If a mash temperature is desired to be 150 and the wort is being recirculated through a heat stick, how is that considered correct? The whole reason for the specified temperature is for conversion to take place as called for by the recipe. The temperature starts to drop and wort is heated to say 158 as it passes through the heat device to raise the mash to a constant 150. What happens to the wort that was heated beyond the desired 150? Is the conversion process of the existing wort already done so raising the temperature is ok?
Confused on Mash Temperature When Recirculating
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I’m not 100% sure but you are keeping the ambient heat of the overall mash at 150, the enzymes are within the entirety of the mash. At 158 you aren’t denaturing the enzymes so it wouldn’t be a problem. Now getting much higher and actually heating husks or other solids in the mash beyond the target range can bring tannins so that’s why we avoid sucking husks into the heating device.
Recirculating systems usually measure the regulating temperature at the heating source discharge so there really should net be more than a couple degrees difference
You are correct in that too much temperature rise in the heating device will upset the mash. If you are getting an 8 degree temperature rise in the wort heater you need to either turn up the flow or turn down the heat. One or two degrees rise is all you need or want.
Dcpcooks
Well-Known Member
You want to regulate the wort temps and the mash bed temps will follow. With a reasonable flow rate of .75-1.0 gpm you should be able to achieve degree or better temp rise per min.
The enzymes are free floating in the mash in addition to being in the bed. So overheating your wort is counter productive to holding a stable mash temp. Your mash temps impact which enzymes your encouraging to work which will impact which fermentable sugars you extract. So if your looking for a mash temp of 153 but your heating your wort to 162 your working on alpha amylase when you think your working on beta amylase enzymes. At that temp you are denaturing every enzyme useful for wort production except alpha amylase.
You can increase your flow rate to reduce the differential or you can reduce power to you heat source. Additionally you want to measure the wort temp after the element as it returns to the mash tun and not the mash bed itself.
Here is a link to the Palmer. http://howtobrew.com/book/section-3/how-the-mash-works/the-starch-conversion-saccharification-rest
The enzymes are free floating in the mash in addition to being in the bed. So overheating your wort is counter productive to holding a stable mash temp. Your mash temps impact which enzymes your encouraging to work which will impact which fermentable sugars you extract. So if your looking for a mash temp of 153 but your heating your wort to 162 your working on alpha amylase when you think your working on beta amylase enzymes. At that temp you are denaturing every enzyme useful for wort production except alpha amylase.
You can increase your flow rate to reduce the differential or you can reduce power to you heat source. Additionally you want to measure the wort temp after the element as it returns to the mash tun and not the mash bed itself.
Here is a link to the Palmer. http://howtobrew.com/book/section-3/how-the-mash-works/the-starch-conversion-saccharification-rest
Thank you for clarifying what I should have figured out. I was adjusting my heat with a sensor in the mash tun instead of the sensor in the outlet of my heat stick. Switched the lead to that sensor and performed auto tune again. Problem solved, thanks to all.
