Does anybody heat their mash in their boil kettle, then transfer it to another vessel for sparging? If so, what is your method? I am planning to do this based on the Pilsner article in the current issue of zymurgy. I’m going to perform my step mash in my boil kettle, then pour it into my cooler for recirculation and sparging…does this sound like a smart thing to do? I ussually perform both the mash and sparge in the cooler.
Do you have something like a false bottom in the kettle? If not I’d think you’ll have problems with scorching. Stirring continuously might work, but that’s a LONG time.
Wouldn’t it be easier to just keep it simple? Do single (or step) infusion mashing in your cooler. Most modern malted grains are well modified and permit single infusion, though some brewers like a short protein rest if using certain grains (like maris otter). Lauter using a bazooka screen or SS braid fitted to your cooler (MLT).
while most modern grains are well modified that doesn’t mean that a step mash can’t offer some benefit. For one thing the glucose/maltose balance is effected by mashing regimen among many other important
My concern would be oxidation of the mash - I think if you could do a gentle transfer you’d be fine; however, I think it’s a reasonable idea for you to evaluate why you’re step-mashing. If you’re doing it for fun or authenticity, that’s fine; however, there are better ways to improve your beer.
I never considered Oxidation to be a danger - but you raise a really good point - I guess that’s why the recipe says to transfer it with a ladle.
Basically I want to try this method because I want to make Pilsners and Helles Lagers - and the pilsner recipe in the current issue of Zymurgy says to do it this way 
The last pilsner I made was an infusion mash and it turned out great…but, it seems to be a common practice to perform a step mash with the lighter beers (i.e. Pilsers, Light Lagers, Wheat), and even though modern malt is modified to the extent that you generally do not need to perform a step mash, people are still doing it, so there is something to it. In fact, I’ve been told that Wyermann Bohemian PIlsner Malt is specifically formulated for decoction mashing.
Anyway, I do not have a false bottom, just a cooler with a bazooka, and I find it difficult to perform a step mash with this equipment, even on a small batch. Basically I would heat the mash water in my Kettle, add the grains, and then step the temp up with spurts of heat while stirring to avoid scorching.
You might start by asking yourself why it says that…what benefits will you reap by doing that. That’s kinda the basis I use to make those kinds of decisions.
I have it on good authority that you can make an award-winning Helles with a single-infusion mash. 
You don’t need to ladle it. My brew buddy pours his unboiled wort all the time and he makes great beer.
If you’re looking to try new mash procedures AND are doing a Pils - why not try a decoction?
Its not terribly difficult if you watch Kai Troester do it a few times - and all you need is the equipment you already have for SI mashes.
A friend mashes in a 10 gallon cooler. If he needs to do a step mash he adds boiling water. If the grainbill is too big or he has no more room for infusions, he does a decoction.
Just the way he does it, and he makes excellent beer. An example of how the procedure is modified to fit the system.
I transfer to the tun for lauter and use a pot from the kitchen. As to why I do it that way…precise temp control.
I mash in a 10 Gallon Gott cooler - in a setup probably fairly similar to what you’ve got - and I think I’d either infuse with boiling water in the cooler, do a decoction mash to hit my temps, try a combination of those two techniques or, most likely, stick with my SOP and single-infusion mash.
Can you make a better beer with a multi-step mash? Maybe. I’m not sure that I could. I don’t have any practice with that technique. I wouldn’t try what you’re proposing because I’d likely never use this technique and would, therefore, never get good-enough at this technique to make better beer than I could with my standard technique. My new mantra is, “Don’t fight your system”.
I say all of this with the caveat that recently (about a year ago) I decided to branch out and try a ton of new techniques. I think what I found, after 40-some-odd batches of experiments, was that all of these techniques can make amazing beer; however, none of these techniques are the secret to making amazing beer. The secret to making amazing beer, I feel, is perfecting a process that works well for your system. That’s my current brewing philosophy FWIW.
I guess some people just don’t have the skill to control temps in a cooler…
Thanks for all the advice everyone!
I generally have good temp control when I’m doing a five gallon batch in my cooler since I have a lot of room to play - but I prefer to do 10 gallon batches for obvious reasons ;), and that’s where I forsee the difficulty of temp control in a cooler…I’ll try a few different things and see what I come up with!
Makes sense…I was just taking a personal dig at Mike, an old friend…
I’ve tried the method you outline above, and it will work fine (though the constant stirring of the mash during the step ups is kind of a pain). Turning the heat off while you are still a few degrees shy of your target temperature will help you avoid overshooting it.
NB sells a nice large 32oz ladle, I have one and it works well for transferring mash. I use it when I do decoction mashing.
I’ve done single infusion, step mashing and decoction. They all give slightly different results, notice I didn’t say better just different.