I broke my thermometer during the mash!

[nikkuchan]

Hello. I am a long time lurker, and I'm usually able to find answers and solutions, but this time I had to make a profile so I could ask personally. I just started a new brew. I got my grain all ready, and I heated my water for the mash. I pour the grains in, start mixing it around, and in the midde of my mash my crummy glass thermometer falls off the stove and breaks. I cleaned it up, but now I'm in a situation: No more thermometer. I asked my neighbors (that were home) in my apartment, and nobody had one, and I have no time to get to the store and buy a new one now. I have enough experience with my stove to be able to keep my mash at the right temp (more-or-less), but mashing out, sparging, and cooling the wort afterwards is going to be very iffy, and I'm afraid It's going to turn out badly. Any advice or help on this? Thank you.

 

[BlindFaith]

I don't know what to tell you besides just wing it. If you knew your temp when you mashed and your tun holds temp well, then you are ok on that front as any temp fluctuation was going to happen regardless of a working thermometer. Your sparge is going to be very rough as there is no way, unless you have some super sense, to tell when your water is hot enough. Do you batch sparge? If so, you will just have to guess when it is 170-175. I don't know how experienced you are with your temps, but that is damn near impossible.

As far as cooling the wort down, just do your normal thing and then put it in a carboy or bucket until you get a new thermometer tomorrow. Just make sure your sanitation is good and pitch ASAP.

Another option is to scrap it all and start anew once you get a thermometer. Grain is pretty cheap, so you wouldn't be losing huge amounts of money or anything.

Good Luck

 

[Stauffbier]

Don't do a mash out. Sparge with warm(ish) water, or you can even sparge with room temp water. I've done that before. Then do your boil like normal.

 

[nikkuchan]

Thanks. Great advice. I tried sparging with warm water to be safe. I hope it works out. Well find out in about a month

no more glass thermometers for this clumsy person.