Direct heat MT temp problem?

OK, I do step mashes and thus direct fire my keggle.

So I do my temp readings, hit target temp and kill the burner.

Now what I have noticed lately since I have made my remote bbq thermometer submersible (shrink tubing on the wire) is that the temp at the very bottom of the mash tends to be about 4 deg F higher than the grains at the rest of the mash. I use my stick in digital thermometer (accurate to .1deg) for that.

Since the bottom of the MT is still hot how the hell do I accurately gauge mash temp? Have I been really mashing about 4 deg higher than I thought for all my brews?? Even if it is just the bottom inch of the mash, that would meean some of the garins are mashing less fermentable.

All my temp readings in the past were from the probe being stuck in from the top of the mash.

I had that problem too, until I realized that how much residual heat there is in the bulky metal ring around the bottom of the keg... that heat goes right into the bottom of the mash. What I do now is, make sure I'm stirring right off the bottom and around the edges until I reach my target temp. Then I cover the thing and spray the bottom with water. Steam clouds galore, but my temps are even throughout the mash.

cheers -p

The guy who made the Brutus Ten has a false bottom and recirculates the the mash runnings over the top of the grain bed. He also regulates the temperature by checking it in the flow out of the tun.

I hope this makes sense

Al