Mashing with a Sous Vide Cooker

[sharpk60]

I recently experimented with using an Anova Sous Vide Cooker to precisely control mash temperature. It made mashing much easier, and I made a little youtube video and writeup of the process here: http://sharpk60.blogspot.com/2014/12/brewing-beer-with-sous-vide-cooker.html

The resulting beer (an Irish Dry Stout) was probably the best I've ever made.

 

[Happywanderer]

$200

Holy crap that's expensive.

 

[Osedax]

Yeah, that is a little up there pricewise but, if you think about it, it isn't bad. All the time and money for a brew controller would be more. This thing looks great for BIAB step mashes.

 

[sharpk60]

It's definitely a little expensive, but personally I think it's worth it since you can dial in an exact temp, set a timer, and then more-or-less walk away.

Plus I also use the sous vide cooker for its intended purpose of cooking food, so that also helps ease the sting of the price.

 

[TexasWine]

I've read about people using these for mashing. Thanks for the video and tips.

Couple of questions. Why mash out? Have your considered using your oven during the mash to hold temps? (works like a charm for me)

 

[sharpk60]

I've read about people using these for mashing. Thanks for the video and tips.

Couple of questions. Why mash out? Have your considered using your oven during the mash to hold temps? (works like a charm for me)

Thanks for checking it out.

As to your questions: I did a mash out because I though it raised efficiency a little when doing BIAB. I'm somewhat new to all grain brewing so I could be wrong there. It also had the added benefit of letting me try out multiple temperature stages in the mash, which I wanted to try out with the sous vide cooker.

I hadn't thought about using the oven for holding temp. How does that work?

 

[TexasWine]

Thanks for checking it out.

As to your questions: I did a mash out because I though it raised efficiency a little when doing BIAB. I'm somewhat new to all grain brewing so I could be wrong there. It also had the added benefit of letting me try out multiple temperature stages in the mash, which I wanted to try out with the sous vide cooker.

I hadn't thought about using the oven for holding temp. How does that work?

There's some debate on BIAB and mashing out. Personally, I don't do it and have never had an efficiency issue. I like my processes to be as simple as possible, and mashing out would just be an extra step.

As far as using the oven, you can use the "warm" setting to hold temps like a champ. Most ovens will get down to 170F, mine dials back to 150F (though I think that's off a tad). When I mash in I just slip my 9 or 10 gallon kettle (whichever one I'm using) into the preheated oven, close the door, let it run for a minute or so, and then turn it off. My mash temperature doesn't budge.

You'll need to take out a rack or two, but simplifies things ever so slightly because I don't have to worry about insulating the kettle. And like I said, it holds temps like a champ.

Also, I've used the oven to preheat my strike water over night. Again using the warm setting, I put my kettle of strike water in the oven, set the temp to where I want it, and go to bed. When I wake up my water is ready to go. Usually I need to stir it a little to bring the temp down because it overshoots by a few degrees. But within 2-3 minutes I'm ready to dough in.

 

[FrozenWinter]

I know a couple of guys who use their rims mash tuns for sous vide cooking as well, suppose it could work the other way as well.

 

[bobbrews]

$200

Holy crap that's expensive.

The ones we use in restaurants are at least 5x that price.


At 1.3-1.5 qts per 1 lb. grain, the mash already has an amazing ability to hold target temp (give or take a degree or two). When brewing indoors, adding a bit of hot water to the mash when the temp drops 2 degrees over the course of an hour is all I need to adjust it at times... No need to hold it in the oven. If doing though, I would keep the oven door slightly propped open and set it at the lowest temp.

 

[Silentdrinker]

I built a sous vide for about $35

$12 for a stc1000 controller shipped
$12 for a heat stick shipped
$6 for a project box at radio shack
*optional* SSR are $3/4 off eBay shipped. If you're running something over 1500watts.

And a couple more dollars for the plugs, but they were packages of 10. I used a computer type power plug and standard plugs for the element and pump.

I got a really small 80gph pump for circulation just for the water. However, I wouldn't use it in a mash.

This is the element I got, but the price was $11.99 shipped. He obviously ran out of stock since its $99 now.

the thing works awesome, and you can control the heat from a heat plate or crock pot. I did the element only for larger pots if need be.

It would work for a mash and strike water if the mash was watched and stirred. Or use a food safe pump.

 

[markcurry]

Thanks for the link. I've got the same sous vide cooker (already had it for culinary experiments).

For brewing, I've only used it to heat my strike water.

Set it up the night before. Wrap the pot in towels to insulate. Turn it on when I go to bed at 11. It's not a lot of wattage so takes a while to heat, but I've not had any trouble bringing 7 gallons of water to strike temps. Early rise, and strike water's precisely at temp, ready to go.

