Mashing
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jester5120
Well-Known Member
you need to maintain your temp. you'll probly need to leave the burner on or adjust it.
and when you use a cooler you don't heat it you heat water then put it in to the cooler
and when you use a cooler you don't heat it you heat water then put it in to the cooler
I shoot for 150-155. For me the best thing is to get the water up to 163 and cut the heat off but still leave the pot on the burner (I use electric stove top but you should be fine with whatever you got). Get some water boiling and some ice close by (I don't think you will need it). Throw your grains in, stir, and take your temp. Hopefully it will be between 150 and 155, if not stir in ice till it's melted or boiling water until the appropriate temperature is reached, but like I said you probably won't need to do this. Cover the pot and just let it sit. Should hold your temp for about an hour without loosing more than a degree or two.
If you temperature is not right on the nose don't worry. You will still make Damn good beer I promise.
If you temperature is not right on the nose don't worry. You will still make Damn good beer I promise.
Thank you.
Any tips on biab mashing? I was thinking pour the wort without sparging into the fermentor and fill up my pot again then put the bag in the clean hot water for 5 or ten min then add that to the first portion? Just a thought I could sparge over a strainer that has the bag sitting ontop the strainer.
Any tips on biab mashing? I was thinking pour the wort without sparging into the fermentor and fill up my pot again then put the bag in the clean hot water for 5 or ten min then add that to the first portion? Just a thought I could sparge over a strainer that has the bag sitting ontop the strainer.
Yeah that would work because your just holding the wort till you boil it. A second pot for sparge would be better as far as convenience goes. If you got some bucks at walmart you can get a pot for like 20$.
Pouring sparge works fine too if you have a strainer. just place the sac of grains on the strainer and let them sit. Then pour 170 water over top at about 1 quart of water to 1 pound of grain. You will get good results this way as well.
I've used both and had good results each time. And don't think these are the only two ways. There are many very effective techniques. I sugest going with what you are comfortable with.
And above all else remember RDWHAHB!
Of course, if you're looking at BIAB, you always have the option of going no-sparge. That's what I've been doing since I started all-grain, and hit my numbers pretty much every time.
william_shakes_beer
Well-Known Member
Relax don't worry have a home brew (although drinking while having a home brew sounds pretty good too; Maybe that's why we have 2 hands)!!!
If you do your batch BIAB and intend to keep the temperature stable by adding heat you need to stir that mash constantly for the hour or you will have the bottom of it way too hot. The mash is thick enough that it doesn't get the convection currents that make water heat evenly.
I bring my water to strike temperature, stir in the grains real well and then put the lid on the pot and wrap it in something insulating, especially the lid. In an hour long mash you shouldn't lose more than a couple degrees and since most of the conversion will happen in the first 15 to 20 minutes, those couple degrees at the end won't matter much.
william_shakes_beer
Well-Known Member
What do you use to insulate your pot on the stove? Lowes has reflective insulation rolls but the stuff is godawful expensive, since I have to purchase an entire 16" wide roll
beergolf
Well-Known Member
How big is your pot? If you can fit it in the oven then preheat the oven to warm and put the pot in there. It will hold temp easily that way.
I do partial mashes and can mash up to 5.5lbs of grain in a small 3 gal pot in 2 gals of water, that I stick in the oven set to 170 and turn the oven off when the pot goes in. Then I heat up the rest of the water I need to get to my desired pre-boil amount in my 10 gal kettle to 168, remove grain sack from small pot, plop it into my kettle and let it sit for 10 mins. to sparge, remove, let it drain, squeeze and I'm done.
You could also just turn the burner off and wrap the kettle with a sleeping bag once the grain is at your mash temp.
You could also just turn the burner off and wrap the kettle with a sleeping bag once the grain is at your mash temp.
I use an old, king-size comforter.
I heat my water to the strike temperature, add my bag/grains, stir it all really, really, well, check the temperature and then wrap it all up in the comforter. I usually get two layers of the blanket around the pot and then mound the rest on top.
I used to stick a thermometer probe down in the center of the mash and run it out to the digital display to monitor temperature during the mash, but I usually only lose a couple degrees over an hour so quit messing with that.
edit: I don't mash on the stove. I'm in the garage on the propane burner.
william_shakes_beer
Well-Known Member
I'm doing my first BIAB part mash on the stovetop this weekend. My pot is a 7.5 Gallon turkey fryer that is narrow and tall. I can probably take the top rack out, move the bottom rack all the way down and see if it gets in there. If not, I'll buy the reflective insulation.
You can use any blanket, no need for the reflective bubble wrap. Just toss the blanket in your dryer for a little bit to warm it up then wrap the MLT with it after doughing in. No need to leave it on the stove top either, stick it in a corner for an hour and get the rest of your brewing equipment cleaned and ready.
RaginCajun112
Member
As others have stated, just a blanket and duct tape will avoid the need for buying insulation. I mash BIAB on stovetop and I do not use any type of insulation (blanket or otherwise), and I usually only lose about 2 degrees over a 60 minute mash. When I have done the mash outside I have used a blanket and typically only lose 1 or 2 degrees even in cooler weather.
I've looked into wrapping my cheap brew pot in insulation mostly because it takes forever to boil.... I really don't have a problem loosing heat during mashing even though the thing is paper thin.... I should really invest in a better pot.
djt17
Well-Known Member
Plastic is fine...everybody does it. Search Google for "Denny Brew"
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