How do you measure mash temp?

Just curious, I'm on my 130th brew today and I realized over the last 2 years I'm now measuring slightly differently from the few years before. Now I calculate 2 degrees above my target, wait 15 mins, stir, take a PH sample, and measure temp which is always 2 degrees below the initial temp. So today my mash initially was 156, 15 mins later it settled at 154 - my target. I consider this mash 154 then.

What do you do?

Steve da sleeve

I use a floating thermometer in the mash. I get it up to about 155F,then stir in the crushed grains. It usually goes down to 152F or so,my usual mash temp for average beers.

I use probe therm like the one left in meat while cooking that has a remote unit. Just lower it in the mash (be careful not to get the wire wet, you want just the probe in the liquid). I also double check it with a good digital instant read thermometer just to make sure everything is good.

PS -- I mash in a round igloo cooler.

I try to hit the mash temp I'm going for to begin with, then I seal it up and don't open it until the end. I usually lose about 2 degrees in an hour. A few times during the mash I'll pick up the cooler and swirl it around to mix everything up without having to lose heat by opening it.

I believe the majority of conversion happens in the first 20 minutes or so of the mash, so I would rather be at the temperature I'm aiming for while most of the conversion is occurring.

But I guess all that matters is that you know what mash temp will get you the results you're looking for on your personal system. And knowing how your system's mash temps relate to other people's mash temps found in recipes is important too I suppose.

My wife got me a Thermapen for Christmas, so I just stir the snot out of it and measure. I was using an inexpensive BBQ meat probe digital before that, it is within 1 deg of the Thermapen.


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I set my water temp 14 or 15 degrees over the mash temp I want. I use a big Gott cooler so after I dump my water and add my grains, I'm usually on or a degree or two above. As was stated above, I seal it up and leave it go. Holds temps uite nice and usually I'm down only a degree or two at most.