I use an ice chest for my mash. With the correctly calculated strike temperature, and preheating the cooler, I don't find any need to play with the temp during the mash.

I believe using the Anova in anything but plain water will void the warranty. But, as you noted it's stainless steel. Plus the precautions you used to avoid caramelization seemed fine.

Thanks again for the video.

--Mark

 

[kevreh]

FWIW Amazon has the Anova 800w Sous Vide Cookers for $129 now.

 

[sharpk60]

I did another recipe with the Sous Vide cooker, and made some improvements. Here's a writeup and another video.

 

[BrunDog]

Interesting project and video. Two comments:
1. You don't need to sanitize anything pre-boil. The boil will kill any bugs.

2. You might want to check that a sous-vide cooler can handle the sugary liquid. Mark pointed out the warranty issue but the element is relatively small inside - it might impart a lot of heat density and burn/scorch the wort. I would add that I see an issue with proper circulation using this method. The cooker circulates locally, but there isn't much assurance the liquid will flow through the grain. Taking it further, if one didn't have a sous vide unit, I would think it would be less expensive and (probably better in terms or recirculation) to buy a ball valve/fittings, some silicone tubing, a tan solar 24VDC pump, and a 24V power supply and create a normal recirculation BIAB system, heating on the stove or other burner. My opinion, of course - take it for that only. Lots of fun ways to make beer!

 

[robcj]

Cool. I have an Anova as well and admit I have considered how it could be used for small batch brewing. (I have a BIAB RIMS setup for 5 and 10 gallon batches.)

If anyone is worried about damaging their Anova--which is a relatively expensive gadget--Monoprice has a very similar sous vide device without Wifi or Bluetooth connectivity for just $70. (Actually it's a little worrisome how similar it is--I hope it's not intellectual property theft.)

 

[bford]

I haven't used mine during the mash yet, but I have used it to heat up the water for the mash.... makes it so easy.

 

[Weezy]

I'd be afraid of the unit failing after not too many uses when in the sugary wort. They're meant to maintain a water bath temp...You could always mash in large sous vide bags, inside a temp controlled water bath....But that seems impractical.

 

[sharpk60]

Interesting project and video. Two comments:
1. You don't need to sanitize anything pre-boil. The boil will kill any bugs.

Yeah, I realized that when I was editing the video. My sanitizing reflexes are hard to break, I just get that spray bottle of StarSan in my hand and I go crazy without thinking.

2. You might want to check that a sous-vide cooler can handle the sugary liquid. Mark pointed out the warranty issue but the element is relatively small inside - it might impart a lot of heat density and burn/scorch the wort. I would add that I see an issue with proper circulation using this method. The cooker circulates locally, but there isn't much assurance the liquid will flow through the grain. Taking it further, if one didn't have a sous vide unit, I would think it would be less expensive and (probably better in terms or recirculation) to buy a ball valve/fittings, some silicone tubing, a tan solar 24VDC pump, and a 24V power supply and create a normal recirculation BIAB system, heating on the stove or other burner. My opinion, of course - take it for that only. Lots of fun ways to make beer!

I'm sure that this is outside the warranty, and I've been worried about carmelizing/scorching, but so far I have seen no sign of any scorching on the heating coil or other innards of the Anova. I think this is partially due to the fact that during the initial heating (when the heating coil would be on full blast) it's just pure water that is being heated, and by the time there is significant sugar in the water the heating coil is just turning on occasionally to top up the temperature. In addition, regardless of if the water is flowing through the grain well, the impeller keeps water flowing past the coil at all times so there's probably not enough localized heating of the sugar to cause it to scorch.

I want to do some further testing with the partition, but even with the grain packed in there WAY too tightly so that ti restricted water movement, I still got an efficiency around 65% (I need to refer to my notes to get the actual number). I'd guess when I have a more appropriate grain weight when I try this in my next batch I can probably get around 75% efficiency. I'll be sure to share my results here when I do my next batch.

Regards,
Ken

 

[Ylbc]

I've done this with the ANOVA. Mine stopped working after the first time I left it in for the mash. I since got a new one but only use it to preheat my water. I've actually used the Joule which is great because you can access it via app on your phone from anywhere. So I set my pot and water up in the morning. Then turn it on when we go out for lunch and then am ready to just drop grains in when I get back.

 

[sharpk60]

I'd be afraid of the unit failing after not too many uses when in the sugary wort. They're meant to maintain a water bath temp...You could always mash in large sous vide bags, inside a temp controlled water bath....But that seems impractical.

The mash temp range is within the same range that you use for typical sous vide cooking, so I think it should be ok (150-170F vs. 120-190F). I don't use the sous vide for the boil or anything (in fact I remove the sous vide cooker before I start the boil).

