Cooling Wort after mash

I usually mash in the kitchen then bring my wort outside for the boil. In the mean time my sparged wort usually cools a bit from the mash out temp.

Here is what i do now

1. single infusion Mash at about 152. (60min)
2. add 1 gallon of boiling water temp to ~159 (10min)
3. sparge
4. 1st batch sparge 2 gallons @ 185 degrees, mash to about 169
5. sparge
6. 2nd batch sparge 2 gallons @ 170 degrees, mast stays 169sh
7. sparge

the wort i sparge sits in a bucket in the kitchen and the temps drops to 140 or so. So what is going on with the sparged wort? Are starches still converting and is this bad? Should I start boiling the wort before i have full volume?

Thanks

Yes, lots of brewers start heating the first runnings whilst doing the second sparge. It gets you to the full rolling boil much faster.

At 169°F you are hitting mash out temperatures so you should be ok as far as stopping further conversion.

pcrawford said:

So what is going on with the sparged wort? Are starches still converting and is this bad? Should I start boiling the wort before i have full volume?

Thanks

Click to expand...

When you do a mashout you are stoping enzymatic action in the wort because you went over the conversion threshold temperature which denatures the enzymes. You can start boiling any time after you have your first runnings as it takes some time to come up to boiling anyway.

orfy said:

Yes, lots of brewers start heating the first runnings whilst doing the second sparge. It gets you to the full rolling boil much faster.

Click to expand...

But remember to stir it from time to time: thick wort can easily get carmelised or burnt.

orfy said:

Yes, lots of brewers start heating the first runnings whilst doing the second sparge. It gets you to the full rolling boil much faster.

At 169°F you are hitting mash out temperatures so you should be ok as far as stopping further conversion.

Click to expand...

But I don't think I am - I'm only getting to 159 (on a good day) before my first sparge. So by the time I sparge that its probaly lost a few degrees into my bucket....

Lets say i don't reach a temp high enough to stop conversion. What is happening now and is this bad?

any ideas?

Here is an article BYO - What mash temperatures create a sweet or dry beer? that will help you understand enzymatic conversions better.

Good luck!

- WW