Mash temp issues

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Blackhawkbrew

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Having some trouble holding mash temps with my 48 quart Rubermaid cooler. Mashed in at 165* and closed the lid at 155. It has dropped 6 degrees in 40 minutes! (doing a 90 minute mash). And that's with 2 blankets around it! Is it time for a new cooler? I should check the thermometer also.
 
Are you preheating the tun?

Was 165* the temp of the strike water, or your mash was actually at 165*?

Is there any reason in particular you're doing a 90min mash? I generally only need 20min or so before I can start vorlaufing.
 
Mash tun was preheated with 170*. I mashed in at 165*. I checked it before vorlaufing with another thermometer and it read 150* in several different spots, may be my thermometer.

I'm brewing BM's Cream of 3 Crops and he does 90 minute mash in his directions. 90 minute boil also - makes for a long brewday.
 
Mostly sounds like you have non-uniform temperatures in the mash and need to thoroughly mix it. You're just measuring two different temp zones. An igloo cooler should not be losing that much heat. Don't worry too much spending a couple minutes just stirring and breaking up the grain. Even with the lid off, it won't lose much heat over a couple minutes.
Or like you said, could be the thermometer. One of mine had a a plastic/rubber dipped tip, and once that got slightly chipped off, it started reading all over the place.
 
Mostly sounds like you have non-uniform temperatures in the mash and need to thoroughly mix it. You're just measuring two different temp zones. An igloo cooler should not be losing that much heat. Don't worry too much spending a couple minutes just stirring and breaking up the grain. Even with the lid off, it won't lose much heat over a couple minutes.
Or like you said, could be the thermometer. One of mine had a a plastic/rubber dipped tip, and once that got slightly chipped off, it started reading all over the place.

+1 This is very likely what is going on. Good advice.
 
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