Hi, all. I use a two gallon stockpot for my mash tun (BIAB one gallon batches), I started placing it in the oven (which I turned off when it reached 140) to maintain the mash temp, I've been ordered that I can no longer brew in the kitchen due to the smell. I've started boiling on my barbecue's burner, which is fine as long as it's not too windy. Now for mashing I was thinking of heating the grill to about 150 and placing the stock pot on that and closing the lid and hope that the heat may prevent the mash temp from dropping. Has anyone tried this?
I would make some styles swmbo loves so that she let me back in kitchen. On a serious note I would wrap the pot in some sort of insulating material(sleeping bag, maybe child size since it's a small pot).
Igloo coolers work great for a mash tun. I typically lose about 2-3 degrees in about an hour. If ya can, shell out a few bucks for one. It’ll at least solve the bbq dilemma
Kinda overkill for one gallon Biab in my opinion. I agree it would work but OP is trying to make his current equipment work.
One thing I'd note is that the mash has very little smell (and it smells good to most people I would imagine). Presumably it's the hops that are objectionable. So maybe you could mash in the oven like always, and then take it outside.
This sounds like the most logical solution. Be careful to not make a mess or you will be kicked back outside by SWMBO.
Ya true. And adding more equipment is probably not the goal. However they do make those insulated coolers in all shapes and sizes. This hobby gives you more problems than answers sometimes.
For a BIAB kettle that size the easy fix is to wrap it with an old winter coat or a blanket. If you want to get a little fancier and use something purpose built, you can get Reflectix from your local hardware store along with some peel and stick Velcro and you can build a snuggly little coat for your kettle.
I'll second the winter coat. I use one for my 5 gallon kettle and I only lose 2-3 degrees across an hour.
Thanks for the replies. Once I start mashing she notices the smell (my daughter notices it also), they really don't like it so the kitchen is a no go. And she doesn't drink so there's no buttering her up with the fruits of my labor. I'll try some of the insulating ideas. Would adding some additional hot water a couple times through out the mash cause any conversion issues?
That should work fine and in fact it opens up the possibility of doing a step mash, which some people prefer for some styles. But I would guess that with proper insulation it won't be necessary.
