BrewEasy owners please comment.

[aamcle]

Morning All.

I've a question I hope owners can answer for me.

As far as I know the kettle has to be at a higher temperature than the mash tun.

I watched a video where after "Mash In" the mash temperature was low so the kettle temperature was raised by 10°F to quickly get the mash to the set point.

Once the set point was achieved the kettle temperature was dropped to about "mash set point + 3°F" to allow for heat loss between the kettle and the auto sparge valve.

Does the requirement to have a temperature offset between the kettle and the mash tun have any effects on the finished beer?

Something that occurred to me whilst watching, the demonstrator had calculated the Strike Temp based on the total volume of water in the system. As some was still in the kettle he under shot the Mash Temp when he added the grain.

Is there some reason he couldn't turn the pump on start the flow into the MT and stir to get the temperature right? This is what I do in my recirculating BIAB system.


Thanks for your help. Aamcle

 

[aamcle]

Whoo over 120 views and no comments, can't be many owners out there.

Aamcle

 

[The_Bishop]

I don't have a breweasy, but I'll chime in:

Yes, I think the higher kettle temps matter. When you're recirculating during the mash, the wort (which is carrying the enzymes) is exposed to slightly higher temperatures, which (in theory) will denature them a bit faster... almost as if you mashed at a higher temp.

How much this matters in the finished beer, and what's needed to offset it is a matter of experimentation with your system.

 

[aamcle]

Acctualy I not that bothered about the temp, a bit of research suggests that it's not going to push the temp from beta to alpha ranges.

I am still wondering if its OK to stir and recirculate to bring the temp up.


Atb. Aamcle

 

[The_Bishop]

I was under the impression that the whole point of the breweasy system was constant recirculation for temperature control?

 

[aamcle]

"Mash In" causes a drop in temperature because there is water still in the kettle. In my BIAB I start the recirculation and stir and the temperature stabilises.

In the BrewEasy I'm not sure I would be able to stir so getting the temp right is slow, that's what I'm asking about.

Aamcle

 

[Wagon_6]

I have a 120v 5 gallon BrewEasy. I use Beer Smith to calculate my strike water temperature based on the stainless MT and loss of temp due to the grain, usually 168F.

Blichmann recommends letting the mash sit for 10 minutes after dough in so the grain bed can set. Since I heat the full volume to 168, the remaining strike water cools off during those 10 minutes to my mash temp. Everything balances out within the first 5 minutes of recirculating the mash.

I don't have to stir to bring the temperature up. I also came from BIAB and I will say I'm impressed with the recirculation rate of the BrewEasy, I'm usually around .5+ per minute.

 

[aamcle]

I watched a youtube vid sponsored by GtFermentations it was supposed to tell users how to get the very best out of the system.
There was a big dip in temperature after " mash in" and the person doing the brew struggled to get the temperature up, event the extent of raising the kettle temp by 10°F and re-starting the recirculation.

It's notable that he was measuring the temp at the middle of MT and it took time to come to the setpoint.


Atb. Aamcle

 

[1MadScientist]

aamcle - I wouldn't compare this system to your eBIAB. For your eBIAB system, just zero in on what your strike temperature should be, somewhere around 4°C higher?

MS

 

[aamcle]

Although I consider that the principal of the BE to be in effect the same as a recirculating eBiab but with the bag moved into a second vessel its the mechanical differences that give rise to my question.

Recirculating BIAB mine in common with most I've seen on the net has a basket that supports the bag (mash tun) keeping it off the wall and base of the outer vessel. When I mash in the grain cools the water in the bag, the water between the basket is then warmer than the contents of the bag. I can equalise the temperature very quickly by starting the recirculation and stirring the contents of the bag.

The same thing occurs in a BE but because the system is split the warmer water is in the kettle rather than outside the bag (mash tun).

To get the BE's mash rapidly to the target temperature I'd need to recirculate the water from the kettle and stir to equalise the temperatures.

I'm not sure if I can do that with out blocking something.


Aamcle