Sublime8365
Well-Known Member
So I just completed my 2nd all grain batch using the stovetop method mentioned on this forum. My mash process is a little tweaked from that one though because I only have one pot large enough to fit my grains. Here's what I currently do:
Problem I've been having is maintaining my mash temp for that hour on the stovetop. If I let it go without any heat, the temp drops too much because there's headspace in the kettle and I'm also taking off the lid to stir occasionally. My last brew, my temp varied from the lower 140's to the lower 170's. Not good. I've tested out how much water temps drop in an hour in a cooler that I have and they drop about 10 degrees in an hour.
Do you think I should essentially do the same process, but instead of the stovetop, put it in the cooler and add hot water every 15 minutes when I open it up to stir? The cooler isn't modified at all but I figure it won't matter much if I have the grains in a bag right? Any other easy ideas for controlling the temp?
- Heat my mash water in my brew kettle to +10-12 degrees my desired mash temp
- Put my grains (in a grain bag) into the kettle
- Attempt to maintain the temp for an hour by keeping the pot on low heat
- During the last few minutes of the mash, I heat my sparge water in 2 smaller pots
- When the mash is done, I put a colander on top of my fermentation bucket, put the grain bag in the colander to drain, and then pour my mash through the colander, rinsing the grains
- Then I combine my heated water into my brew kettle and heat to desired sparge temp (while my grain bag is still draining)
- After sparge, I drain the bag over the top of the kettle, and add my mash water.
- Bring up to boil, begin brew.
Problem I've been having is maintaining my mash temp for that hour on the stovetop. If I let it go without any heat, the temp drops too much because there's headspace in the kettle and I'm also taking off the lid to stir occasionally. My last brew, my temp varied from the lower 140's to the lower 170's. Not good. I've tested out how much water temps drop in an hour in a cooler that I have and they drop about 10 degrees in an hour.
Do you think I should essentially do the same process, but instead of the stovetop, put it in the cooler and add hot water every 15 minutes when I open it up to stir? The cooler isn't modified at all but I figure it won't matter much if I have the grains in a bag right? Any other easy ideas for controlling the temp?