First post for me. I've been brewing for about a year, having done 5 extract with specialty grain batches and 2 all-grain. I like it a lot.
I've done a couple of 5-gallon all-grain batches using a Home Depot 10-gallon cooler that i made into a mash tun, and want to upgrade to a stainless steel mash tun. The temperatures are not always easy to hit with the add-water method, and at times I've gotten frustrated. So I checked into various stainless steel mash tuns and decided that the MoreBeer 8-gallon mash tun with the Blichmann thermometer and SS valve would be a good one. From looking at the reviews, I decided that it would work well for me and my 5-gallon batches.
I thought it would be a lot easier to just heat my strike water to the desired temperature in the SS mash tun and then add my grain. Even better, to raise the temperature to mash out, I think all I'll have to do is turn on the burner, and stir the mixture as it rises up to the mash out temp. If I needed to do more than those two steps (mashing and then mash out), it would be a lot easier too. Much better than calculating and adding water to the old Home Depot cooler to raise the temperature.
Am I right about this? Am I missing something? Any precautions (I know that I'd have to be careful about scorching the grain)? I keep building on my previous stuff, and this looked to be a good next step for all grain. Thanks, Ken
I've done a couple of 5-gallon all-grain batches using a Home Depot 10-gallon cooler that i made into a mash tun, and want to upgrade to a stainless steel mash tun. The temperatures are not always easy to hit with the add-water method, and at times I've gotten frustrated. So I checked into various stainless steel mash tuns and decided that the MoreBeer 8-gallon mash tun with the Blichmann thermometer and SS valve would be a good one. From looking at the reviews, I decided that it would work well for me and my 5-gallon batches.
I thought it would be a lot easier to just heat my strike water to the desired temperature in the SS mash tun and then add my grain. Even better, to raise the temperature to mash out, I think all I'll have to do is turn on the burner, and stir the mixture as it rises up to the mash out temp. If I needed to do more than those two steps (mashing and then mash out), it would be a lot easier too. Much better than calculating and adding water to the old Home Depot cooler to raise the temperature.
Am I right about this? Am I missing something? Any precautions (I know that I'd have to be careful about scorching the grain)? I keep building on my previous stuff, and this looked to be a good next step for all grain. Thanks, Ken