Partial Mash Tun/boiler?

[Bats]

Found this on eBay. It's an insulated tea urn that has a stainless filter to presumably place tea leaves in.
Why couldn't you use the filter to steep grain in and then add malt extract and hops as you normally would with mini mashes.
Who thinks this could work?
You'd obviously be pretty limited with the amount of grain you could steep.
I'm interested in what you guys think. Check it out.

Stainless Insulated boiler

 

[ekul]

I think you'd be better off with a big pot.

That urn would probably not be that great for waht you want it for. It won't hold much grain, it will be hard to clean and it will srve a limited function if you decide to go AG (maybe an hlt?).
If it was my money i'd go a 19L big W pot/ A 19L pot will allow you to do a partial mash and nearly a full volume hops boil, it will also be cheaper. PLus 19L pots always stay handy, no matter how big your equipment. I did a brew with my 140L pot and i needded to bust out my 19L pot to adjust my mash in temp.

 

[Nick JD]

Couple of guys here to full size batches in 19L pots. Can remember their names right now (I have a 7V brewery because I enjoy cleaning) - do a search for 20L cook top or something.

 

[bum]

Looking at this picture of the "filter" part I doubt it'd be great for grain - not enough contact with the bulk of your water. Looks like it might go okay for some hops in a boil though - maybe not pellets? Probably not ideal but looks serviceable for a small amount of flowers/plugs.

As already mentioned above, there's probably better ways to spend your money.

 

[Bribie G]

The 40L Crown Urn also has an optional strainer thing for tea leaves when the Urn is used for ladies bingo nights etc. Ross even got one it for demo purposes but I don't know if he sold any - probably a good idea as a "hopsock" but not ideal.

If you use that Ebay boiler as a straight 22L urn and follow those threads on all grain for less than $30, Maxi Biab etc, you would immediately hit the problem of how to use a Biab bag, how to mash in it etc. as the opening is very small. I'd save the money and go for a pot instead.

 

[RdeVjun]

Yeah, doesn't seem though the top comes off so there's not much scope for mashing in a bag and very little room in the sieve either, so at best it may be OK for extract boils utilising the strainer for hops containment (i.e. a hopsock). Unless you can get it for a real song you'd probably have a much more versatile investment in a $20 stainless 19L pot from big double ewe. Cleaning, boil dry protection bypass and replacement parts would concern me, but if the top does come off you could pop a bag in there, so Electric MaxiBIAB or stock Electric BIAB to your heart's content if that's the case.
I can see why it might seem appealing though, there's just acres and acres of stainless- around here that gets a few all barred up!