What if you don't have a big ole pot?

[GingerBreadMan]

I've been reading and I'm about to try my first cooked mash. I'll probably use one of Ian Smiley's recipes in his book "Making Pure Corn Whiskey"

Problem is I don't have a big ole pot. Would love to have a nice 34 - 40L stainless steel pot, but it's not in the budget.

Here's what I have, that I can use

12L stainless steel stock pot
25L plastic pail fermenter (It's food grade - I use it all the time for wine making, actually bought it at a wine making supply shop)
23L glass carboys.

I do have a big ole spoon too.

I guess my options for cooking the mash (converting the starch to sugar) would be

1) Use the SS pot, make two batches one after another. Ferment in either carboy or plastic pail fermenter.

2) Cook the mash (starch to sugar conversion) right in the plastic fermenter and then ferment right in the pail.

Here's a pic of my fermenters -



Obviously number 2 is ideal for lazies like me. I just don't know enough about cooking mash if there is a difference between the two methods.

[Old_Blue]

You're on the right track.

Got a big insulated cooler?

Bring up to the necessary temp in the SS pot and pour into the cooler. It will hold the heat while you make second and/or third batches. When all the necessary conversion is done transfer to fermenter bucket.

[GingerBreadMan]

Hmm... don't have an insulated cooler. However, maybe I could insulate the plastic fermenter to hold the temperature during the starch conversion. I could do a test run with just hot water to see how well it holds the temperature.

[Dnderhead]

from my experience mash will convert even if it cools off some
just takes longer insulate bucket and go for it if your going to
do this a lot make an insulated bucket ie with foam around a bucket
the size you want I think polyurethane? is flexible

[punkin]

I made a 40 litre BOP by cutting the rim off a 50 litre beer keg.
I soldered a lip around the top of the bottom bit (20 x 5 mm stainless flat) and use the top for a lid (brass plug screwed into the outlet to seal). Welded a bush in the bottom for a ball valve for draining.
Screwed a couplea handles to the outside and it fits right on my wheel rim burner.

I also use it for cutting spirit runs back to cask strength. And steaming vegies when i have my spit roast going.

[junkyard dawg]

I've got a few BOPs from cutting the tops off kegs and welding on some handles to the side. I welded the dismantled stem onto the outside top of the 2" opening and made a nifty funnel for filling my boiler or fermenters.

[absinthe]

if you have acess to some kegs you can make a dam good pot with nothing but an angle grinder

my vid on the subject (you can do it with a small angle grinder)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szfW_rhz0iQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[HookLine]

Good job.

This guy has some good tips for working stainless kegs, though he has a complete workshop including TIG and a plasma cutter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_reRMz7YHic" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH8q6XbiFeI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCd1reeIdIw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[Uncle Jesse]

Must be nice owning a plasma cutter. A lot cleaner than using an oxy-acetylene setup.

Ever use an Air Carbon Arc setup? Pretty fearsome and fun.

[Dnderhead]

when i was in welding they did not have plasma . used carbon ark
had another out fit that fed carbon in a acetylene oxygen out fit (no idea what they called it)
saws grinders nibblers , shears etc welding used stick , oxy-acetylene tig , mig
was just starting to come around out of those Iv used tig was my
favorite I would like one now but expensive to just play with

[lustreking]

Hmm... don't have an insulated cooler. However, maybe I could insulate the plastic fermenter to hold the temperature during the starch conversion. I could do a test run with just hot water to see how well it holds the temperature.

If the temp drops more that you'd like, keep in mind that when there's grain in the mash, it will hold its temperature better than water alone.

I don't know if this helps or not, but here's how I built my mash tun out of a cooler:
http://brewing.lustreking.com/gear/mashtun.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[GingerBreadMan]

That's an awesome mash tun you made. Simple and easy to build - I've saved the page in my folder of stuff I want to make Damn, I need to get into a house soon so I can do all of this.

Thanks for the tip on the grain holding the temp better then just water.

I haven't started yet on my first mash, still trying to source all the ingredients locally. Malted grains is pretty hard to come by - seems all the home brew places have dumbed down their supplies to 'beer in a can'. There were a couple of microbreweries in town that sold malted grains, but they are no longer doing that.

I can get them on the Internet as a last resort, but I like to shop locally first if I can. Keeps them in business, and I can pop out and get supplies at a moments notice without having to wait for it to be shipped.

[lustreking]

That's an awesome mash tun you made. Simple and easy to build - I've saved the page in my folder of stuff I want to make Damn, I need to get into a house soon so I can do all of this.

Thanks! I also wanted to mention that I usually pre-heat my mash tun. I boil up a gallon or less of water and put it in the mash tun while I'm heating my strike water for my mash. That way, the mash doesn't lose heat by trying to warm up the cooler.