102 replies to this topic

[Mindblock]

Maybe the thermometer needs to be calibrated. I never feel safe unless I have a backup thermometer.

Agree on the need for thermometer calibration!!A couple of years ago I bought one of these to keep my mechanical thermometers calibrated:https://vwrlabshop.c...ters/p/0013422/I am also thinking it would be a good homebrew club activity to discuss the impact of temperature on all steps in the brewing and fermentation process, what can go wrong causing thermometers to lose their accuracy over time, and calibrate thermometers to a lab reference standard for anybody who wants to bring them in.

[SchwanzBrewer]

you got a 160 degree mash from 169 degree water, that seem high, what temp was your grain at and what was your QT/lbs ratio?

Good catch! That seems almost impossible.

You don't think he can get a 10 deg drop from the kettle to the end of mashing in?

[gnef]

I tend to think the drop is larger than that. For a 152F mash temperature, I typically strike around 165F, if I remember correctly. I also have a lower sparge water temperature - 185F.

[matt6150]

When you added the cold water, was it treated? Could have thrown off your PH. Was this step before or after you added the stabilizer?Mash was definitely high. I think your sparge is high too, you are in the tannin extraction range IIRC. 2 gal boil off or 2 gallons total with kettle losses due to hot break, hops, and such. Boiling off 2 gallons seems pretty high.When you add the sparge water do you stir it in really well, or are you fly sparging?

I have well water so the cold water came straight from the tap. The PH stabilizer was already in there at this point.2 gals. was total. So probably 1.5g from boil and another .5 from hot break, hops and such.I batch sparge and I did stir very well.

you got a 160 degree mash from 169 degree water, that seem high, what temp was your grain at and what was your QT/lbs ratio?

That's kinda why I ended up mashing so high, I didn't think I would only loose 9 degrees. The grain temp was probably around 80 and the cooler was fairly warm too sitting in the sun. Not sure of the ratio off the top of my head, but it was 5 gals. of water and however many lbs. of grain Denny's Rye IPA recipe calls for.I'm fairly confident in the temp gauge I used in my mash tun, not sure about the one in the HLT. It is just a turkey fryer thermo, I will definitely check it.

[matt6150]

In fact PM told me to heat the strike water to 171, that always seems to high so I already took out a few degrees.

[SchwanzBrewer]

I tend to think the drop is larger than that. For a 152F mash temperature, I typically strike around 165F, if I remember correctly. I also have a lower sparge water temperature - 185F.

I tend to get about 10 degrees drop, but I'm in FL and brew day is about 85 ambient in the shade right now.

[Mya]

You don't think he can get a 10 deg drop from the kettle to the end of mashing in?

mine is typically right about 15 degreesmatt have you calculated you thermal mass of your cooler?

[Brauer]

How do you measure this?

In addition to Kai's chart, you can use another method to determine Conversion Efficiency:The trick is to know that a pound of malt with a potential of 36 ppg will add about 0.3 qts. (or 0.075 gal.) to the total volume of wort.If you mash at 2 qt/# (or 0.5 gal./#), then you would expect 36 points in what is now 0.575 gal.36/0.575 = 63So, at 2 qt/# mash thickness, you would be 100% converted when your mash is at 1.063. If your mash measured 1.053, you would be 100x53/63 = 85% converted.It's easy enough to adjust that calculation for your actual mash thickness and extract potential.There's some error that comes in from trying to do that in SG instead of Plato, but otherwise I'm pretty sure I did that math right.

[djinkc]

You must be using a blue cooler!

And, yes I do sir, yes I do......

[matt6150]

mine is typically right about 15 degreesmatt have you calculated you thermal mass of your cooler?

No I have not. How is this done?

[Mya]

No I have not. How is this done?

behold, the FAQ !

[BlKtRe]

Or just add a small amount of hot water right before you mash in to warm your cooler then dump it out before adding strike water and be done with it.

[matt6150]

behold, the FAQ!

Sweet thanks! And contributed by the_stain too!

[matt6150]

Or just add a small amount of hot water right before you mash in to warm your cooler then dump it out before adding strike water and be done with it.

So you just set your thermal mass to 0 then?

[djinkc]

Or just add a small amount of hot water right before you mash in to warm your cooler then dump it out before adding strike water and be done with it.

Or, just figure out your strike water temp should be and be done with it............Had to beat Greg to it.

[MtnBrewer]

Fermcap!

[djinkc]

Fermcap!

Linux

[MtnBrewer]

vi

[matt6150]

Fermcap!

I actually could have used it in this brew, had a small boil over when it came to boil and my back was turned for a min. Do you use it on every batch?

[MtnBrewer]

Almost always. I use it for starters every time but I don't always use it for lagers. Never had a lager blowoff. I don't need to use it in the boil unless I have a large pre-boil volume but if I had a smaller pot I would.