven't done it but it should work. My thought is be conservative adding heat and stir constantly (to not overheat the grist at the bottom.) I'm thinking a thinner mash would be easier to (stir) heat evenly. If you get hot spots you risk mashing-out part of the grist and not fully converting. If you're using propane or a gas range some kind of an aluminum disc (flame tamer) between the pot & the burner would help with more even heating. . .heat slow/stir fast.

Sound like a great experiment. Hope you'll proceed and share what you learn!

 

[Fantastical]

This is how I brew and it works well enough. I have to brew in my kitchen and all I have is a 16 quart stock pot.The only problem is that I have to sparge the grain a few times to get a decent starting gravity.

The stove I use is electric and is surprisingly good at keeping mash temperatures constant.

Bit because my stock pot is smaller the max grain bill I do is 8 lbs. Anything more and it gets too full to not make a mess....

 

[kanzimonson]

I mash in my brew kettle, then dump into a Zapap lauter tun, then run back into the kettle. I love being able to add heat to the mash.

 

[iijakii]

http://www.biabrewer.info/viewforum.php?f=23&sid=f4230f08607a798c6e31dcd128e0e6eb

Check out the Maxi BIAB guides. They'll help you really get the most out of your small stove-top gear.