 

[Weezy]

The mash temp range is within the same range that you use for typical sous vide cooking, so I think it should be ok (150-170F vs. 120-190F). I don't use the sous vide for the boil or anything (in fact I remove the sous vide cooker before I start the boil).

Its not the temp range, its the medium: wort vs. water.

 

[markcurry]

Since I posted my response a few years ago - my Anova died. Actually twice. The first was replaced under warranty, then the second died six months or so after the replacement. I can no longer recommend the Anova.

For me, I never used it for anything besides heating strike water. The failure, however, was unrelated to that I believe. I don't think the unit is designed well for the high-temp, humid environment. Too much semiconductors sitting all in that one place (right above the heated water), baking for the long cooks. I don't know if I was outside the recommend use simply because of VOLUME - (heating/circulating 7 gallons of strike water is probably outside normal use cases).

I replaced it with a unit from Nomiku - I chose that one as it had a large "tail" for the power connector - where a box (doing just power regulation and/or control loop?) sits further away from the heated water. This unit has lasted longer now - I've brewed more batches with it than the Anova. It's not without it's faults however as well. The temperature control is flimsy - on outer ring you spin to adjust the temp. And the temp is (ridiculously) precise down to 1/10 of a degree. That just means more spinning to move your temperature target by any significant amount. And I've found that sometimes I can't adjust temp when the unit's been running a while. I think something in that flimsy dial heats up too much, and no longer makes a connection to adjust. The unit continues to operate at whatever temp I left it at, however.


(Not trying to turn this into a Sous Vide review, just thought others might be curious...)

Regards,

Mark

 

[BrunDog]

Yeah, I realized that when I was editing the video. My sanitizing reflexes are hard to break, I just get that spray bottle of StarSan in my hand and I go crazy without thinking.



I'm sure that this is outside the warranty, and I've been worried about carmelizing/scorching, but so far I have seen no sign of any scorching on the heating coil or other innards of the Anova. I think this is partially due to the fact that during the initial heating (when the heating coil would be on full blast) it's just pure water that is being heated, and by the time there is significant sugar in the water the heating coil is just turning on occasionally to top up the temperature. In addition, regardless of if the water is flowing through the grain well, the impeller keeps water flowing past the coil at all times so there's probably not enough localized heating of the sugar to cause it to scorch.



I want to do some further testing with the partition, but even with the grain packed in there WAY too tightly so that ti restricted water movement, I still got an efficiency around 65% (I need to refer to my notes to get the actual number). I'd guess when I have a more appropriate grain weight when I try this in my next batch I can probably get around 75% efficiency. I'll be sure to share my results here when I do my next batch.



Regards,

Ken

Good points. Thank you for the response.

I suppose with that efficiency there is not much reason to replace this method. As long as the grain bed is getting even temps throughout it, the liquid doesn't need to flow through it that much.

 

[xwass]

I have done several batches with an Anova One Sous-Vide. Probably my best All-Grain brews to date. I heat the strike water with a propane burner, then use the Anova to maintain mash temp. Haven't done multi-step mashes but seems like it would be very easy.

As noted above I also learned that it is better to leave the grain bag looser as it helps the water circulate more effectively--first time I had it too tight and efficiency went down below 65%, now is around 70-75%.

I made an Instructables tutorial about my setup (using a Catalyst fermenter as a mash tun). Plan on doing this again over the weekend for a belgian dubbel recipe. The best part is being able to set it and then go off and do other things and know the temp with be on point. It looks like something may be wrong with their site at the moment but below is the link anyway...

http://www.instructables.com/id/Catalyst-Sous-Vide-Brewing/

I got the bluetooth model on sale. Wish I got the WIFI version since the range on the BT connection sucks. I also use the Anova for cooking, is great for fish especially or reheating frozen meals.

I have not noticed any build up on the heating element but do clean it up after using to be careful.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Any thoughts about using a unit such as this for smaller-batch brewing?

https://www.hamiltonbeach.com/hamilton-beach-professional-sous-vide-and-6qt-slow-cooker-33970

I could see it as a potential solution for some temperature-stability issues.

 

[Wyobrew22]

I use an Anova for all of my BIAB mashing lately...I think I'm at about 10 batches with no issues other than getting the element to the level of the mash in my 15 gallon kettle. I heat the water to strike temp on my burner as 7.5 gallons would take forever to get to temp. I set the directional window to circulate around the outside of the kettle rather than pointing it right at the grains. Durability has been fine but the unit is getting maybe a bit "rickety" feeling mostly due to pulling it apart to thoroughly clean after each mash. Love how easy it is though. Set time and temp and don't worry about it other than to stir a little.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Sorry for the confusion; the unit I am considering is different than the Anova:

https://www.hamiltonbeach.com/hamilton-beach-professional-sous-vide-and-6qt-slow-cooker-33970

Any opinions on something such as that for small-batch brewing?