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Mash temperature

WhiteWhale

Apprentice
Joined
Aug 22, 2020
Messages
7
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Location
Gothenburg, Sweden
Dear Brewers,

I am a beginner BIAB brewer with about 5 brews done so far.
Many issues has been resolved but this one is still bothering me.

When I mash I heat the water on a stove and dump the grains, that's when my troubles start.
My simple glass thermometer is going bananas in the mash.
Very different temperatures in different locations.
75 C here, 60 there.

So, I think I have found a technique to stir the mash in a sertain way and get a somewhat stable reading. It almost works...but I feel I cannot trust it.
I open the lid every 20 mins or so to adjust the heat. I loose about 1-2 C over that time. It is very tricky to adjust.

I think I heard that you shouldn't stir the mash too much?
How are you guys measuring to get the best reading?
What am I doing wrong?

Many thanks!
 
You are doing nothing wrong.  The heat from the kettle will dissipate into the surrounding air, cooling down the sides and creating a gradient across the mash.  This is normal.

Stirring in well is never the wrong thing to do.  You don't want to end up with dough balls which will prevent water penetration and good extraction.

When I was doing BIAB on the stove, I would set my digital thermometer about 2/3 the way from the center to the edge to regulate the temperature.  By choosing the same location every time, I would ensure that my process was consistent and repeatable.  The kettle would have been about a degree higher in the center and lower near the edge, but on average, it was the temperature where I had the thermometer set.

The next thing to do is to try to minimize the temperature loss.  I had one kettle which would fit into the stove, so I would heat the stove up to the lowest setting it was capable (170F/77C) for a good ten to fifteen minutes before I doughed in.  I would then move the kettle from the stovetop into the oven and let the oven come back to temperature before turning the oven off for the duration of the mash.  I never lost/gained more than 1 to 2 degrees F during the duration of the 60 minute mash time.  The insulation from the oven and the trapped air around the oven would reduce the change in the mash temperature.

Later, I got a kettle which was too big to fit into the oven.  I would wrap it in old blankets and a comforter once I was done doughing in.  Again, I would lose approximately 2F/1C during the 60 minute mash, but the process was consistent.

Keep in mind that the majority of the conversion is taking place during the first 15 to 20 minutes of the mash.

Aim to keep your process consistent and you can then adjust accordingly to attain the finished gravity you want.

 
Thank you soo much for your support!
I will work on better insolation (two shower towels), maybe cut a sleeping pad or two as well...  :p

And keep on stirring  8)
 
Temperature differences throughout the mash is not uncommon. Stirring your mash every 15 to 20 minutes is not going to hurt anything.
 
I recirculate my mash the entire time which is basically doing for me what you?re doing manually. Brew on!
 
I bought a simple little paint stirrer from Lowes or something and never have to worry about dough balls or not mixing  enough again. Also I used to spray paint a lot and learned to always stir up from the bottom. happy brewin
 
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