Strike Water Temp

Here's my situation and would like some advice to refine technique. I use a 2-gal Coleman beverage cooler to perform my mini mashes with (generally) 4lbs of grain. I preheat the cooler with near-boiling water while I am getting water up to temp for the mash to negate the thermal effect of the insulation and plastic. Now... to hit a grain bed temp as close as I can to my desired/predicted... I need to accommodate bringing the grain up to temp with the hot water rather acutely. From Palmer we've learned that...

Tw = (.2/R)(T2 – T1) + T2

Tw: The required strike water temperature
R: The ratio of water to grain (qts/lb)
T1: The initial temperature of the mash
T2: The target temperature of the mash

Using this equation just seems to usually leave my grain bed a little too high. And I'm hoping that some of you may have some suggestions.

Cheers!

you do keep notes right?

adjust your strike water by the avg difference of your previous mashes


ie tagret is 150 and you hit 153 then you'd drop by 3 degrees your stike water

Try it without pre-heating your cooler with boiling water. Maybe too much residual heat from the cooler. I use a 10 gallon coleman rectangular type and just put hot water from the sink in it for a while and I am generally very close on strike temp. By very close I mean +/- 2 or 3. That may not mean very close to you.

Remember, this isn't rocket science, we just like to pretend it is.

Keep notes as eriktlupus recommended.

I did the same thing. Now I know with my setup - heat the water to 12 degrees above desired mash temp in the summer and 14 degrees in the winter. Usually hit the desired temp - if not, it is within a degree or two - adjust from there with a few ice cubes or some boiling water.

The main thing to do is try and keep everything as consistent as possible.

Tip a known amount of hot water (preferably boiling as it never goes above 100C) into your tun before mash in. (I tip three litres in, two kettles worth.)

If you keep everything as consistent as possible the only variables are room temp and your grain temp.

You can measure your grain temp and allow for that, hopefully is is at room temp. Then once you keep this consistent for a few batches you will learn how much to allow for from your calculations.

See Green Bay Rackers--Mash Calculators
This calculator should be pretty good if you pre-heat the cooler.
If you don't pre-heat the cooler, then your strike water will have to heat up both the cooler and the grain, resulting in a low mash temperature.
If you pre-heat the cooler up to mash temperature, the calculator should be very accurate.
If you over-heat the cooler (by pre-heating with near boiling water) you will end up with a high mash temperature as that excess heat will be released back into the mash when you add the strike water and grains.
Palmer's formula does not take the grain temperature into account, and therefore cannot be completely accurate.
-a.

Thanks much, all. I do keep notes, and I try to keep myself as consistent as possible. I was just a little surprised. As was mentioned.... this isn't rocket science. Cheers!!

mickpc said:

The main thing to do is try and keep everything as consistent as possible.

Tip a known amount of hot water (preferably boiling as it never goes above 100C) into your tun before mash in. (I tip three litres in, two kettles worth.)

If you keep everything as consistent as possible the only variables are room temp and your grain temp.

You can measure your grain temp and allow for that, hopefully is is at room temp. Then once you keep this consistent for a few batches you will learn how much to allow for from your calculations.

Click to expand...

Mick makes a very good point here - consistency. I store the grain and mash tun in the same room in the house. Nothing comes outside until the mash water is heated and I am ready to mash in. I did have problems hitting temps when I brought everything out and let it sit outside while I heated the water.

I live on the edge and just guess -- well, sorta.

I always strike in an unheated MLT at 168-173 depending on how close I'm watching the kettle, and then dough-in at ~162, which usually mashes at 151-155 depending on air temp and grain temp (the last batch I did was air temp ~48*F and grain temp @ ~52*F)....

I keep notes, I'm usually just too lazy to look them up -- I like the art of this hobby!

I know, I know, I'm a renegade

The more i read the more confused I get. Gonna start my first Brew and dont know where you find all this info on temps for recipes. What is the ultimate mash temp does it depend on the type of beer your brewing.. So Confused Didnt know I was gonna new a degree in math to brew beer...