Mashing time/temp

When I first starting brewing all grain I would mash my gain in my igloo cooler (1.25/1) at 150 for 60 min, but I would almost always end up with a final gravity of 1.018-1.022. So I then started mashing at 148 for 90 min which has drastically changed those final number to the 1.010-1.012, the problem is at the same time I also started using a yeast starter. So today I attempted to do a 60 min mash at 150, and the ending product came out much sweeter than they were doing the 90 min mash.

I am not freaking out, because beer is beer, but I am curious to know a bit more about my mash temp/times since I see some many others doing a 60min mash with ending gravity of 1.012-1.014

 

The time probably had something to do with it. I suspect your thermometer is reading low, though. Those FG's seem high for the low mash temps. I'm not that much of an expert though...

 

take a look at Kaiser's page:
http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.ph...ity_and_efficiency_in_single_infusion_mashing

 

Thank you for that link, erock. That is just the stuff I was researching with my first AG brew coming up. Very good question to start off with too.

 

Don't forget that your temps will continue to drop during the extra 30 minutes, breaking down the dextrine chains shorter and shorter. That said, 150 is not that high where you should be producing a sweet beer. It's between moderate and low.

 

I would test the thermometer too. I think you should be getting down a bit more at those temps (all other considerations normal).

 

Are the mash temperatures you give taken from from the initial reading? It is useful to have a temperature reading at the end of the mash too. If you lost more heat than typical during the mash, the actual mash temperature during most of the "150 degree" incubation might be too low for complete conversion after 60 mins.

 

I did not take an temp at the end, but it is 90* outside in the sun down here in south LA, and normally I only loose MAYBE 1 degree during mash. I will keep that in mind however for next time.

 

If you are losing as much as 2 degrees for a 90 minute mash, that will have a noticeable affect on the beer's profile.