RunBikeBrew
Well-Known Member
I've been doing partial mashes for about a half dozen batches now. I use a 2 gal cooler with a grain bag. I've been getting some very odd temperature behavior in the mash tun recently. (I use two floating thermometers, both have been calibrated at 32F and 212F. I also preheat the tun with ~1qt of boiling water.)
Here are three recent cases:
1. 3.5lb grain, 4.5qt of 166F water = 153F mash (perfect!)
2. 3.5lb, 4.5qt of 163F water = 142F mash (expected 150F, WTF?), added 0.5 qt boiling water = 149F mash (good!)
3. 3.5lb, 3.2qt of 146F water (protein rest) = 120F (should have been 131F), added boiling water = 129F (OK)
Added 1.5qt boiling (sacc. rest) = 142F (expected 154F), added small amounts of boiling water a couple of times, only got to 149F.
I want better control than this. Anybody have a PM/cooler process that's really accurate on temps? Maybe put water in first, get temps right, then add grain?
(By the way, case 1 above was Yooper's Dead Guy Clone. We cracked open the first ones last night...easily the best beer I've ever made. Well done, Yooper!)
Here are three recent cases:
1. 3.5lb grain, 4.5qt of 166F water = 153F mash (perfect!)
2. 3.5lb, 4.5qt of 163F water = 142F mash (expected 150F, WTF?), added 0.5 qt boiling water = 149F mash (good!)
3. 3.5lb, 3.2qt of 146F water (protein rest) = 120F (should have been 131F), added boiling water = 129F (OK)
Added 1.5qt boiling (sacc. rest) = 142F (expected 154F), added small amounts of boiling water a couple of times, only got to 149F.
I want better control than this. Anybody have a PM/cooler process that's really accurate on temps? Maybe put water in first, get temps right, then add grain?
(By the way, case 1 above was Yooper's Dead Guy Clone. We cracked open the first ones last night...easily the best beer I've ever made. Well done, Yooper!)