Spike Trio Mash Temperatures

[dan46nbrew]

I'm using a 20 gallon mash tun with the Spike Trio system. I checked the temperature of the water in the mash tun with a Thermoworks Thermapen and matched the sensor readout exactly. However once I add the grain and start to mash the sensor reading on the mash tun is off sometimes by 4 degrees. For example on my last brew the sensor was reading 144F and the Thermapen read between 146-148 at different locations in the mash. Is this normal or is there something wrong with the setup? It kind of got to be a pain to constantly double check the mash temp and not be able to rely on the sensor readout.

 

[Jag75]

Did you mix the mash really good ? Could have hot pockets , however I would think it would be a little hotter down towards the bottom where the sensor is then up top where you're using the pen.

 

[dan46nbrew]

Did you mix the mash really good ? Could have hot pockets , however I would think it would be a little hotter down towards the bottom where the sensor is then up top where you're using the pen.

I mixed the mash well at the beginning when I first add the grains but after that I don't. Should I be mixing it throughout the mash?

 

[Jag75]

I mixed the mash well at the beginning when I first add the grains but after that I don't. Should I be mixing it throughout the mash?

When I'm brewing at home on my Grainfather I do . I also mix at the brewery. It's a 3bbl stout Rims . I just did a hazy last week that had roughly 180+ # grain bill. I underlet on that set up. I mix as I go .

 

[Golddiggie]

How are you recirculating during the mash? I found that using the tube (as they state) makes for pretty wide (for our application) temperature variations. Plus it can create channeling of the mash/grain bed.
I used a new sparge arm I created on Sunday and that issue went away. Mostly because the recirculated wort dumps into the middle of the MT, over the grain bed. I'll be using it again this coming weekend for a larger grain bill batch (last Sunday was 18#, coming batch is 29# in my 15 gallon MT).

 

[dan46nbrew]

How are you recirculating during the mash? I found that using the tube (as they state) makes for pretty wide (for our application) temperature variations. Plus it can create channeling of the mash/grain bed.
I used a new sparge arm I created on Sunday and that issue went away. Mostly because the recirculated wort dumps into the middle of the MT, over the grain bed. I'll be using it again this coming weekend for a larger grain bill batch (last Sunday was 18#, coming batch is 29# in my 15 gallon MT).

I'm using this floating sparge arm for both mashing and sparging... even with this it still creates channeling.

 

[Golddiggie]

I'm using this floating sparge arm for both mashing and sparging... even with this it still creates channeling.

This is my new sparge hardware:

3" TC cap TIG welded to the 1/2" OD stainless tubing (bent as shown). I'll take a picture of the grain bed after the next use. No channeling took place in Sunday's use.

 

[dan46nbrew]

This is my new sparge hardware:
View attachment 752221View attachment 752222
3" TC cap TIG welded to the 1/2" OD stainless tubing (bent as shown). I'll take a picture of the grain bed after the next use. No channeling took place in Sunday's use.

Looks good, where did you get the hardware from?

 

[Golddiggie]

Looks good, where did you get the hardware from?

Got the cap from Brewers Hardware, the tubing I had, and then had my buddy TIG weld it together. I have a couple of 4" caps not being used that I might make another one out of. I also have a version using a 2" cap that I've not tried/used yet. I could also get 'fancy' and put a hole through a smaller cap (like one of the 1-1/2" spares I have) and have the larger cap as an offset. Or have some of the stainless sheet metal I have on hand cut into a disc to use. I could try cutting it myself, it would just take more time to get it right. Not sure if that would be better, or not.

The wort flow was good once the mash was mixed in. When it was just water, flow rate was higher.

 

[dan46nbrew]

I re-read the instructions and Spike says to put on the hose for the sparge arm for sparging. I was using it to mash also, wonder if that's what caused the issue...

 

[dan46nbrew]

I was able to get the channeling much better, I think I had to flow rate too high. The temperature difference also got better, now the mash sensor reads about 2 degrees below what the thermopen says.

 

[Bobby_M]

This is my new sparge hardware:
View attachment 752221View attachment 752222
3" TC cap TIG welded to the 1/2" OD stainless tubing (bent as shown). I'll take a picture of the grain bed after the next use. No channeling took place in Sunday's use.

When the diffusion plate is not in direct contact with the surface, the flow is apparently reconverging into a single stream as if the plate was not even there. I don't think it's doing what you were hoping it would do. The height of the diffusion plate needs to be adjustable.

 

[micraftbeer]

When the diffusion plate is not in direct contact with the surface, the flow is apparently reconverging into a single stream as if the plate was not even there. I don't think it's doing what you were hoping it would do. The height of the diffusion plate needs to be adjustable.

Or higher velocity flow so it sprays when it hits that plate and rains down like a sprinkler. If that flow rate is too much without causing stuck mash, maybe a flow restriction in the pipe or smaller diameter tube.