1650w Element and Step Mashing

[bornandraisedlv]

So I ran my first brew yesterday on my new panel and I wanted a drier style for this batch and mashed in at 143° and then the plan was to step up to 153° and then mash out at 170°. Well stepping from 143° to 153° with 16.5lb of grain and 5.5ish gallons of wort and my 1650w element just wasn’t happening. So I decided that I would introduce a secondary heat source, propane, to my hlt. Well I brought it with in 3° of my target killed the propane and made sure it hit my target of 153° and then went on with keeping swmbo happy and came back to my mash 15 mins later and it was at 160°! Element was not firing so I assuming I brought the heat up to fast on my hlt and this caused the over shoot.

I am thinking that next time it might be best to slow rise with minimal flame and kill the flame at least 5° before target?

For those of you using propane as a secondary heat source for step mashing what is your process to hit your temps?

 

[IslandLizard]

Mash generally proceeds quickly, if it was anywhere between 148 and 156F for 10 minutes, chances are 90% was converted already. Otherwise, call it an Imperial Mild!

I use a 3500W induction plate for my boil kettle, but often perform step and decoction mashes in that same kettle. Then use the converted cooler mash tun for lautering and sparging.
I stir with a wooden paddle as it's heating at 2000-2500W , making sure to a) scrape the bottom continuously, and b) bring the mash from the bottom to the top.

From brewing with a brew friend on his 15 gallon electrical system, I know that with a direct fired element in the kettle, stirring becomes an artform. More so if that's the mash tun!

 

[wilserbrewer]

You did a ramp mash temp, doubt there will be much difference than had you stopped at 153 as intended...

 

[TallDan]

Can you provide a little more detail about your system? Sounds like it's HERMS, how much water was in the HLT? What is your recirculation rate? What kind of filtering in the mash tun?

 

[bornandraisedlv]

Can you provide a little more detail about your system? Sounds like it's HERMS, how much water was in the HLT? What is your recirculation rate? What kind of filtering in the mash tun?

Yeah herms.

8 gallons in the hlt just enough to cover the entirety of my 50’ coil

Recirc rate is half open with my chugger

Jaybird false in my mlt

 

[TallDan]

Yeah herms.

8 gallons in the hlt just enough to cover the entirety of my 50’ coil

Recirc rate is half open with my chugger

Jaybird false in my mlt

Thanks. So, in addition to the 5.5gal of wort and 16.5lb of grain, you were also heating the 8gal of water in the HLT, that's a lot of mass to get heated up with 1650w.

I was curious because I've been reading a bit around here lately about recirculation rates, RIMS ramp speeds, and duty cycle on heating elements while doing so.

 

[bornandraisedlv]

Yeah that’s why I’m using propane to help ramp the temps.

I think I’m just going to take it slower next batch and kill the gas 5° before target.