Thinking about partial mash

[bluedragoon85]

Hi. I have been wanting to take the next step in the brewing process and thus have been thinking about doing a partial mash batch. From what I have heard you don't really need to invest much or at all to make the move to partial mash. The only thing you really have to have in hand is a grain bag for steeping and a colander for sparging; is this correct? Also, I was wondering about the Austin Home Brew extract kits that can be changed to partial mash. Is this a good way to start? Thanks.

 

[the_bird]

Basically, yeah. You can build yourself a proper mash tun pretty easily (RichBrewer has a monster thread from a while back with instructions), but to start, you basically just need a big grain bag, you need to keep temps pretty constant (150°-156°) for ~45 minutes to an hour, then you just want to "sparge" the grains by rinsing them with some hot (~170°) water to get the sugars out (that's where the grain bag and collander come into play).

Austin's kits are very highly regarded, and he's running a 10%-off-for-HBT-members special this Saturday (there's a thread around here somewhere today from Forrest, the proprietor, with details).

 

[9/9]

Austin's kits are very highly regarded, and he's running a 10%-off-for-HBT-members special this Saturday (there's a thread around here somewhere today from Forrest, the proprietor, with details).

I have asked this before, but didn't get much of an answer. Do you know if the AHS partial mash kits require teh constructed mash tun, or are the instructions for the procedure of just straining on the stove top?

Thanks.

 

[bluedragoon85]

Thank you very much for the info. I will keep looking into it as I am very interested in making a partial mash 5 gallon batch in the future and even making a proper mash tun to make things more interesting. Cheers

I have asked this before, but didn't get much of an answer. Do you know if the AHS partial mash kits require teh constructed mash tun, or are the instructions for the procedure of just straining on the stove top?

I second that question. I would think you could just strain on the stove top since all they say you need is a grain bag, but then they really don't say nothing else about it.

 

[the_bird]

I have asked this before, but didn't get much of an answer. Do you know if the AHS partial mash kits require teh constructed mash tun, or are the instructions for the procedure of just straining on the stove top?

Thanks.

Never used one, so I don't know. The issue basically is how much grain you can hold in a bag, which I would guess might max out at not too much more than four pounds. But, that's just a guesstimate.

 

[ShortSnoutBrewing]

With partial mashes, there really is nothing to "construct". It can be as simple as getting a 2 gallon beverage cooler and the grain bag. Nothing needs to be done to the cooler at all.

Check out www.howtobrew.com for more details on partial mashing.

 

[the_bird]

Here's Rich's thread.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=8805

You don't HAVE to build anything, but it's easy, pretty cheap, and if you use a 5-gallon cooler, you can use grain for the bulk (or even all) of your fermentables.

 

[9/9]

With partial mashes, there really is nothing to "construct". It can be as simple as getting a 2 gallon beverage cooler and the grain bag. Nothing needs to be done to the cooler at all.

Check out www.howtobrew.com for more details on partial mashing.

Okay, then I will rephrase.

Do the AHS kits require the cooler?

 

[Revvy]

Here's a great article on it from BYO http://byo.com/feature/1536.html

There's an update somewhere where he has refined the process by using a folding steamer inside the cooler to lift the grainbag above the height of the spigot.

The basicbrewing podcast website has a great show on it as well

http://www.basicbrewing.com/index.php?page=radio

Look for;
October 4, 2007 - Countertop Partial Mashing Revisited

 

[Yooper]

Okay, then I will rephrase.

Do the AHS kits require the cooler?

NO, they don't! My first AHS partial mash kit was the Pete's Wicked Ale clone, and it used a great big grain bag and your brewpot. You need to buy the mesh bag, but you still do a 2.5 gallon boil.

 

[bluedragoon85]

I looked on Wiki and I found this and it looks quite simple and inexpensive if you decide to make a mini mash tun for partial mash brewing. What do you think?

 

[ShortSnoutBrewing]

I've used a similar cooler but didn't bother with adding the valve. Just used the spigot on the cooler. Now, of course that got warm and was a pain to sit there and hold it open, but it worked.

 

[FlyGuy]

A grain bag and colander are a great way to start. The hardest part mashing in a pot with a grain bag is keeping the temps constant. But a good trick is to pre-heat your oven to 250, then shut it off and put your pot inside at the beginning of the mash. It won't really heat up, and the warmth of the stove will keep the temps from dropping.

If you find you like the method, a cooler mash tun with a stainless steel braid is cheap and easy to construct, and makes the whole process a lot easier. If you go this route, make sure to get a 5 gal cooler (the round ones are awesome, but other types will work). The nice thing about the 5 gal coolers is that they are just small enough to work really well for partial mashes where you have a limited amount of grain, yet large enough that you can pull of some all-grain batches if you want to experiment (at least for recipes with a gravity of less than about 1.065). If you decide to take the plunge into all-grain brewing, then you can invest in a larger cooler for a mash tun, but the 5 gal one can be saved for smaller batches or used with as a hot liquor tank in your all grain system.

 

[bluedragoon85]

I was wondering if their are any helpful links or guides for partial-mash brewing? Something where I can see the overall step by step process where it would involve using the mini-mash tun. Any info would be great, thanks

 

[ShortSnoutBrewing]

http://byo.com/feature/1536.html