Inconsistent temperature in Keggle mash tun and Circulating pumps

[shortma]

Do minor temperature holding issues in a keggle/pot mash tun affect the taste of the beer?

Currently I'm looking into getting a recirculation pump for my mash tun. Do recirculation pumps remove foam positive proteins? Anyone experience this? Are there any other draw backs from using recirculating pumps?

 

[mattd2]

Do minor temperature holding issues in a keggle/pot mash tun affect the taste of the beer?

And do recirculation pumps remove foam positive proteins? Are there any other draw backs from using recirculating pumps?

Minor temp difference like 2° drop over a 1 hour mash - no, just account for it by bumping up you initial strike temp a little. Losing 10° would not be great and you should look at some sort of insulation (even blankets/sleeping bag would work - just don't catch them on fire )
I think the concensus was that the pumps we typically use do no significantly affect the proteins.
Drawbacks - not too many; cost, having to deal with hot hoses... Really I can't come up with any that would make you not want to use one.

 

[shortma]

Thanks! We have a light insulated jacket we made that we put on the mash tun but next brew day I'm going to add more to see if that improves. What usually happens on our 10gal batch is the bottom temp and the top temp are aproximately 10 degrees different and we are stirring it up pretty good and we still get that big difference in temps. It seems we have difficulty getting both in the right temp range.

 

[dcbc]

If you aren't going to use temp control, i.e. HERMS/RIMS, in your set up, you want to insulate the kettle and probably not start to recirculate until about half to three-quarters of the way through the mash to make sure you have conversion. At that point, the temp drop you get from pumping the mash liquor through the return loop isn't going to make a difference with conversion. If you're fly sparging, you will probably heat everything up enough to stop enzymatic activity. If you batch sparge, you might want to bump the temp of your sparge water to raise the grain bed temp. But, in truth, this isn't entirely necessary since you'll have it at a boil in short order, thereby killing of whatever enzymes are left.

/this may not have been your question. If not, I'm sorry for the long winded response.

 

[shortma]

I'm having dificulty with holding the temps for protein/sach rests so what you're saying is if I have a pump don't start the recirculating unitl after conversion? Is it good to use a pump to help maintain the rest temps?

 

[helibrewer]

I'm having dificulty with holding the temps for protein/sach rests so what you're saying is if I have a pump don't start the recirculating unitl after conversion?

Is it good to use a pump to help maintain the rest temps?

Only if you have a way to add heat....the pump and plumbing will increase your rate of heat loss.

 

[dcbc]

Only if you have a way to add heat....the pump and plumbing will increase your rate of heat loss.

Exactly.

 

[mattd2]

If you really are getting 10° difference between top and bottom (is top or bottom hotter?) then I would be looking for reasons why one is cooling quicker. How much headspace, do you keep the lid on, is the top/sides insulated but not the bottom...??? How are you measuring at the top and bottom, long probe?

 

[shortma]

If you really are getting 10° difference between top and bottom (is top or bottom hotter?) then I would be looking for reasons why one is cooling quicker. How much headspace, do you keep the lid on, is the top/sides insulated but not the bottom...??? How are you measuring at the top and bottom, long probe?

I believe we have quite a bit of head space. The bottom is hotter than the top, we have a thermometer attached to the bottom of the keg and we take the top temp with an electric therm that can go about 10 inches deep. The insulated jacket we have made for the keggle fits over the top and leaves the bottom exposed. And we stir a lot!

Only if you have a way to add heat....the pump and plumbing will increase your rate of heat loss.

And of course we have heat (Propane Burners).

 

[avm221]

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