EMERGENCY - temp guage failed - currently mashing low HEKP!

[RootvonRoot]

yall
my digital thermometer failed and gave my 15F higher readings than it should - i'm curretnly mashing at 130F for about 30min - i aimed for 150F, can i just add hot water, raise temp, and mash for my 75min at 150 and be ok?

im brewing as we speaking - thinking about dumpiing it if i don' get an answer...

 

[Hokie_Brewer]

yeah, just do that. add a couple quarts of hot water then mash longer. may be a little dryer than you wanted

 

[RootvonRoot]

fyi - i'm mashing in a cooler

 

[RootvonRoot]

right on - dry rocks so i'll give it a try - hoping i have enough head room to add enough water - time will tell - thanks

 

[azscoob]

I have done a psudo-decoction when I found myself in that situation.

Pull some grains and liquid, transfer to a pot and bring to a boil, add back to the mash to raise the temp. simple

 

[RootvonRoot]

now THATS something i didn't think of... i like that idea - although i did get my MT to 150F adding boiling water ... im using 100% of my MT for a 5 gallon batch - mash is thin, result of super adjusting temp twice, once before i knew my thermometer was crap and then once after .... starting my 75 min mash now at 150 ...but i'll keep the mini decoction in mind for future reference

 

[RootvonRoot]

oh - btw - 10gallon MT

 

[RootvonRoot]

just psudo decoctioned to get 165F for mash out - it'll have to do...

 

[RootvonRoot]

whew ... i making it through the brew session today - albeit limpings ... trying not to worry, drinkin' a home brew

 

[azscoob]

When this turns out to be the best flippin beer you have ever made, you will have a hell of a time reproducing it.

I take notes on every brewday, I add thoughts in there too, on possible changes to recipe, errors I made.

I have a beer entered in KingBrianI's British Bitter Brewoff, due to me being in a rush (and a tick buzzed), I undershot my mash temp. I used a decoction calculator to determine the volume needed to hit my mash temp and got to brewing. I ended up with a fantastic beer, I will deliberately do a decoction on that recipe next time I brew it because I liked the malt complexity and had the forethought to detail my mis-steps I made to get me there.