Boiled my mash

[neumann]

So I took a half day off work to brew. After some issues getting my grain crushed I was off. Heated my strike water and mashed in. After the temps had stabilized I noticed I was a few degrees low. I figured I'd run the burners for a few minutes and bring the temps back up. Fired up the burners and went about some other business I came back a few minutes later and notices that my thermometer mounted on the keggle read 150. Perfect. Kill the fire. Just for grins though I checked the temp with another thermometer. It shoots up to like 200. I start stirring frantically and my mounted thermometer shoots up too. So that's where I am now, stirring with one hand and typing this with the other. Can this mash be saved or have I stopped all the enzymes?

 

[Kaz]

Depends on how long it was above 170F, if I recall, it takes about 15 minutes for the enzymes to denature. Drop some ice in there and try to get it down as quick as you can.

 

[neumann]

couldn't have been long. I don't think even 15 minutes. I've got it down to 152 now. Should I start my mash timer over or should I go ahead and start sparging when I originally planned to? Is there anyway to test if the enzymes have be denatured?

 

[broadbill]

don't start your mash time over....you can check to see if your mash converted with a starch/iodine test. You are probably fine.

 

[aomagman78]

Wouldn't this have denatured many enzymes? Seems like a longer mash would be the way to go, but that's just a guess.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Those keggle thermometers are just plain junk. For some reason they always stick like that. I have a friend that says it is because of the stainless keggle, but I am not convinced. I always use a digital with a probe when I mash and stir often when raising temps. Plus I kill the heat before reaching the temp I am looking for, cause it always seems to continue to rise.

 

[Dgonza9]

I don't think you can blame the thermometer. It works. You just had hot pockets.

 

[neumann]

I'm don't think that the thermometer is bad. I just need to be double checking my mash temps with another thermometer. I did a 90 minute mash and I tasted the wort and it was sweet (I don't have any iodine). Efficiency was terrible but I has other issues with a slow/stuck mash. Yesterday was the most difficult brew day I've had in forever...

 

[neumann]

Well, just as an update, the beer came down to 1.016 which was my target gravity but is VERY cloudy. I couldn't see through the little tasting glass that I had. I'm going to cold crash it tonight and see if that helps. Aside from the cloudiness, it's a good beer and I learned a good lesson; Never trust just one thermometer.