Temperature drop during mashing

Hi guys. I've noticed that my temperature drops significantly when I mash in my grains at 68°C. It goes down to around 60°C when I add my grains. I have to compensate by adding lots of boiling water.
Should I instead heat my water to around 75-76°C (and not the usual 68-70°C) and then add the grains?

I brew batches of 5 litres.

 

https://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml

Try this out.

 

Thats a big drop. Are you doing full volume BIAB?

 

Thanks! It says 'The temperature of the strike water should be 75C'. Will try it out.

 

I don't BIAB. I use a mash tun.

 

We store our grain in an unheated garage. In the middle of winter, we sometimes lose up to 10'C from strike water temp to mash temp.

generally, we aim for 75'C strike water and end up around 66-68'C mash temp.

 

if only there were free online calculators that would take the temperature and weight of your grain, and the volume of your water, and tell you exactly what temperature water to start with......

I think they will even convert to your little martian degrees.

 

Lol

 

Perhaps this calculator works for thick mashes, but it grossly overestimates the strike water temperature for my full volume BIAB batches. I use the following formula, which gets me within 1°F of my desired mash temperature every time:

Strike Water Temp = ((0.18/Mash Thickness) x (Desired Mash Temp - Grain Temp)) + Desired Mash Temp

Where: Mash Thickness = qts/lbs and temperatures are in Fahrenheit

Or in more simple language:

1. Divide your quarts of strike water by the pounds of grain to get your Mash Thickness

2. Divide 0.18 by the Mash Thickness above

3. Subtract the Grain Temperature from your desired Mash Temperature

4. Multiple the result from 2 above times the result from 3 above.

5. Add the result of 4 above to your Desired Mash Temperature

Example: 20 Quarts (5 gal) of strike water, 7 pounds of grains @ 70°F, Desired Mash Temp of 150°F

20 qts/7 lbs = 2.86
0.18/2.86 = 0.063
150°F - 70°F = 80
0.063 x 80 = 5.0

Strike Water Temp = 150 + 5.0 = 155°F

TomVA

 

HA! But but but, 'Murica!!!