Choosing a heating technique for single-infusion mashing
Having the right gear for your brewing environment is important --- choosing what will work best for where you intend brewing your beer, whether it's the garage, the kitchen, outside, or even in an apartment. The same goes for choosing the right brewing methods and heating techniques, especially as it pertains to mashing. While one method may work for one setting, like using propane burners in your garage to maintain your mash temperature; those same methods might not work well in others. I can't think of any apartment complexes that would permit the use of propane burners inside their buildings. So you have to consider all the variables before selecting your all-grain brewing equipment and the ideal process.
In this entry, I'm going to cover a few options for all-grain mashing and review their relative pro's and con's, including the gear that you may wish to consider and/or need to go that particular route. I'll also share a few links to more information on the widely opinionated discussion on the varying mashing techniques that are out there. And hopefully in the end you will have a better idea of all the options available to you, and I will have worked out in my head which will work for my circumstance.
And for the record, this is not the definitive list of techniques or a complete dissertation covering all that you could possibly need to know about R.I.M.S. or other techniques of maintaining mash temperatures for single-step infusion mashes. Think of this as a primer to get you involved in the discussion and investigating what will work best for you.