Partial mash...all grain...

[AR-Josh]

So I got my first partial mash kit. Pumpkin ale kit from Annapolis home brew. This is my first time mashing and I have to say that even though I don't have all the specialized equipment, I am doing ok. I got it done with a boil pot, a 6 qt pot, and home depot bucket.

After I mashed in the boil pot with a paint strainer bag, I poured the first runnings into the home depot bucket. Then I put sparge water in the now empty boil pot. Then transfered the grain bag to the sparge water. Now it is boiling. Could not determine efficiency due to the kit not listing the ingredients.

If you want to try all grain you can get it done with bare minimum equipment. That being said, im getting a mash tun.

 

[BBL_Brewer]

sounds like the setup would work......however.....If I were you I wouldn't boil the grain during the sparge......you risk extracting tannings from the grain husks which could cause astringency. I would shoot for mash out temperature for the sparge at around 168F max.

 

[thedude00]

Make sure the home depot bucket is food grade

 

[onipar]

That's pretty much exactly how I did my first partial mash (also pumpkin ale!), and I calculated a 75% efficiency, which was better than I expected.

Regarding his "boiling" comment, I think he meant after the sparge he boiled the wort, though I'll admit it the way it's worded does sound like he meant he boiled the grain.

 

[AR-Josh]

That's pretty much exactly how I did my first partial mash (also pumpkin ale!), and I calculated a 75% efficiency, which was better than I expected.

Regarding his "boiling" comment, I think he meant after the sparge he boiled the wort, though I'll admit it the way it's worded does sound like he meant he boiled the grain.

Yeah. I didn't boil during the sparge. I took the temp of the sparge water up to 180 and when I dunked the 5lb + tea bag dropped back down to 165 or so. I missed the 170 mash out but meh. The kit OG was 1.050 typical but I got 1.54 out of it. I'm happy. Wort tasted very sweet going in the fermenter. :rockin: I'm stoked.

ETA: I wrote the original post on my phone so I'm glad I didn't sound drunk.