by aleguy » Mon Jan 30, 2012 5:11 pm
Bear in mind we haven't tried this yet. We don't know if it will work, or how well. My feeling is that with a cooler, you don't really need a heater for mashing. I suppose you could use it to heat srtike water, but you would still need two kettles (which you are on track to have) and two burners. One for sparge water and one for boiling. Though you could get away with just one burner and kettle by collecting your wort in buckets.
This brings to mind the advice I usually give everyone. Take your time and look around before you start building your automated RIMS. Most of us took a year or more to build one. Meanwhile just get the bare minimum you need to brew and learn to make good beer. The best system in the world will not make you a better brewer, it just makes brewing easier.
Never trust a skinny chef, a sober brewer, or a cat with thumbs!