Do you have your strike water dialed in yet?

[Q2XL]

I am relatively new to all-grain brewing. I have about 18 brews done so far and still cannot dial in my strike water temp. Sometimes it is 25F hotter, other times, like today, it is 15F hotter then what I am looking to hold for the 60 minutes.

So, do you have it nailed down when it comes down to water strike temp?

 

[Brooklyn-Brewtality]

it varies on the grain temp, room temp, whether the mash tun was pre-heated, if it is a cooler or pot mash tun... so many things.

I tend to have grain and room temp at around 70-71, and preheat the cooler tun with ~120* water, so I get about 10 degree drop.

 

[annasdadhockey]

Are you using any type of brewing software? Most will have a section to figure out strike temps so that when you add it to your grains, you will nail the mash temp.

 

[Dr Vorlauf]

I do. For a 25 lb grain bill I mash with 168 f water. This gives me 153 F in the. MLT.

Are you adjusting the water temp as a function of the grain bill? Preheating your MLT?

 

[hopsoda]

check your thermometer sounds faulty ... + 1 above posts , try to keep your process the same batch after batch then you can adjust and correct the temps.

 

[springer]

I don't own brewing software but I use this one online and its been dead on just about every brew. only time it wasnt was due to user error . I imputed extra grain calc

 

[EonBlue66]

wow Q2xl your avatar is really distracting....in a good way

 

[IrregularPulse]

Definitely software. I use BrewSMith. Enter the grain temp, preheated tun temp and you'll nail it. I missed by 1-2 but I'm trasnferring from my water heating vessel to the MLT in a non-heated bucket.

 

[Q2XL]

I use Beersmith and I have a Thermapen thermometer. I use 2 different size coolers for my mash tun, depending on the size of the grain bill. I usaully use the 5 gallon cooler. I also preheat my mash tun all of the time. I don't know what gives.

 

[DrinksWellWithOthers]

I did but then I built a new set up so now I'm usually off. I need to start focusing more when I brew because the last few brew days have been a bit sloppy. I'm still making good beer but I'm not as efficient or precise as I could be.

 

[MMW]

Are you stirring the water in your HLT before taking the temp? When I have my burner going there is a difference top to bottom in temp that will throw everything off. Stirring in the HLT seems to help.

Never missed a temp by more than a degree. (I use a spreadsheet for my calcs)

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

On previous cooler based infusion systems either my therms were off or my strike temps were. Once I went to a RIMS with direct fired MLT I never missed a temp again. Dough in cold and warm to rest.

I dunno if I could go back now.

 

[Schnitzengiggle]

I use Beersmith and I have a Thermapen thermometer. I use 2 different size coolers for my mash tun, depending on the size of the grain bill. I usaully use the 5 gallon cooler. I also preheat my mash tun all of the time. I don't know what gives.

I only have one AG under my belt, but I also use Beersmith and have a Thermapen, I use a 52qt Coleman Xtreme cooler for my mash tun, what I noticed is after I preheated it for about 15 minutes then doughed with 165 in an attempt to get my rest at 150, I stirred for about 5-10 minutes. My temps were all over the place, 155 towards the back of the cooler, 143 towards the front, 150 towards the far end, and 156 right around the coupler. After stirring and checkin, stirring and checking, a said fuhggit closed the lid and let it do what it needed to. I was only over my pre-boil gravity by 1.001, but I did not check the gravity of my first runnings.

So I feel ya brother, I don't know what was happening on my brew day, but in the end it all seemed to work out, just like a good dump!

Now that I think about it maybe it is the increased headspace volume in the 52 qt cooler that has something to do with it, maybe its time to invest in some insulation foam?

 

[Bobby_M]

I usually hit it within 2F at the worst. I've calibrated BTP with tests in my mash tun and it does a pretty good job. I also take more variability out by heating the strike directly in the mlt.

 

[HotbreakHotel]

I can usually nail my temp, but I always go a little hotter with my water, and I add it somewhat gradually. I hit my temp before I have enough water in, but then I slowly add cold water to the strike water until it's at the mash temp, then I top the mash off with that. This way I hit it perfectly every time.

