Help! Low mash temp

[wormsgetsold]

I bought a new digital thermometer today and was using it in my mash. I figured out it was not calibrated right about 15 minutes in. It was reading 160, then I doughed in and it went to 172. Then I freaked out and added cold water. Two different thermometer readings with another dig and a floating thermometer I figured I was at 145. It sat at 145 for 35 min total. I managed to get the temp up to 150, can't add more water now.

Question: How long should I mash at 150 for?

Grain bill
10 1/4 2-row
1/2 cara pils
1/2 munich

 

[pompeiisneaks]

same time, 150 is a normal mash range, what did your mash call for? I often do 149 myself... It will make beer... usually people mash for 60 mins at 150ish, so 1 hr should do.

~Phil

 

[wormsgetsold]

same time, 150 is a normal mash range, what did your mash call for? I often do 149 myself... It will make beer... usually people mash for 60 mins at 150ish, so 1 hr should do.

~Phil

sure, 152 was what i was going for. I guess what I am asking is should I still mash for 1 hour, or less time because it sat at 145ish for 35 minutes.

 

[brian_g]

I bought a new digital thermometer today and was using it in my mash. I figured out it was not calibrated right about 15 minutes in. It was reading 160, then I doughed in and it went to 172. Then I freaked out and added cold water. Two different thermometer readings with another dig and a floating thermometer I figured I was at 145. It sat at 145 for 35 min total. I managed to get the temp up to 150, can't add more water now.

Question: How long should I mash at 150 for?

Grain bill
10 1/4 2-row
1/2 cara pils
1/2 munich

The lower temperature range will give you more fermentable sugars. This means your abv will be higher and your beer will be dryer and less sweet. It's not the end of the world.

 

[wormsgetsold]

I dig. Will proceed as normal now. thanks.

 

[brian_g]

sure, 152 was what i was going for. I guess what I am asking is should I still mash for 1 hour, or less time because it sat at 145ish for 35 minutes.

I'd go for another 60 min at 150. I don't have enough experience to know if it necessary, however.

 

[wormsgetsold]

it's done now, mashed for 55 min at 150. batch sparging now.

 

[brian_g]

Good luck with the rest of the brew. What kind of beer are you making? Is this your first all grain batch?

 

[wormsgetsold]

Good luck with the rest of the brew. What kind of beer are you making? Is this your first all grain batch?

it is a pale ale with simcoe for bittering and flavor. cascade for aroma. 5th all grain batch. 1.5 ounce simcoe 60 min, .5 ounce simcoe 15 min, .5 ounce cascade 5 min, .5 flame out.

put my first hop addition in 10 minutes ago. going well now, after that little scare.

 

[brian_g]

I've only done 1 all grain so far. This is why I couldn't say for sure if you needed another 60 min at 150F. Read the following:

How to Brew - By John Palmer - How the Mash Works
How to Brew - By John Palmer - The Starch Conversion/Saccharification Rest

These two pages explain how the mash enzymes work. Basiclly here's what happens. The alpha enzyme works best at 154-162°F, the beta enzyme works best at 131-150°F. The beta enzyme makes the fermentable sugars. The alpha enzyme makes more unfermentable sugars. The trick is that, the beta needs the alpha enzyme, but if you get the mash in the ideal range for the alpha, you will start to destroy the beta enzyme.