How do you deal with temperature stratification?

[matt_m]

I've never paid much attention to temperatures once I dial in the desired strike temp, then mash temp on my PID. I find my FGs tend to be a little lower than what calculators and others' recipes call for and some reading led me to the possibility of low mash temps. Sure enough, I'm typically seeing 3-4 degrees cooler in the center of the mash than my probe reads. I currently use a long probe, so the tip of the probe is only a few inches from my element. Comparison of just water to my Thermapen says its quite accurate. I recirculate and expect there's some cooling in the plumbing contributing to this.

Curious what others do? Let it ride? Offset your mash temp setting to account for the differential? Something I haven't thought of?

 

[odie]

I wouldn't sweat a couple degrees. If you are doing recirc it should pretty much be uniform. But no matter what I doubt it will ever be identical everywhere in the mash. Not even at a highly controlled commercial brewery. Enzymes are like yeast...they work in a range, not a specific set point.

 

[doug293cz]

... Offset your mash temp setting to account for the differential? ...

Yes.

Brew on