23# of mash in an uninsulated keg

I am weary of doing a big 23# mash in my 10 gallon Gott cooler, so I'm throwing together a short notice mash tun made from a 50L keg. I don't have anything more than a blanket available for insulation. I am wondering if 23# of grain + water will have a decent thermal mass to maintain 152F in a 85F environment without insulation. My LHBS's crush has been giving me consistent conversion after 35-45 minutes, so I don't see me needing to go any longer. Can this big grain bill hold temp for that duration?

When I make beers this big in my 10gal cooler I just max out the cooler and use DME for the remainder. With that much grain you wont notice a little DME

I'm using a keg for a MLT and if you preheat the MLT with some hot water (say, 180), and let it drop to strike temperature, I think you'll be fine with 23 pounds of grain. I was actually surprised at how well the keg holds temps, after seeing how others insulate theirs. I think a small grainbill might be an issue but with 23 pounds of grain, and 8.6 gallons of water (assuming 1.5 quarts/pound), I think you'll hold heat just fine.

I had a ton of trouble with maintaining themp in a keg for a mashtun with 27# of grain for a barleywine. That was the one and only time I used it because it was such a PITA but then again, that was February in Minnesota.

Just did an IS with 24 lbs in a 15.5 with a blanket and didn't drop one degree in 45 minutes. It was about 95 outside.

inhousebrew said:

but then again, that was February in Minnesota.

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Should be a little different during August in Georgia.

14# of grain and 9 gal water in a keggle wrapped with a sleeping bag typically drops @ 2 degrees over 60-90 minutes (I'm a BIAB'er). I would think that the additional thermal mass of the larger volume mash would sustain temp at least as well.

My keg mash tun drops a few degrees over a 60 minute mash. I just did a 23# grain bill and it held temps with a re-circ about halfway through.

Another bit of advice, preheat with over temp strike water then add half the grain. Wait for the grain to absorb some water and then add the rest of your grain. You are pretty much max'd out with 23# @ 1.33 qts/lb.

What about the other direction? Smaller mashes? I am thinking about converting to a keg mash tun for future growth (larger grain bills, direct fire mash). Right now my average gain bill is 12 - 12.5 pounds. Will the mash be large enough for the keg or will I not have a deep enough grain bed? Right now I am using a 10 gallon gott cooler.

Thanks for any advice

I do up to 26 lbs in my Rubbermaid 10 gallons cooler. Just need to mash a little thicker (~1 qt/lb) and then it usually takes 2 or 3 batch sparges depending on my preboil volume. This is for 10 gallon batches, if you were planning on doing 5 gallon batch it would only take one batch sparge.

If he is doing a barley wine he wants just the first run. So batch sparging or any sparging won't do.

crazyirishman34 said:

If he is doing a barley wine he wants just the first run. So batch sparging or any sparging won't do.

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OP never said anything about what he is making or what size batch this is. I was simply explaining that 23 lbs can be mashed in a 10 gallon cooler.

Plus, why wont sparging do if its a barleywine?

Barleywines are made from the first runnings. It makes the beer more malty and avoids husk tannin. The second and 3rd runnings are used to make an ESB.

crazyirishman34 said:

Barleywines are made from the first runnings. It makes the beer more malty and avoids husk tannin. The second and 3rd runnings are used to make an ESB.

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Starting to get a little off topic of the original post but I would say that this is more of a personal suggestion as opposed to rule for style. To each his own, cheers!

No that is not at all true. All of the British barleywines are first runnings beers.

Okay im not going to mess with a crazy irish man

crazyirishman34 said:

No that is not at all true. All of the British barleywines are first runnings beers.

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They don't have to be.

Yooper said:

I'm using a keg for a MLT and if you preheat the MLT with some hot water (say, 180), and let it drop to strike temperature, I think you'll be fine with 23 pounds of grain. I was actually surprised at how well the keg holds temps, after seeing how others insulate theirs. I think a small grainbill might be an issue but with 23 pounds of grain, and 8.6 gallons of water (assuming 1.5 quarts/pound), I think you'll hold heat just fine.

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How long does it take to drop temps to strike temps and equilibrate the mLT? This has been my main problem w/ SS keg MLT. This step can add more time to the brew day. I have gone 5-8 degrees high with strike h2o direct fire, waited 15-20 minutes to mashed in. It still dropped in temp. The key(at least I think) is to get the MLT to equilibrate but you need to know water volume needed and temperature. Still working it.
I always have to heat my MLT and stir twice per mash. Total hassle. I use to take a nap during the mash when I used a cooler.

bump

balto charlie said:

How long does it take to drop temps to strike temps and equilibrate the mLT? This has been my main problem w/ SS keg MLT. This step can add more time to the brew day. I have gone 5-8 degrees high with strike h2o direct fire, waited 15-20 minutes to mashed in. It still dropped in temp. The key(at least I think) is to get the MLT to equilibrate but you need to know water volume needed and temperature. Still working it.
I always have to heat my MLT and stir twice per mash. Total hassle. I use to take a nap during the mash when I used a cooler.

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I don't understand why anyone preheats a mash tun. Just raise your strike temps.

Beersmith allows you to select from preset mash tuns, including keggle, which then sets the specific heat of the tun. On brewday, just enter your grain and tun temps, and it then adjusts your strike water temps and amounts in order to hit your desired mash temp. It's very good at this. It might take a few times to get it just right (by adjusting the specific heat number), but once your system is dialed in it works. I've been doing it this way for at least 100 batches. I don't even look at my mash temps any more.

Just add strike water, stir like crazy for a minute, and let it go.

When using a cooler this worked fine. When using a SS keg as MLT my temps drop, I usually direct fire to raise temps twice during the mash. I use 2 layers of foil bubble wrap and blue sleeping pad to insulate. Temps still drop. Best results when I also use a sleeping bag over keg AND previous mentioned insulation.
When I add the grains the temps appear to stabilize at the desired temp but w/in 15 min they begin their downward path. Add heat, appears stable then they drop again within another 15 or so minutes. After the next direct fire temps finally stabilize. I never preheat anything, I think I need to bring my strike temps way higher than beersmith says to do, let it stabilize,~20-30 minutes then mash in. I believe the volume of steel continures to absorb water heat.