Start your timer / stir until you hit mash temp?

[beauvafr]

My recipe called for striking grains at 167.5 °F and mash at 155 °F for 60 min.

After striking grain, I was more 164°F.

Should I have stirred and started timer/add cover when temp got close to 155°F?

 

[JDGator]

My recipe called for striking grains at 167.5 °F and mash at 155 °F for 60 min.

After striking grain, I was more 164°F.

Should I have stirred and started timer/add cover when temp got close to 155°F?

The mash temp is the important number. Now tou know that the amount of your grains and water will drop a temp of 3-4. Next time a recipe calls for a mash temp, add 4 degrees and you'll hit your target perfect.

Now i would have added ice cubes to knock the temp down quick. You dont want to mash too high or too low. Stirring like a mad person does help.

Chock it up as a learning experience!!

 

[beauvafr]

@JDGator Yup you've said it! Do you get the timer on only on exact mash temp (155) ?

 

[wilserbrewer]

Unless you had a very small grain bill, I suspect your mash temp may have dropped more.

IME, it is important to give some time for the mash temp to stabilize, especially if your cooler was not preheated well.

I like to mash in, stir well and let the mash sit for 3-5 minutes, then stir well again and check the temperature.

I find that if you check immediately, you will get a false high temp, as the grain has not fully absorbed the heat, and will continue to fall a few more degrees before stabilizing.

All that said, your strike seems a little high, but I would have anticipated a higher drop after adding the grain.

Just spitballing here, not positive?

 

[wilserbrewer]

Sorry about the cooler reference.

FWIW, Your anticipated drop seems high, and your actual seems low. I would time the mash from the point you add the grain. I typically see a 6-8 degree drop when mashing in, 12.5 seems very high for BIAB, how was that determined.

Was this a strong beer with a large grain bill, perhaps that's why your anticipated drop was so high?

 

[Tekn0ph1sh]

Yep I would start your timer when you drop the grain in. And stir the hell out of you grain until you hit your desired temperature if it is too hot and then slap a lid on it and let it sit…possibly even wrapping it in a towel or sleeping bag to help retain heat. If it drops more than 5 degrees below your mash temp take the insulation off and fire up your burner until it rises a degree or 2 and cut the heat especially if you are not using a digital instant read thermometer. The ones on the kettle or bimetal ones are typically a couple degrees off and are slow to show actual temperatures. And if it is a pot mounted thermometer your temps may be different in the heart of the grain ball.

 

[RM-MN]

My recipe called for striking grains at 167.5 °F and mash at 155 °F for 60 min.

After striking grain, I was more 164°F.

Should I have stirred and started timer/add cover when temp got close to 155°F?

Without seeing your recipe I'd guess it was written for a conventional mash tun with a much lower water to grain ratio. That would account for the higher anticipated temperature drop. With BIAB you normally would mash in with nearly the full volume of water and the grains then would not drop the temperature nearly as much.

 

[beauvafr]

It was calculated with Brewtoad mash calc for BIAB. They pretty much screwed it! I'll mark it for the next time.

 

[PRE66_6TART]

I don't think when you set the timer matters all that much. 60 minutes is kind of an arbitrary number; I think most people use it just to be safe but the mash probably finishes converting long before that.