Mash Temp Screwup- What to expect?

[jonny24]

So I made up a batch based on Edwort's Haus Pale Ale yesterday. Swapped out for Galaxy hops to try a new hop, and used Carahelles 15L as the LHBS didn't have Caramel 10L.

Anyway, due to either my grain temp or water temp being off, after I added in my grains I was at 156 instead of 152. I started adding a few ice cubes, it dropped down to 154, added a few more to get down to 152, and shut it. I did pre heat my mash tun by over heating my strike water and shutting it in there for a few minutes before adding grains.

However, at around the 40 minute mark I opened it to check temp and stir, and it was down to 145! I had thought that after the ice melted and I had stirred for a minute, it would be stable but I must not have stirred enough and it kept bringing the temperature down? At this point I added 1.5L of boiling water from the kettle and left it for another 20, after that it was at the same temperature.

My OG ended up at 1.050, slightly shy of the planned 1.052 but that's close enough not to worry about. I'm not sure what to expect from fermentation though? The grains did spend about five minutes at the higher temperature while I was measuring and adjusting.

One further note, by testing in boiling water my thermometer reads 3-4 degrees high so these temperatures are the adjusted values. So there is some imprecision at play as well.

 

[lumpher]

Judging by your og, and what you expected it to be, everything will be good with it. Since it was very close, and that's the most important thing, no worries.

 

[Jhu1321]

No problem with fermentation but It'll probably have a thinner body than most pales. I'd look for a lower than expected FG. At least you'll get a little ABV bump.

 

[Oventoasted]

honestly i had some pretty big screw ups with mash temps and both beers ended up pretty good.

a porter i made in my SS mash tun i lost track and it ended up at 180F. added cool water in a panic to bring it down. in the end it was a good porter.

another beer i missed my temp by a lot! i added my grains to my mash tun when it was 150F and after the temp was 136F. adding boiling water to the top of my small plastic mash tun i only got it to 140F. beer came out pretty damn good i must say.

now none of these were perfect or my best but, they all went quick when ready to drink!

 

[jonny24]

Sounds like it RDWHAHB time

Thanks guys!

 

[carloscede2]

Same happened to me but the opposite, heat the water too much and I put my pot in the oven, I planned for 154 and ended up at 158. End result? A full bodied beer, it wont go lower that 1.018 and I planned for 1.009. Had to add a pound of sugar to dry it ou

 

[kh54s10]

It really depends on how long it took you to get from 156 to 152 before you closed it up and then how long it took to drop to 145. Most of the conversion happens in the first 20 minutes so I would say that whatever difference due to the temperatures will not be drastic. Maybe a little thinner and a little dryer than originally intended. I would also say that it wouldn't be noticeable unless you had the same recipe done correctly for a side by side taste test.