Hot/Cold spots in MLT

[jyda]

Hey all,

I've got a rectangle cooler converted to an MLT. When mashing I notice that there are places in the grain where the temperature varies ~ 3 to 4 degrees. When I see this, do I go by the cooler spot, hotter spot, or split the difference?

Thanks,
JD

 

[beerbelay]

I would say stir until uniform. If the temp. is too low or too high adjust from there.

 

[KayaBrew]

Hey all,

I've got a rectangle cooler converted to an MLT. When mashing I notice that there are places in the grain where the temperature varies ~ 3 to 4 degrees. When I see this, do I go by the cooler spot, hotter spot, or split the difference?

Thanks,
JD

This seems to be fairly common. It happens in my rectangular tun, and I've read other posts here that say the same. I don't sweat it. I figure that the temp. differences "average" themselves out, and all of my beers have come out great.

 

[waldoar15]

I just kind of drag my digital thermometer around through the mash and whatever it reads is called good enough.

 

[Bensiff]

Temp. variations are just the nature of the beast. Give it a good initial stir and a few along the way and you will be fine.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Stir more...I experienced the exact same until I stirred for several minutes, then pretty constant.

 

[impatient]

You should stir the grains up well every ten minutes. Except for when you get ready to clear your runnings of course. At that point, you do not want to disturb the last six inches of the bed, however, you can stir down a little to keep the sparge water from running around the grains along the sides of the cooler.

By doing this, the temp will remain consistent.

 

[wilserbrewer]

You should stir the grains up well every ten minutes......
By doing this, the temp will remain consistent.

Sorry, but I must respectfully disagree, I would fear that stirring every ten minutes will only result in temperature losses.

Sorry again, but i find it funny that w/ a name like "impatient", you need to stir the mash every ten minutes.

Dough in and leave it alone. Maybe stir once or twice if you are truly "impatient"

 

[impatient]

Sorry, but I must respectfully disagree, I would fear that stirring every ten minutes will only result in temperature losses.

Sorry again, but i find it funny that w/ a name like "impatient", you need to stir the mash every ten minutes.

Dough in and leave it alone. Maybe stir once or twice if you are truly "impatient"

I just speak what works. I use a 10 gallon igloo cooler, you can see it in may gallery if you like. I get 90%+ efficiency every time and me temp never drops more than a degree in 60 minutes.

For example:

I got 1.071 with this @ 153:

EDIT: This is fly sparged, which I believe is the best anyway.

11.5 2-row
1 Crystal 60

The final volume was 5.5 gallons. I believe that is 92%.

EDIT: And there is a process taking place inside the tun. By evenly distributing everything that is going on, I believe the enzymes can better do their thing.

 

[kaiser423]

I hit my OG's spot on every time with 2-3 stirrings (maybe an extra stirring if I didn't hit my sparge temp right on with the dough-in).

My rectangular cooler has a couple of spots that are always a bit cooler than the center. But as long as the center is spot-on, or 1-2 degrees hot, then I'm fine. I take the temp at the center, where it should be the hottest, and if that's low then I jump the temp up some, but otherwise we're just fine.

I honestly don't think it's a big deal; nearly everything is going to have some hot/cold areas. Everything is a process, which means lots of big gray areas. Just hit what you feel is a good spot in that gray area and go with it.