I was all set, and then I had another IDIAW moment...Back to reading 26 posts on seperate sites...

What is the bestest to worstest material to cook the mash on a stovetop/burner with?

From my reading an pissant analysis:

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Stainless

Copper bottomed stainless

Aluminium pressure cooker/canner

Porcelain coated warm water canner (Or crab pot for my kin in da east)

Nonstick stew pots
[/LIST]

I have a presto 23 quart pressure cooker I use to can my garden stuff here, it's some years old and does show some age inside the pot. Smooth to the touch, and I was gonna take some 00 steel wool and polish it a bit before really washing it good and santizing with star-san. I saw a post here where folks said it was ok to use for mashing, just not a boiler.

Good plan, or should I just go back to the store and get a stainless? I really don't wanna if I don't have to. I seem to keep equiping to do this hobby but never really getting started-Never a good thing... I'm too project oriented-that is-I like to have a plan and then watch reality tear it down

Oh --> IDIAW = (I'm Doing It All Wrong)

"Let me start with ----you dont really COOK your mash!!!!! Its really more of a steep. Now then, lots of discussions have turned into battles over this very issue and in the long run it really dont matter which you use. Some say - I only use SS and some say - Ive always use alluminium and of course there are those that will say - use nothing but copper. None are wrong. use what fits your pocket. As far as mashing goes there are those that dont use a pot on the stove at all, they mash grains in a big ole Igloo cooler, again we are not cooking our grains whilst we are mashing we are steeping.
I've used a alluminium 7 gallon pot for beer for years and I dont think its caused anything bad. Of course by now its seasoned very well. If you can afford SS then by all means use what makes you feel warm and fuzzy. If you have ever looked into any restaraunt kitchen you see great big ole alluminium pots on every burner and if they added unwanted or indesirable flavors I dont think they would invest in them. So get the best you can afford and dont worry be happy.."

Heeler,
I've seen those round Igloo cooler's on web sites w/ screens in them and drain valves at the bottom, I was just wondering how do they heat the mash up in a plastic cooler?

"

Your not heating with a mash ton(sp?) your trying to maintain a temp. over a period of time. So you would bring your water in over the desired temp and shoot for a target temp. Close the hood and hope for teh best. It does work. You need to figure out your vessel and sometimes wrap in blankets but you can maintain a certain temp for about an hour this way.
AA"

For winter, I use a 3 gallon SS pot from wally world. Cannot beat the price. Works great indoors here in the Northest for cooking my mash. RoyceCityRed, if you come up with that washington recipe, let me know, or if someone else could help, please do.

"

Capt. When it comes to mashing grains and you dont have 1 pot big enough to hold all the hot water you need then use two pots or 3 and get the water to your strike temp then pour the water on the grains in whatever container you decide on. Lets say you dont have one big pot you can use a 5 gallon bucket and wrap a blanket around it to hold the temp for an hour, thats the usual mash period, add your grains (i always use a BIAB method) - heat your water - pour water on the grains - and start the timer and wrap a blanket around it to hold the heat.
Nowthen, after your specified time your gonna remove the wort from the bucket and start fermentation (if this is a likker wash). If this is gonna be a beer your gonna remove it from the bucket boil it, add hops and then ferment it."

I'm cool, the original question was answered and, I learned more from the dialouge...

I see now we really dont "cook" the grains, it's more about steeping for a time (unless it's raw cracked corn or rye?).

I saw in the GW recpie thread the word "cook" with repect to the grains and took it too literally.

That's why y'all tell us to read thru and ask, I guess