Mash Temp Off

[Barleybrewer]

I know you should mash between 140-150. I had a problem during my brew and my mash got up to 160. I was making a IPA. Attenutation has not been that good. I went from 1.060 O.G. to 1.018. The Beer tastes sweet. So Im assuming that mashing over 150 leaves some unfermentable sugars. Is that correct. Thank you for you help.

 

[MalFet]

140-150 is actually quite low, but 160 is high. Most mashes would be in the high 140s to the mid 150s. Mashing hot does indeed leave unfermentable sugars.

 

[Yooper]

I know you should mash between 140-150. I had a problem during my brew and my mash got up to 160. I was making a IPA. Attenutation has not been that good. I went from 1.060 O.G. to 1.018. The Beer tastes sweet. So Im assuming that mashing over 150 leaves some unfermentable sugars. Is that correct. Thank you for you help.

Sort of. You really don't want to mash at 140-150- more like 149-158. 160 is on the highest end of where you'd want to mash, but it'll be ok. Most often I mash an IPA at about 152. That's a good balance of beta and alpha enzyme activity, and gives a moderately attenuative wort. Mashing at 150 or lower would give you a more fermentable wort, so that the beer will finish at a lower FG, while over 154 will give you a less fermentable wort. This is all in general, though- yeast strain and ingredients also play a huge rule in how low/high of a FG you get.

 

[Barleybrewer]

I appreciate your responses. Im new to brewing and have been trying to get my equipment set up properly and learn the proper brewing techniques. I did a yeast starter with wyeast 1056 ale yeast. So i don't think my yeast made me fall short. I built a brutus 10 and Im still making some mistakes and adjustments along the way. The mash probe was in the wrong pot and by the time i realized that my mash was at 160. If you go above your mash temps should you cool it by adding cold tap water?

 

[Yooper]

I appreciate your responses. Im new to brewing and have been trying to get my equipment set up properly and learn the proper brewing techniques. I did a yeast starter with wyeast 1056 ale yeast. So i don't think my yeast made me fall short. I built a brutus 10 and Im still making some mistakes and adjustments along the way. The mash probe was in the wrong pot and by the time i realized that my mash was at 160. If you go above your mash temps should you cool it by adding cold tap water?

Yes. I throw in like two ice cubes, stir like crazy, and that brings it down a couple of degrees (without over cooling!) fast.

 

[mr_tripp]

I know you should mash between 140-150. I had a problem during my brew and my mash got up to 160. I was making a IPA. Attenutation has not been that good. I went from 1.060 O.G. to 1.018. The Beer tastes sweet. So Im assuming that mashing over 150 leaves some unfermentable sugars. Is that correct. Thank you for you help.

I listened to the Jamil show on Sierra Nevada Celebration Clone and they mash at 156 to give more body/mouth feel. I don't think you hit your gravity because of the mash temp but I don't know your process.

 

[Catt22]

I appreciate your responses. Im new to brewing and have been trying to get my equipment set up properly and learn the proper brewing techniques. I did a yeast starter with wyeast 1056 ale yeast. So i don't think my yeast made me fall short. I built a brutus 10 and Im still making some mistakes and adjustments along the way. The mash probe was in the wrong pot and by the time i realized that my mash was at 160. If you go above your mash temps should you cool it by adding cold tap water?

Yes, add cold tap water to the mash asap to bring the temp down quickly. I just had this happen due to a similar blunder and my grain bed temps bumped 160*. Fortunately, I noticed it right away and hit it with some cold water. I may have used a couple of quarts. I was not much concerned about thinning the mash excessively as I was about getting that temp down fast. I run a direct fired RIMS, so I had the ability to bring the temp back up fast if I used too much water. I had a general idea of how much to add from similar prior episodes. Anyway, the beer finished out very nicely, so apparently no harm was done during that very brief hot spell. Judging from a gravity sample it looks to be a promising beer. My latest Irish Red.

Now then, my often repeated mantra. The optimum generally accepted mash temp range is 149-158 F. That's a range of only 9 degrees. You don't have to be off much on your temp readings to mess with the desired result. My point is that the actual average mash temperature may be quite different than what you think it is. This can be due to the measuring methods or equipment. I brewed for quite a while using a large dial type bi-metal thermometer that got out of whack for some reason. I replaced it with a digital thermometer and I'm much more confident of the numbers. IMO, temp control is the key to successful home brewing throughout the process. It can also be a challenge to get a handle on.