 

[jldc]

Home Depot cooler and a thermopen - accurate within a degree nearly all the time. Heat the water to about 8-10 degrees hotter than the strike temp and put it in the cooler. Close it up (to warm up the cooler) and check the temp after waiting a few min. The temp is usually a degree or two high, so I let the cooler sit with the lid off for 5-10 min and it will drop to the strike temp. Avoid ice/boiling water or you will get wild swings in the temps. If you calculated correctly and the strike water is the right temp and you stir well, then you will be right on your mash temp.

 

[AnonyBrew]

Beersmith is great for this. Be sure to enter the temp. of the grain & the MLT into the details page. It's always within 1 or 2F for me.

 

[thelorax121]

it all depends on you mash water ratio. I personally use 1.3 qt/lb grain when I mash in, and typically get a drop of 12-13 degrees. Toy around with it and keep your ratios consistent, and you should be good to go

 

[david_42]

I add the grain to the water, so I never have a problem. The strike water goes in at 180F and I adjust after 15 minutes. Then add the grain.

 

[chefmike]

I add the grain to the water, so I never have a problem.

Same here. I do not preheat anything. I use tastybrew's calculator to calc temps, usually 172 to 178. Dump in my water. Check temp after organizing, usually it is at my desired temp and I dump in grains and stir. Wait a few minutes, stir and check temp. Always dead on. Seal her up and let her saccrify.

 

[The Pol]

I dont dial it in, but it is easy.

1. Heat strike water to strike PLUS 12F
2. Transfer to MLT
3. Wait
4. Look for MLT thermometer to read STRIKE temp.
5. Mash in.

I dont trust using a certain differential based on thermal mass of the MLT etc... so I just strike a little hot to preheat the MLT, when it cools to strike temp (5 minutes) then I mash in. I am always within 1F, then I start the HERMS.

 

[jds]

Beersmith user here. I don't preheat, and I don't let Beersmith make the equipment adjustment for me. I use Beersmith to calculate strike temperature based upon actual grain weight and temperature. Then, I heat my strike water to about 5-7 degrees over what beersmith calls for, and add the strike water to the cooler.

After five minutes to equilibrate, I check the water temperature. I usually need to adjust it down a degree or two by either stirring, or careful additions of small amounts of cold tap water. Once I hit strike temperature, I dough in, and cover. I rarely miss by more than a degree either way.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

+1 on beersmith. They pretty much have it idiot-proofed. Lucky for me.

 

[SavageSteve]

"Dial in" may not be the right phrase for what I do. I heat the strike water to several degrees above the proper temperature, pour it into my cooler, then let it cool down to the proper strike temperature.

I have this process almost dialed in-- my last two mashes have ended up a couple of degrees too warm, so I just stir until it settles to my target temperature.

I started doing this because I definitely did not have the process dialed in when I heated the strike water to the proper temperature, poured it into the mash tun and then doughed in-- I always ended up undershooting the target mash temperature even though I had calibrated the mash tun to take into account its heat capacity.

-Steve

 

[Homebrewcrazy]

Check out Brewers friend on line, its free and will give you everything you need.

 

[Petey]

I've been using Beer Tools pro since i started doing all grain about 4 brews back. I just put in the grain temp and the temp i'm shooting for the mash to be to get the strike water temp. While i'm heating up my water i preheat the tun with some heated water that SWMBO gets goin for me and all but my first AG attempt around i hit my temps within 1 degree.

 

[SkiSoloII]

I use the same site as Springer untitled . I always preheat, and seldom am more than 1 degree off. Use a digital themometer from Target, seems to work. Always measure the temp of the grain in several places (often warmer or cooler on the edges of your container).

The site also tells you how much water at what temp (hi or lo) to add to make your desire mash temp if you should miss. They call it "desired strike temp," but its actually mash temp.

Dave

 

[mattmcl]

I have a wicked time with this, despite using Beersmith. Always too hot or cold, and when I add water to compensate it goes the other way. I have to say though that the beer is always incredible, and I don't much care any more about a few degrees one way or the other. It's better beer than I can buy, that's all I care about.