Strike water temp techniques

[Hacky2447]

I am looking for a better way to more accurately obtain my mash water temps. For some reason my temps seem to be way low. Just this last time I brewed, my mash in temp settled at 148 when I was trying to obtain a 154.

I think I am not calculating the temp of the mash tun with the temp of the grain properly or something.

Plus I have been having thermometer issues as of lately.

How do you all obtain your mash?strike water temps?

 

[govner1]

This time of year I preheat my mash tun w/ 3-4 gal of 120°F water while I heat my strike water. I usually heat to about 10° higher than my target.
I just brewed last weekend & came in at 0.5° below my target.
You'll ultimately have to do some trial & error to adjust to your system.
Also be prepared to add hot or cool water to adjust.

 

[Slow_Day]

I have a cooler mlt. When I first started, I hit my temps dead on by preheating and using the Brewers Friend calculator. This is easy.

Lately I invariably come in low. Then I scramble to add boiling water. Not sure what changed.

Now i just try to come in high and adjust with stirring and/or ice and document the volumes and temps until I get my numbers dialed in. Coming down is a lot easier than going up.

 

[smizak]

I am looking for a better way to more accurately obtain my mash water temps. For some reason my temps seem to be way low. Just this last time I brewed, my mash in temp settled at 148 when I was trying to obtain a 154.

I think I am not calculating the temp of the mash tun with the temp of the grain properly or something.

Plus I have been having thermometer issues as of lately.

How do you all obtain your mash?strike water temps?

I dump my strike water in a good 8-10 degrees hotter than my strike temp and let the cooler drop to where I want it. I can assume that the tun is conditioned and took as much heat as it can.

 

[Hacky2447]

I dump my strike water in a good 8-10 degrees hotter than my strike temp and let the cooler drop to where I want it. I can assume that the tun is conditioned and took as much heat as it can.

Is that before Dough in?

I tried the preheat option, but the preheat option i did was using the strike water, and thats how I recently ended up and 148. lol I added about a gal of boiling water to get it to 155, and mashed for 60 mins and it dropped to 153 almost 152.

I am seriously considering a RIMS system. lol

 

[blizz81]

Even if you don't preheat, shouldn't you be able to get a repeatable process that's maybe slightly affected by ambient temp & lbs of grain used (though presuming same mash thickness, your strike water vol will be increasing at the same rate as grain)? Do your notes show a consistent delta in strike water temp to dough-in temp?


Before I had RIMS, I was able to dial in the starting temp pretty reliably just by figuring out that delta...

 

[Hacky2447]

Even if you don't preheat, shouldn't you be able to get a repeatable process that's maybe slightly affected by ambient temp & lbs of grain used (though presuming same mash thickness, your strike water vol will be increasing at the same rate as grain)? Do your notes show a consistent delta in strike water temp to dough-in temp?


Before I had RIMS, I was able to dial in the starting temp pretty reliably just by figuring out that delta...

Ya got me on that one.. "delta"

When i was hitting temps, I used a different method with different equipment. I will have to do more batches and testing I suppose.

I really want to switch over to a RIMS system though.

 

[bragona71]

I use brewgr mash/sparge calculator and have hit temp perfect every time. are you taking in account the temp of grain?

 

[blizz81]

Ya got me on that one.. "delta"

When i was hitting temps, I used a different method with different equipment. I will have to do more batches and testing I suppose.

I really want to switch over to a RIMS system though.

Just delta meaning change in temp from what you heat the strike water to after you dough in. That "delta" should be fairly constant. If you take notes on what the water is at before you dump it into your mash tun, and take notes on what temp is after dough-in before you close it up to sit, you should be able to figure out what the difference is given your system and process.


RIMS wouldn't necessarily change that. You'll still have a "delta", it will just be a little easier to change your mash temp if you miss your target on the low side.

 

[Hacky2447]

Just delta meaning change in temp from what you heat the strike water to after you dough in. That "delta" should be fairly constant. If you take notes on what the water is at before you dump it into your mash tun, and take notes on what temp is after dough-in before you close it up to sit, you should be able to figure out what the difference is given your system and process.


RIMS wouldn't necessarily change that. You'll still have a "delta", it will just be a little easier to change your mash temp if you miss your target on the low side.

I was able to get much closer to the temps I wanted this weekend by preheating the mash tun. I took water at near boiling and poured a couple gallons in the mash tun before adding the strike water.

I still missed my target, but only by 1.5 degrees.