Ok so here's the background:
Started brewing all grain about 2-3 months ago and have done a handful of batches. Started out in the kitchen with a cooler as my MLT and just recently did my first batch on my new brew sculpture three tier gravity system. I kept my cooler MLT in that setup, but saw a steal on a 15 gallon pot with welded thermo and valve so I bought it along with a false bottom thinking I could use it as a MLT instead of my cooler.
Now, here's the question(s):
1)How should I proceed with maintaining mash temperatures? Should I try to get a pump and recirculate? If so, can someone direct me to some reading material so I can research on how to do it?
2)Should I just get a reflectix insulation roll and get my mash to temp, kill the flame and wrap it?
3)Or should I just keep a very very light flame on my MLT to try and maintain temp and stir every few minutes and monitor the Kettle?
Any and all suggestions are welcome at this point. I'm fairly invested at this point, but would prefer not to spend a ton of more money, but at the end of the day, I want to do things right.
My concerns in direct flame are scorching and the tedium of watching the pot and manually trying to maintain temp.
My concerns of getting a reflectix is why did I bother getting a SS MLT and false to just try and convert it into a cooler!?
Thanks in advance in any and all input/advice.
EDIT: My three tier gravity sculpture uses propane burners.
Started brewing all grain about 2-3 months ago and have done a handful of batches. Started out in the kitchen with a cooler as my MLT and just recently did my first batch on my new brew sculpture three tier gravity system. I kept my cooler MLT in that setup, but saw a steal on a 15 gallon pot with welded thermo and valve so I bought it along with a false bottom thinking I could use it as a MLT instead of my cooler.
Now, here's the question(s):
1)How should I proceed with maintaining mash temperatures? Should I try to get a pump and recirculate? If so, can someone direct me to some reading material so I can research on how to do it?
2)Should I just get a reflectix insulation roll and get my mash to temp, kill the flame and wrap it?
3)Or should I just keep a very very light flame on my MLT to try and maintain temp and stir every few minutes and monitor the Kettle?
Any and all suggestions are welcome at this point. I'm fairly invested at this point, but would prefer not to spend a ton of more money, but at the end of the day, I want to do things right.
My concerns in direct flame are scorching and the tedium of watching the pot and manually trying to maintain temp.
My concerns of getting a reflectix is why did I bother getting a SS MLT and false to just try and convert it into a cooler!?
Thanks in advance in any and all input/advice.
EDIT: My three tier gravity sculpture uses propane burners.