How often to stir mash?

After doughing in and stirring like crazy, I put my lid back on and wait. I usually only stir once toward the very end when I do my iodine test. Then i let the mash settle again before vorlauf. My question is...how often do you guys stir your mash? and for how long? As usual, thanks for the help.

I am not much of an Expert (YET), but I got 74% yesterday...and I didn't stir at all until I was ready to begin vorlauf. (Also 90 minute Mash)

15 to 30 minute intervals. I havent been able to see any difference in efficiency when stirring more/less often so I dont worry about it too much, it seems the enzymes go where they're needed.

cool...thanks guys

I usually check the temperature 15 minutes into the mash and stir it pretty quick to prevent any heat from escaping. I may do this once more after another 20 minutes.

I also do stirs around every 15 minutes to 25 minutes, mostly when I'm doing temp checks etc. I don't think it makes a difference but hey I like the smell of a good mash.

I think, the taller the MLT the more often you have to stir, because there is bigger temperature difference between top an bottom

All stirring does is cause more heat loss. Leave the mash alone. Stir once when doughing in. The enzymes don't need to be persuaded into finding starch.

After doughing in, I don't stir until I add my sparge water. I also don't do a mashout. I check conversion on the first runnings during the first quart of vorlauf. Last batch was 79% efficiency.

if you're step mashing in a picnic cooler (ie, by adding hot water, not by adding heat), would you stir or not stir with every addition?

also, how much do you stir when you dough in? so far i've been stirring like crazy, but only for 30 seconds to a minute max. I've been getting low efficiencies (60-65).

I dough in and stir, after 1 hour I drain my runnings and add sparge water, stir then drain, add remaining sparge water, stir and drain. I get ~75% efficiency.

motobrewer said:

if you're step mashing in a picnic cooler (ie, by adding hot water, not by adding heat), would you stir or not stir with every addition?

also, how much do you stir when you dough in? so far i've been stirring like crazy, but only for 30 seconds to a minute max. I've been getting low efficiencies (60-65).

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You'd stir until you can take a consistent temperature in multiple places of the cooler and you can't find any more doughballs. That's how you know you stirred enough.

If you're step mashing, you'd have to stir thoroughly with each addition to get/maintain your rest temperature.

I stir very well, for about 5 minutes, at the very beginning and check the temperature throughout the mash during that time. Once it's all equalized and the same temperature everywhere, I close it up for the entire saccrification rest. If I'm step mashing, I stir well at each addition again checking the temperature throughout the entire time. Again, once it's equalized throughout, then I close it up.

It's also going to depend on if you're mashing in a vessel than you can apply heat to. I mash in my kettle, so I probably stir 2-3 times in between doughing in and lautering. I can always correct any temp drops real quickly. The question is, is it the stirring that creates the temp drops, or does the stirring evenly distribute the temp and make drops more apparent?

If I were using a cooler to mash, I wouldn't dare open that lid.

I consistently pull 66%. I think the main thing to make note of, and take a log of each batch, is consistency. Try not to change your water to grist ratio between batches, use something like beersmith to provide you with infusion temps, and stir well in the very beginning of the infusion.
I also cover my MLT with a blanket, then I stir prior to vorlauf, and each time, each batch is 66%.
Consistency is KEY!!!!!

When doing single infusion mashes, I only stir at dough-in. There is really no need to stir after that. When step mashing, stir at each water addition to level out the temp.

The last batch I did I over heated my strike temp water and put it in anyway. I stirred for about 10 minutes until I reached my mash temp and I didn't stir again until I added my sparge water. With the ambient temperatures dropping I think I'll be doing that from here on out.

mmb said:

After doughing in, I don't stir until I add my sparge water. I also don't do a mashout. I check conversion on the first runnings during the first quart of vorlauf. Last batch was 79% efficiency.

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Well, I've started stirring at 20 min into the 60 minute mashes and my average over the last four batches I've been stirring is 88% with a variance of +- 2%. The stir is the only thing I'm doing differently in my process.

Maybe I'm not stirring well enough at mash in or have some other issue?

