who to trust for strike water temp

[HItransplant]

Ive been dabbling on the trial versions of promash and beer smith.. I also used the calc on the Green Bay Rackers website.

Variables:
1.1 mash thickness
70 degree grain temp
154 mash temp

seems like they are all different: rackers tells me 172, beer smith tells me 167, promash..something else.

who do I trust?

 

[JetSmooth]

Experience.

 

[JVD_X]

I found that once beersmith was tuned in I got perfect mash ins.

It is possible that the variation you are describing exist because of configuration deltas between the default values used for each application.

 

[HiGravShawn]

Nevermind... Didn't read the question properly. Probably small variations in calculations due to precision I would guess.

 

[HItransplant]

I found that once beersmith was tuned in I got perfect mash ins.

It is possible that the variation you are describing exist because of configuration deltas between the default values used for each application.

ah yes... that makes sense.

so, better to error high or low for a thick 154 degree mash?

im thinkin low.

thoughts?


p.s. I know experience is the best thing.. but as this is my 2nd brew, I dont have any.. so Im trying to overcome with preparedness

 

[HenryHill]

Err to the side you prefer; sweet or dry.

 

[broadbill]

ah yes... that make sense.

so, better to error high or low for a thick 154 degree mash?

im thinkin low.

thoughts?


p.s. I know experience is the best thing.. but as this is my 2nd brew, I dont have any.. so Im trying to overcome with preparedness

I'd err to the high side. Easier to cool down with a some water/or ice than to try and warm up (wait for water to boil).

 

[user 21663]

Go on the high side...you can cool it down with just simple stirring. With Beersmith ( not sure of the other two ) there is a setting for preheating your equipment. If that is checked, you strike water will be cooler than if no preheat was done.

 

[HItransplant]

yeah, I think that part of my issue is that im mashing on stovetop in a 5 gal brew kettle--- ala deathbrewer... not the standard way the brewing software is set up for.... ill strike at 172 and hope for the best.

thanks everyone.

 

[Wellshooter]

Experience.

Really I think that is the only way. Use the calculations as an estimate, make good notes and after a few tries you will know the adjustments you need to make. I started with Beersmith's recommendation and undershot my strike by 8 degrees. Next time I overshot by 3 degrees. Now I can hit it dead on. Over or under, you will still get beer. Hitting the target gets the beer you want.

 

[bob1852]

Experience.

Yep. People that rely solely on software are the same one's that would drive off a cliff because their GPS unit told 'em it was the best way from point A to point B.

 

[HItransplant]

Yep. People that rely solely on software are the same one's that would drive off a cliff because their GPS unit told 'em it was the best way from point A to point B.

well as I said earlier, I dont have experience to fall back on....

I guess thats why I posted the question, I was hoping to ultilize the "collecitve experience" on here to help me figure out a good starting off point.

If I had experience, I probably wouldnt have needed to ask the question in the first place.

 

[joeldp144]

Experience is the best tool. I have had good luck with 175 water for strike in my tun. I always have a 1/2 gallon of cool tap water on the side that I add slowly to bring it down to the desired temperature once everything is nice and mixed. Sometimes I only add 1/4 gallon, sometimes a little more than 1/2. I don't let 1/2 gallon one way or the other bother me though.

 

[JetSmooth]

well as I said earlier, I dont have experience to fall back on....

I guess thats why I posted the question, I was hoping to ultilize the "collecitve experience" on here to help me figure out a good starting off point.

If I had experience, I probably wouldnt have needed to ask the question in the first place.

I didn't mean to be short.

Nobody else knows how your sysem will work. So it's best to shoot for a middle-range numebr and then observe very closely for the firsrt brew or two. My first two brews, the mash was all over the place. On my third, I dialed it in exactly and held it for an hour with no drop in temp; not even a single degree.

 

[HItransplant]

I didn't mean to be short.

Nobody else knows how your sysem will work. So it's best to shoot for a middle-range numebr and then observe very closely for the firsrt brew or two. My first two brews, the mash was all over the place. On my third, I dialed it in exactly and held it for an hour with no drop in temp; not even a single degree.

no worries.... I certainly dont ever hold back on sarcasm.

I know I need to play with it. Im doing deathbrewer's stovetop mash so I wont have much room for adjustment via adding hot/cold water... I think Ill go with the higher number (rackers.com) and just stir the bejesus out of it if im over (well without aerating it)...that way sounds easier than lowballing and having to add heat.

 

[scottland]

Here are the steps I would follow if I were you, and you'll only be off on a single batch:

Before you brew, get a notepad and a pen, and keep it handy. Then use Beersmith, or one of the other two programs to calculate your target strike water temp.

Boil up a tea kettle full of water, and keep a couple ice cubes handy in case you are way off, and then bring your strike water up to temp using your thermometer.

Dough in your grains and see how close you got. Now before you go adjusting the temp, right down in your notebook the temp Beersmith told you to hit, the temp you hit, and the mash temp you reached.

Now add some boiling water if needed, or if you're a couple degrees too high, just stir the mash with the lid of your cooler open for a few minutes until it cools off a touch.


Now you know exactly how your brewing system reacts to the strike water infusion. If the beersmith calc came up a couple degrees too cool, you know how to adjust. If it was too hot, you know how to adjust. Just take EXCELLENT notes the first time through, and you'll only miss your mash temp once.

Trust me on this, I didn't learn the first 2-3 times I went All-grain, so it wasn't until my 4-5th time I was confident i would hit my mash temp.

 

[nicadrick]

Have you tried beertools pro. I have been using it for almost a year I hit my temp spot on every brew.

I haven't used either of ProMash or BeerSmith. BeerTools Pro allows you to calibrate the thermal performance of your vessels and makes it real easy to hit your temp. I am certain the other software has similar functions.

Cheers!

 

[HItransplant]

Have you tried beertools pro. I have been using it for almost a year I hit my temp spot on every brew.

I haven't used either of ProMash or BeerSmith. BeerTools Pro allows you to calibrate the thermal performance of your vessels and makes it real easy to hit your temp. I am certain the other software has similar functions.

Cheers!

currently working through the learning curve.

 

[kanzimonson]

If you can direct fire your mash tun, then always aim low. I use the Rackers calc, but always subtract 3-5 degrees

 

[shelly_belly]

I use the Green Bay Rackers calculator and am always spot on or within 1 or 2 degrees of desired mash temperature. I add 6-10 degrees (6 in summer 10 in winter) extra to preheat my 5 gallon rubbermaid cooler and dough in when the temperature drops down to the strike temperature. This worked so well for me I haven't tried any others.

 

[rico567]

My first few AG batches, my temperatures were all over the place. I fought the software, then decided that I was just going to work out an approximation for my system. I mash pretty thin, so for a regular grain bill of 10-12 pounds, I can mash in 5 gallons of strike water at 162 F and given a few minutes of vigorous stirring, I'll hit 154 right on the nose. Obviously, larger or smaller grain bills will require some Kentucky windage on that strike water, but as a previous poster said....the best tool here is just experience.

 

[curlyfat]

I would like to point out that everyone keeps citing "experience". For the purpose of clarification, I would like to expand that to "experience on your particular system using whatever software/calculations you chose over the coarse of several batches."

My years of experience don't mean diddly on someone else's system. I'm now using a direct-fired RIMS setup, and shoot for about 2 degrees shy of what pro mash says (with a "0" thermal mass set), and quickly bring it up. Your system will determine whether it's easier to shoot high or low. I used to shoot low when I used a cooler-tun with boiling water at the ready.

P.S. Does anyone else think it's strange that "diddly" didn't red-flag the spell checker?