Heating strike water directly in mash tun

[fireantz]

I have a direct fire mash tun setup and since I have had it I've always just heated the strike water in the mash tun a few degrees higher than what I need (I usually mash around 153) and add grains to the water. My question is that I read a lot about people heating strike water in either their HLT or boil kettle versus directly in the mash tun. Is this just because they don't have a direct fire system, or am I doing it "wrong"? I'm working on raising my efficiency and have been wondering if someway this would affect it.

I haven't really been able to find any good answers on this other than talking about pre-heating the mash tun.

 

[kh54s10]

It would be difficult for me to heat in my mash tun since it is a Rubbermaid water cooler. Pre-heating is for tuns with no direct fire so that when you add the grains you do not lose heat to the walls of the tun.

What you are doing is totally acceptable. Hitting the proper temperature and holding it there as best as possible is what is important.

 

[Xpertskir]

It would be difficult for me to heat in my mash tun since it is a Rubbermaid water cooler. Pre-heating is for tuns with no direct fire so that when you add the grains you do not lose heat to the walls of the tun.

What you are doing is totally acceptable. Hitting the proper temperature and holding it there as best as possible is what is important.

I'll second this and add...

Efficiency issues are usually crush or sparge related, not mash related.

 

[ericbreen]

I recently built my brew stand and the first few batches have had poor mash temps due to drop when I transferred strike water to MT. I did it that way because everything I read and you tubed showed it that way. But maybe heating it up directly in MT is the answer.

 

[BrunDog]

If you can recirculate and heat in your MT, that would be the best option, as all your equipment will be at the right temp when you dough in.

I heat strike water via my RIMS tube, so I get the strike temp pretty accurate. I condition and crush my grains during this period so the temp really settles before doughing in.

-BD

 

[kombat]

If you use brewing software like BeerSmith and dial in your equipment settings, it will compensate for the expected heat loss by directing you to heat your strike water above the desired temperature by a certain amount. You can also mitigate the heat loss a little bit by dumping a gallon or two of piping hot tap water into your mash tun and closing the lid while you heat your strike water. Once your strike water is up to temperature, dump the hot water out of your mash tun, and add your strike water and grain.

 

[eric19312]

I direct fire. My current proceess is

I do start heating my mash water in the HLT while I set up mash tun false bottom. I add brewing salts to mash tun, transfer the water to the tun, start recirculating, then heat to exact temperature beer alchemy tells me to hit.

What is nice about this system is there is no trying to figure out the thermal mass of the mash tun. Kombat's pre warm it idea works in coolers - sort of - but is not helpful in direct fire system. If you know your water volume and mass of grain and temp of grain you can determine the exact temperature required for the mash water to hit your temp target. You want to hit that temperature in your mash tun, with recirculation on, before doughing in.

 

[d3track]

If I could direct fire I would

 

[j1n]

i use my sous vide device to heat the strike water in my mash tun which is a Rubbermaid cooler.

 

[srice]

If you can recirculate and heat in your MT, that would be the best option, as all your equipment will be at the right temp when you dough in.

I heat strike water via my RIMS tube, so I get the strike temp pretty accurate. I condition and crush my grains during this period so the temp really settles before doughing in.

-BD

This is exactly what I do. Heat the strike water with my RIMS setup. I have a controller on mine so that I can set a delay before the system starts heating and recirculating. This allows me to set it up the night before I brew and have hot strike water and a preheated mash tun waiting for me in the morning.

 

[NathPowe]

This is exactly what I do. Heat the strike water with my RIMS setup. I have a controller on mine so that I can set a delay before the system starts heating and recirculating. This allows me to set it up the night before I brew and have hot strike water and a preheated mash tun waiting for me in the morning.

Another vote for this type of system. I use a more ghetto version involving a bucket heater and a lamp timer, but it still works really well. Big fan of waking up and being able to mash in straight away.

Cheers.