I used to stir, and I used to check temps while I was stirring. Turns out, it didn't do anything productive, so I stopped. I only drop 1 degree an hour.

+ 1 no stirs until the sparge, I usually make lunch during that hour

I pour in the water, then I add the grains and it only takes maybe half a minute to get it all mixed up well.
I cover the cooler, then wait around 10 minutes and check the temperature to see if it's spot on.
Then I only stir if I'm doing a deconation or step mash.
Tried stirring a lot and never noticed a difference except a drop in temperature.

I agree with Bobby, I reach consistent 75%+ efficiency on my batches and never stir again after dough in. IMO removing the lid to stir will only create heat loss.

Bobby_M said:

All stirring does is cause more heat loss. Leave the mash alone. Stir once when doughing in. The enzymes don't need to be persuaded into finding starch.

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QFT, I've always thought stirring the mash after the doughballs were broken up is akin to shaking bottles after priming.

I realize this is an old thread but I haven't seen anyone worry about the settling effect of the mash over 60-90 minute timeframe. I stir at 20 minute intervals simply to keep the grains from settling on the bottom. My assumption is that for a water/grist ratio target of 1.5, the bottom of the mash would be at a 1.0 and the top would be at 2.0 because of settling. On thinner brews it wouldn't be a problem but on thicker brews like an Imperial IPA or Imperial Stout, I would think it would have a large impact.

Breweries use slow stirring mechanisms in their mash tuns. Is that to maintain the water/grisp ratio throughout?

Bobby_M said:

All stirring does is cause more heat loss. Leave the mash alone. Stir once when doughing in. The enzymes don't need to be persuaded into finding starch.

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This.

no stir here. usually go for a 30 minute run during the mash time

Bobby_M said:

All stirring does is cause more heat loss. Leave the mash alone. Stir once when doughing in. The enzymes don't need to be persuaded into finding starch.

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+1

I've NEVER disturbed my mash once it's started. I've never seen a reason to stir during the mash.

I see the above points. But, I do question this in my setup. I do BIAB and mash in my 15 gallon kettle. After about a half hour of mashing, the temp at the top of the mash is lower by a few degrees compared to the bottom, plus there is some settling out as grains sink to the bottom.
For example, after some time I will check my thermometer and the temp will be a few degrees lower than my target. When I open the lid and begin to stir, the warmer liquid from below mixes in and the temp goes up again. I don't decide whether to fire up the burner until I mix first. This tells me how much heat I need to add, if any at all. I also believe that mixing moves grains that might have settled to the bottom, thus increasing surface area. So I mix about every half hour.

Use an insulated wrap and you should remove the question entirely. An easy material to use is double bubble mylar reflective coated insulation available at building supply stores. There are a few brands out there. Reflectix is common.

I agree with everyone .
No really I stir my mash a couple times or so just when I think about it . I think this helps get the sugars out just like using a tea bag and dunking it up and down to get all the tea flavor out .

myersge1 said:

I realize this is an old thread but I haven't seen anyone worry about the settling effect of the mash over 60-90 minute timeframe. I stir at 20 minute intervals simply to keep the grains from settling on the bottom. My assumption is that for a water/grist ratio target of 1.5, the bottom of the mash would be at a 1.0 and the top would be at 2.0 because of settling. On thinner brews it wouldn't be a problem but on thicker brews like an Imperial IPA or Imperial Stout, I would think it would have a large impact.

Breweries use slow stirring mechanisms in their mash tuns. Is that to maintain the water/grisp ratio throughout?

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What's "best" probably depends on your setup. I use an insulated cooler mash tun. For me, mash temperature and thus my wort's fermentability are more important than an even water to grist ratio during the entire mash. Once I lock my temperature in, I put the lid on the mash tun and leave it alone. I have tested my cooler and I know it keeps a pretty even temperature throughout the grain bed during the entire mash.

Pro brewers stir their mash to keep an even temperature throughout the mash tun. This is often a necessity when brewing 7 bbl+ sized batches. On the homebrew scale, it's not really an issue unless your mash tun does a poor job holding heat.

