New System Help

[berberco]

I took advantage of a recent move to the suburbs to start to build out my system.

Yesterday was my first day using a stainless steel brew pot (resting on a second burner) as a mash tun. I hoped and expected that this would lead to better temperature control.

Boy, was I wrong.

Without a flame, my rest temperature dropped from a desire 153* to about 140* in ~10 minutes (I was in a garage with the door open. The outside air temperature was about 55*).

I turned on the flame for a few minutes and the temperature climbed to about 160*. I turned off the flame, added 1/2 gallon of cold water, but found the temperature continued to rise to about 190*. I eventually got the temperature under control using a cold towel, more cold water, and time.

Ignoring the damage to this beer (and just how terrible will it be?), I want to chalk this up as the necessary missteps in tuning a new system.

Next time, I'm inclined to wrap the mash tun in an insulated blanket and treat it as, in essence, a cooler. I'll keep the pot on the burner and only use the flame in the event of a relative emergency. I think I've learned how finicky using a flame to heat a close-to-temperature mash can be.

I don't want to go back to an actual cooler. I always had issues with my false bottom and the seal on the valve. I was really happy with both of those on the new mash tun yesterday. I'd also like to move towards something more automated down the road when time and budget allow.

Any tips?

Thaks.

 

[wvbrewed]

I feel you on the "new setup questionable results blues". Got my third stainless steel pot the other day and was all hyped to try my first all-grain recipe. While most of it went well, I had a similar experience with the mash temperature starting to drop. I tried wrapping the mash tun in Reflectix as some others on here have suggested but I didn't have much luck with it. The end result was me turning the burning on for brief bursts (something that inherently melted some of the Reflectix) to get it back up to temperature and maintain it. A small pain but necessary to, hopefully, get as best results as possible. In the end, once the mash tun was cleaned up I cut the Reflectix off and won't be going back.

Like yourself, I definitely don't want to go the plastic cooler route. I know folks have had lots of luck using them but I just prefer stainless steel to cut out any chance of off flavors. Best of luck to you in whatever direction you go to maintain temperature with your mash tun.

 

[RM-MN]

Where did you measure the mash temp? At the side where the temperature loss would be the greatest or in the center of the mash? Adding heat to the mash is always difficult to control as the normal convection that keeps the water nearly the same all over, the mash restricts that so you have to stir, stir, stir.

How are you using the new pot? Are you using a bag inside like in BIAB or have you chosen a different way to drain the wort?

 

[berberco]

Good questions -

The mash tun's embedded thermometer is pretty standard (Northern Brewer) so reaches a good inch into the mash, about a third of the way up from the bottom. I took a second reading from the top towards the center of the mash using a pocket probe thermometer. Both yielded similar readings.

The pot/tun has a false bottom and a ball valve so I drain the wort directly.

I wasn't aware about the convection issue. That is helpful. If I took the top off and stirred regularly, just how high do you think I would need to keep the flame (or would you fire in bursts too)? (I get your answer would be super imprecise)

 

[Jhu1321]

Yep, short bursts of flame is the only way to do it even if the temp. doesn't rise initially. Heat medium for 5 minutes at most and stir the hell out of it while heating and for a while after. I added reflectix to my tun and it really helped I must say........ I rarely ever have to hit the flame again.