I plan on brewing this weekend. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale clone for my husband. I ordered a mini mash by mistake. I've brewed the extract kit for him before, which I might add turned out pretty gosh darn tasty! Being fairly new to this hobby, I've convinced myself that I'm just not ready to break away from LME/DME, but my husband keeps bugging me about when I'm gonna make "his brew".....now I'm forced to advance myself.Oh well, gotta learn eventually. It'll be interesting. Wish me luck!
Do not force yourself to brew out of your comfort level. Then again do not be afraid of trying anything new. The PM/Minimash kits take a bit longer, but are still pretty simple to do. The only difference is that you are getting some of the sugars from base malts and the specialty grains, and that your grain steep will take longer. I would suggest maintaining temps by wrapping the pot in sleeping bags or a winter coat when you brew it up rather than attempting to dial in your stove to keep it at mashing temperatures.