Grain bag

[CH1258]

Curious when keeping wort at recommended temp for steeping grain, the liquid is at ~152-156 per recipe, but sticking the thermometer in the grain bag its ~10 degrees cooler than surrounding liquid. So, is all this factored in or should I be more concerned about raising the internal temperature of the grain inside the bag? Never thought about this before. I'm finding that my OGs in a number of batches w/ bag is a bit lower than what recipe calls for. Better to steep out of bag and strain out?

Thanks.

 

[mac_1103]

When steeping grains in muslin bags for extract recipes, I have found that it is important that the grains be very loose in the bag. Leave a lot of empty space between the grain and the knot and then move the bag around in the kettle so that the grain can slosh around and water can move through it freely.

 

[Rish]

^^This. I tie the bag as far up as I can so the grain has lots of room then set a timer and stir well ever 5 minutes until done.

 

[RM-MN]

When only steeping, the temperature of the grains isn't critical so if your inside the grain bag is 10 degrees lower, it will still be fine. The temperature of the grains really matters when mashing where the enzymes needed to break the starches into sugars only operate within a narrow range. I feel it is good practice to try to hit the 150-160F window but it isn't necessary for an extract batch.