Need help with a project
				Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:44 pm
				by Big Chooch
				Ok, I've got this idea that I've been working on.
Ive got this 50cup stainless coffee perk urn that I want to try to do a mini-mash in.  It has an adjustable warmer temp range of 130-210.  The basket is pretty large.  
What ideas do you guys have or will it even work?
I appreciate any input y'all could give.  
Thanks,
Michael
			 
			
				
				Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 9:13 pm
				by Bugeater
				I don't have one, but I have thought about doing what you are proposing.   If you can reliably set the temperature at the desired level, this should work.  Obviously you can't use the basket.  The perculator action pumps boiling water up the center tube and sprays it into the basket until the temperature of the entire mass of water (wort, coffee, etc.) is up to the temperature preset.  Somehow I don't think you would want to start out your mash by sparging with boiling water for 20 minutes.
This would, however, work for heating the water for the mini-mash prior to dumping in the grain.
Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company
			 
			
				
				Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 9:20 pm
				by Big Chooch
				Ahhh, didn't think of that.  Maybe if I remove the basket from the tube and then I could mount the basket on the bottom to act as a false bottom.  That way I would add the grain after the water is the desired temp, drain the wort after the mash, then add hot water for the sparge.  Would that make sense?
Michael
			 
			
				
				Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2006 6:10 am
				by Bugeater
				That approach would work, but then you have the problem of using another vessel to heat your sparge water.  Now that I am sober and can think a little more clearly, it would make more sense to just use the coffee urn as an HLT.  I make all grain starters, which I suppose qualifies as a mini-mash.  For a mash tun, I just use a one gallon drink cooler.  I sparge by dumping the whole works into a large SS strainer and then rinse with more hot water.  
Using a similar approach, you can be heating more hot water for your sparge in your coffee pot while doing your mini-mash.
Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company
			 
			
				Update -
				Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 8:06 pm
				by Big Chooch
				Ok, I scrubbed the idea, not as much of a gadget guru than I though.  I broke down and got the B3-150 from B3.  Problem solved.  
Thanks
Michael