About a month and a half ago, I posted a review on the SS Brew Tech's 10 gallon Infussion Insulated Stainless Mash Tun. My thoughts on the product are very positive for a myriad of reasons, so for those considering a stainless steel MT, I strongly recommend you check out my results and comparisons with other popular options.
However, I wanted to post a a separate followup review after I installed their newly released Mash Temperature Stabilization System (MTSS).
For those that either own or see the appreciable benefits of the Infussion MT, this is an add-on device that is designed to essentially hold temps even more more steady than the insulation alone. After promptly receiving the box from SS Brewtech as a result of my close geographical proximity to their warehouse, I immediately tore it open and found their proprietary STC-1000 style temp controller, 12v adapter, heating element, and a few misc parts like a grommet and zip tie, etc.
I was immediately very familiar with their temp controller from the FTSS, since its essentially the same one, but with a larger 6 amp output adapter. The heating element obviously draws more power than the pump for the FTSS. Those that are familiar with the STC 1000 should find this equally as simple.
So I moved on to installing the heating element. There are four screws that hold the panel to the underside, where you will be greeted with a large foam insert. I took the extra step of Windexing the underside of the SS bottom to remove any oils since the element is held in place by an adhesive backing. It was super simple, except that I later found out since I was in such a rush to complete the install; I didn't properly rotate the element to the correct orientation, which would have allowed me to zip tie the element's cord to the drain tube as a strain relief.
Anywho, I moved on to installing the grommet to the underside panel, feeding the wire through, and reinstalling the foam/panel. Now you have a pig tail hanging out from the underside side of your MT, which now its key to have the rubber feet installed on the MT to protect the cable from getting damaged.
So fast forward to yesterday's brew day, where I would normally mash in and lose a few degrees over the course of an hour mash, I set the MTSS temp controller to 152, which was my target strike temp for the cream ale I was brewing. I removed the included LCD thermometer and used that thermowell for the temp probe. Over the course of a 60 minute mash, the heater came on twice that I saw and basically held my mash temps to within a half a degree of 152.
Since there isn't really anything else out there like it that I've seen, as far as a low power "booster" heater goes, its an interesting accessory to add to an existing SS MT, or even a bottom drain keggle. Not that a few degrees of drop off is going to significantly change your beer, but it makes the entire process slightly more automated, and it also wont break the bank at $80. Especially in comparison to a more powerful RIMS heater rig, that would necessitate a much larger element, electrical controller, etc, all the way down the line to the additional tubing, fittings, and element housing.
Interestingly, I did some additional tests with just water, and I found that the MTSS could ramp a 7 gallon mash roughly 4-5 degrees within an hour. So if you commonly miss your temps by a relatively small margin, the MTSS is powerful enough to bring you up to speed over the course of an hour to an hour and a half mash rest. However, its not powerful enough to say ramp from a 120 degree protein rest, to a traditional 153 degree mash, and then say a 165-170 degree mash-out.
All in all, I'm really pleased with the performance of the new system, since it takes any sort of mash babysitting out of the picture. Plus, it basically works perfectly as advertised. Furthermore, if you do ever come in light on your mash temps, you actually have an option of ramping the temp, instead of trying to do a decoction style mash temp ramping by removing a portion of your wort, heat it up to boiling and then adding it back to the mash.
For real world application I could see this setup would be most useful for those that don't want to experience ANY temp drop-off, which I am super anal about anyway. Moreover, the MTSS will come in really handy for the cold weather crowd, since this system should be able to overcome the more drastic temp loss you naturally experience in colder climates. But it could also be applicable to newer brewers that aren't yet accustomed to hitting their mash temps perfectly every time.
Cheers!
However, I wanted to post a a separate followup review after I installed their newly released Mash Temperature Stabilization System (MTSS).
For those that either own or see the appreciable benefits of the Infussion MT, this is an add-on device that is designed to essentially hold temps even more more steady than the insulation alone. After promptly receiving the box from SS Brewtech as a result of my close geographical proximity to their warehouse, I immediately tore it open and found their proprietary STC-1000 style temp controller, 12v adapter, heating element, and a few misc parts like a grommet and zip tie, etc.
I was immediately very familiar with their temp controller from the FTSS, since its essentially the same one, but with a larger 6 amp output adapter. The heating element obviously draws more power than the pump for the FTSS. Those that are familiar with the STC 1000 should find this equally as simple.
So I moved on to installing the heating element. There are four screws that hold the panel to the underside, where you will be greeted with a large foam insert. I took the extra step of Windexing the underside of the SS bottom to remove any oils since the element is held in place by an adhesive backing. It was super simple, except that I later found out since I was in such a rush to complete the install; I didn't properly rotate the element to the correct orientation, which would have allowed me to zip tie the element's cord to the drain tube as a strain relief.
Anywho, I moved on to installing the grommet to the underside panel, feeding the wire through, and reinstalling the foam/panel. Now you have a pig tail hanging out from the underside side of your MT, which now its key to have the rubber feet installed on the MT to protect the cable from getting damaged.
So fast forward to yesterday's brew day, where I would normally mash in and lose a few degrees over the course of an hour mash, I set the MTSS temp controller to 152, which was my target strike temp for the cream ale I was brewing. I removed the included LCD thermometer and used that thermowell for the temp probe. Over the course of a 60 minute mash, the heater came on twice that I saw and basically held my mash temps to within a half a degree of 152.
Since there isn't really anything else out there like it that I've seen, as far as a low power "booster" heater goes, its an interesting accessory to add to an existing SS MT, or even a bottom drain keggle. Not that a few degrees of drop off is going to significantly change your beer, but it makes the entire process slightly more automated, and it also wont break the bank at $80. Especially in comparison to a more powerful RIMS heater rig, that would necessitate a much larger element, electrical controller, etc, all the way down the line to the additional tubing, fittings, and element housing.
Interestingly, I did some additional tests with just water, and I found that the MTSS could ramp a 7 gallon mash roughly 4-5 degrees within an hour. So if you commonly miss your temps by a relatively small margin, the MTSS is powerful enough to bring you up to speed over the course of an hour to an hour and a half mash rest. However, its not powerful enough to say ramp from a 120 degree protein rest, to a traditional 153 degree mash, and then say a 165-170 degree mash-out.
All in all, I'm really pleased with the performance of the new system, since it takes any sort of mash babysitting out of the picture. Plus, it basically works perfectly as advertised. Furthermore, if you do ever come in light on your mash temps, you actually have an option of ramping the temp, instead of trying to do a decoction style mash temp ramping by removing a portion of your wort, heat it up to boiling and then adding it back to the mash.
For real world application I could see this setup would be most useful for those that don't want to experience ANY temp drop-off, which I am super anal about anyway. Moreover, the MTSS will come in really handy for the cold weather crowd, since this system should be able to overcome the more drastic temp loss you naturally experience in colder climates. But it could also be applicable to newer brewers that aren't yet accustomed to hitting their mash temps perfectly every time.
Cheers!