I stirred during my last brew, Its was a version of Moose drool and the build filled my five gallon mash turn so I thought I should really get in there and turn it over. It was the first time I have ever came the close to a stuck mash, will not do again

Yep it's up to your system. Id lose to much heat in my cooler tun. But if I had a herms or similar Id definitely stir as much as possible , maybe even install an electric stirrer. It helps with efficiency and evening out mash temperature. I agree there is less need in a small homebrew setup but it should not cause any problems only positives.

On a homebrewscale I agree that stirring the mash probably isn't necessary, though I do run the pump a couple times during my mash to keep the bed flowing. I never have a stuck mash, and I've done things like a 50% oat beer and a 100% wheat beer.

Pro brewers use mash rakes not just for even temp distribution, but also to aid in liberating the starch from the grain. It also provides a bunch of tiny, uniform channels that make for an easier flowing lauter. This is how they are able to achieve efficiency percentages far above what homebrewers are capable of.

Also worth mentioning is that mash tun geometry ratios at pro breweries is quite different from homebrewers. Anecdotally I hear that the depth of the mash at a place like AB-Inbev is only 18 inches! I'm sure the rakes have some significance or relationship here.

I'm friends with a guy at a local brewery and their mash rake broke awhile back, resulting in a decrease in efficiency from something like 90% down to 70%. Sounds like familiar numbers to me!

Agreed with every ones posts. All of us has there own techniques to do this. Depends on equipment grain bill ect.. Myself I do infusion mashes. 5g batches with a Circle cooler and a bazooka screen. however. I'll add in 1/2g of (168 degrees) water and get my grains nice and wet. It gets to 114 +/-. And add in a little as I stir to get a thick mush. I usually stir for 2 min. Once that is done I'll slowly pour in the rest as I stir. Screw my lid on and wait about 60 min. After that slowly drain and recirculate a few times to get a good grain bed at the bottom. Drain into my kettle. After that I've added half of the strike water, mix. Wait 15 min. Repeat and rinse. I actually have had a 80% efficiency doing it this way. But I also mill my grains 2-3 times before hand with out a stuck sparge. Hope you fine tune your equipment to help you out. Good luck and cheers!!

Using 10 gal cooler with false bottom:

My brew partner and I stir at dough-in, then stir an hour later at mash out. 15 min after mash out, we vourloff and fly sparge (generally 90 minutes).

We've been pretty consistent ~85% eff on 10-15 lb grain bills (5 gal batch).

With the cooler as our mash tun, we lose about 1 degree over the whole process.

Edit: Sorry for the bump from the dead... forgot I was running through search results. Don't see a delete option in edit mode.

If batch sparging is it ok to stir before you vourloff and drain? The bed isn't set at that point right? Not sure if it would help or not.

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theck said:

If batch sparging is it ok to stir before you vourloff and drain? The bed isn't set at that point right? Not sure if it would help or not.

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For batch sparging, it's critical to stir. Stir in the sparge water like it owes you money. Then, vorlauf and drain.

Yooper said:

For batch sparging, it's critical to stir. Stir in the sparge water like it owes you money. Then, vorlauf and drain.

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I stir like a madman when adding the grain... Wondering about stirring before draining, or are you saying to stir before drain?

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theck said:

I stir like a madman when adding the grain... Wondering about stirring before draining, or are you saying to stir before drain?

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I thought we were talking about sparging here? When you add the sparge water when batch sparging, you stir like you mean it, and then stir some more. Then a little bit more. Then vorlauf and drain.

You always stir when you add something to the grain or to the mash. So when you add water to grain, or vice versa, stir like it owes you money. If you're not adding anything, you don't stir.

I thought the discussion was about stirring thoughout the 60 min wait. I'm just wondering if there is any benefit to stirring after the 60 mins, so you open the lid, stir like crazy, vorlauf and drain. I stir when I add the grain to the water, and I stir after adding the adding the batch sparge water. Never mind, it's probably the same as fly {above} and not a bad thing to do before batch sparging.