problem #2...help again!

[tranceamerica]

ok...now I'm in the middle of this partial mash...my mash is at 145*F...instead of 150*F...even though I had the strike water at the right temp...my cooler's loosing heat too fast? it's be 1/2 hour in the mash tun...should I put in more hot water? what temp? help!

 

[tranceamerica]

ok to be more specific...I'm mashing 4.5 lb grain in 6 qts of water - in a round picnic cooler. strike water at 166*F. after 1/2 hour, stuck the thermometer in, and got 145*F.

I added 1 pint of water at 165*F, stirred, and this seemed to bring it up to 150*F.

I hope I'm getting this right. First partial mash brew- would hate to go to all this trouble and not get any sugars out of the grain...

I'll leave it for another 1/2 hour...and hope for the best.

 

[tranceamerica]

maybe the temp was correct, but the stirring helped?

dang...I don't know what I'm doing?!? this is harder than it looks.

 

[DeathBrewer]

yeah, i usually end up a little low on my mash. i've made some highly fermentable brews because of it (but they've been turning out great anyway!)

my last few i've shot high on the temp and kept some boiling water ready in case i need to increase the temp.

stirring will help you get a better reading, but it will also let off alot of the heat.

another way to raise the temp is to take some runnings and boil them, then add them back to the mash. i used this with some success a couple of times now.

don't worry too much about it...what are you brewing anyway?

 

[Kai]

It'll be fine. 145 is still within the conversion range. You'll have a more fermentable brew because of it - thinner body, more alcohol - and I think, though I might be wrong, that it might take longer to reach conversion because the beta amylase is favoured at the lower temp. But it'll be fine.

I think my thermometer might read low, because I have less fermentable wort often. I think I'll invest in a better one.

 

[tranceamerica]

I don't know what I'd do with out you guys...and the internet...

tasted the runnings, and they seemed sweet, and not bitter. I know that's not scientific...but helps me feel better. looks like I'm brewing till 2 am...seattle time..

edit: I'm brewing a pale ale...I've discussed the recepie on here...

4lb grain
1/2 lb crystal
3 lb ME
2 oz total cascade
nottingham yeast

 

[Sir Humpsalot]

I don't know what I'd do with out you guys...and the internet...

Well, I always figure that without the internet and places like this, I would be more lonely... but my palms would be less hairy, so maybe that would make it easier for me to make friends.

 

[david_42]

As Yooper says, the final wort might be a little more fermentable than originally planned. That is because 145F is in the middle of the optimum range for the beta enzyme. With a PM, the extract will normally contribute plenty of unfermentables for body and mouthfeel.

I use boiling water to pre-heat my tun. My brewery can be anywhere from 35F to 105F, so it is very hard to predict the heat loss.

 

[The Pol]

With such a small mash... did you thoroughly preheat the cooler prior to pouring in your strike water? Stirring the mash helps alot too, you will find you can get alot of temp stratification in the mash.

 

[cd2448]

two things i do with my little MLT to help temp:
- pre-heat at least with hot tap water (120F) or if you have time boiling water
- wrap the MLT in a ski jacket (looks stupid but works well)

 

[delarob]

Another option is to use an immersion chiller to keep your water the right temp. Place your chiller in a pot of sparge water and run a hose from the mash valve to the chiller. On the other end, you would need a march pump to bring the mash water through the chiller, through the hot sparge water, and back into the mash tun. Using a temp control is the easiest way because it'll turn on/off the pump when your mash needs heat, and off when it reaches the proper temp. Use the valves to control the flow so you don't suck the grain through.

Of course, you'd need all of the proper equipment, but with a little thought, you could rig up something similar. Ie.. do the reverse and run hot water though the chiller submerged in the mash to keep the temp even.

Just a thought.

 

[The Pol]

If you run hot water through a chiller in your mash... you will get very hot spots right next to the coil, and colder spots far from the chiller... unless you are constantly stirring it and losig heat out the top of yout MLT

 

[tranceamerica]

thanks everyone for the replies. I did preheat - with about 200*F water. today, it's in the carboy, waiting for fermentation to start...fingers crossed, it will be beer.

 

[delarob]

If you run hot water through a chiller in your mash... you will get very hot spots right next to the coil, and colder spots far from the chiller... unless you are constantly stirring it and losig heat out the top of yout MLT

Quite possibly. The top method is the way I'm currently doing it and it works fine.

 

[The Pol]

Yeah, you have a HERMS... the other method would be easy, if you had a motorized mash stirrer. I love confusing my friends with this hobby, dont you?

 

[FatMonsters]

I had a similar problem when I did my first PM. I missed the temp and settled way lower in temp than I wanted. I didn't change the procedure for the next brew, but using the numbers from the first run helped me to know my system and my temp loss. For example, I think the calculations say that to add 12 degrees to your strike temp to achieve the desired mash temp. Well, I have to add 16 degrees to hit my desired mash temp based on my setup. I do not pre-heat the mash tun, I just heat my strike water to a higher temp and keep my water to grain ratio the same.

 

[delarob]

Yeah, you have a HERMS... the other method would be easy, if you had a motorized mash stirrer. I love confusing my friends with this hobby, dont you?

HERMS - heat exchange recirculating mash system. Thanks. Really didn't know that. Seen it done on a larger scale and incorporated it into mine. I wasn't trying to confuse anyone.

I appologize for not knowing the precise term for my method. Was just making conversation. I also appologize if I took your post the wrong way but it seemed a bit ... curt.

 

[The Pol]

Heh, yeah you took it the way wrong way... I am meaning that this hobby can get pretty technical and I love confusing my friends with it... they ask me how I brew beer, and to me it seem simple! They just stare at me and ask, "how did you learn to do this anyway?"

You arent confusing anyone, you took it the wrong way bud... no problem!:rockin:

 

[The Pol]

I had a similar problem when I did my first PM. I missed the temp and settled way lower in temp than I wanted. I didn't change the procedure for the next brew, but using the numbers from the first run helped me to know my system and my temp loss. For example, I think the calculations say that to add 12 degrees to your strike temp to achieve the desired mash temp. Well, I have to add 16 degrees to hit my desired mash temp based on my setup. I do not pre-heat the mash tun, I just heat my strike water to a higher temp and keep my water to grain ratio the same.

You will add water of different temps depending on:

Beginning temp of the grain
Quantity of grain
qts/lb of water to malt when you dough in
and
the rest temp you are trying to achieve...

Sorry, your post made it sound like you will always be able to dough in with strike water that is 16 degrees warmer than your rest temp, which is unlikely.

 

[delarob]

Sorry. Rough day here at the rat race.

Thanks again for the term. Looked it up and yep HERMS.. LOL!

Cool!

 

[FatMonsters]

You will add water of different temps depending on:

Beginning temp of the grain
Quantity of grain
qts/lb of water to malt when you dough in
and
the rest temp you are trying to achieve...

Sorry, your post made it sound like you will always be able to dough in with strike water that is 16 degrees warmer than your rest temp, which is unlikely.

Yes, your are right. I tried to sum up the effects of quantity of grain and water with the end of my statement about keeping the water to grain ratio the same. I did forget about the beginning temp of the grain. And yes, I meant I need to add 16 to whatever my desired rest temp woould be...ooops...

 

[The Pol]

Rat races suck... I am a captain at an airline on reserve and I have not gotten a call to fly in 7 days... cant say I am overworked! Bit I have spent hundreds on my brew rig LOL