Mashing in a stock pot??

I'm keen to try partial mashing but i've only got a couple of 10L stock pots. I was thinking of mashing in one on the stove and straining through a sieve into the other for the boil. I was going to then dump the grain into another, smaller pot for a batch sparge and restrain into the kettle.

Is this treatment to rough? I'm aware that HSA and not recirculating can be a problem but i'm keen to get into and haven't got the gear. Am i wasting my time?

It does work - in fact I used a large stock pot at one time.  However, your efficiency will be a bit low and the level of difficulty (maintaining temperature during the mash) can be quite high.

A cheap 5 gallon water cooler with a mash screen is a great investment if you do intend to go into all grain later on.  You can usually find them for reasonable prioces at major department stores.

However, there is nothing wrong with experimenting on the stove for a while until you can make the investment for a cooler/mash tun and large boil pot.  It does give you the chance to try new ingredients and learn about mashing.

One tip though - don't get discouraged if it is difficult struggling with the small pots and strainers.  My kitchen looked like a bomb went off the first time I tried this.  Once you do get the correct equipment the entire process will be a LOT easier.

Cheers!
Brad