Here’s something you won’t read often in a brewing magazine: You won’t need any fancy equipment for this. The ancients who heated their mashes with stones were not making beer on the latest Ss Brewtech kit. In fact, since you’ll be playing with red-hot stones, it’s probably best to leave your nicest gear out of this.
There are, however, some decisions to make and a few important things to keep in mind, related to ingredients, equipment, and personal safety. (For much more on mashing with hot rocks, see Fire & Brew Stone: The Real Story of Steinbier.)
Which Malt to Use?
You could simply buy some good pale malt. After all, the type of malt isn’t necessarily the point here—this is about getting together with friends to perform a traditional, dangerous, and highly photogenic technique.