For the first couple batches, aim a few degrees high on the temperature, it is much easier to cool down a little bit w/ cool water or a couple ice cubes than it is to add heat. Preheat the cooler MT by adding mash water 10-15 degrees hotter than strike temp and let the cooler absorb heat for 10-15 minutes, then either stir to cool or add a touch of cool water to hit strike temp. After stirring in the grains, wait a few minutes for the mash temp to stabilize, immediately after doughing in the temp will be falsely high as the grain has not fully absorbed all the heat yet.
Brewing software makes life so much simpler. With Beersmith I put in my equipment profile and it calculates heat loss to the equipment for me. All my temps and volumes are super accurate and recipe composition could not be simpler.
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