Beer Dried Out -- Mash Temp

I've been doing AG for a while, but my most recent brew (an IPA) was my first since the weather started cooling down a bit. It was great for chilling, but I did notice that during the end of my mash my temps dropped into the mid 140s. Flash forward to the end of ferment and the gravity went from 1.062 to 1.009, sample had a lot more burn than I was going for. I was projected to finish at 1.014 with S-05. Is the high attenuation most likely because of the low mash temp?

 

Yes, once you get into the 140's you'll get much higher attenuation. What temp did you start at? You probably want to start around 152 and insulate the mash tun to hold the heat. I do BIAB in a stainless BK that I wrap with bubble insulation. It holds within 2 degrees for an hour.

 

I mash at 156 usually, and have never needed to insulate before because it was in the blazing Virginia heat and always stayed pretty steady. Looks like I need to get into insulating. Thanks!

 

One suggestion would be to pre-heat your mash tun. I use a cooler on my BIAB AG batches. One time I forgot to preheat the cooler, and my mash temps dropped from 152 to 147 over an hour. Whenever I've preheated I've been able to maintain within a degree or 2. Crazy how much it makes a difference but it really does, even when it's cold outside. Or, as mentioned, wrap it in insulation or a towel or something like that.

(I've typically added really hot water from the bathtub for 5-10 mins while I'm preparing other things. You could even use your mash water, just start with it a few degrees higher than your strike-temp, and when it drops to your target-temp, add your grains as usual.)


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