strike temp

[sam c]

ok so got my first two AG brews done this weekend which was great.

on the fist brew i added the strike water @ 74 c and found that the mash temp was around 60 c, so i topped up with a little hot water to bring up the temp.

so on the second brew i did 77 c for the strike temp but still came in around 63 c after doughing in. so topped up again with hot water.

one thing i noticed is that if i took the temp straight away it was too low but if i left the lid on for 30 seconds or so the temp would rise close to 67 c without adding any extra hot water or just a little.

so what do people do in this case? take the temp straight after doughing in or put the lid on for 30 seconds or so and then check?

[Parva]

There are several ways to do it. Most people pre-heat the mash tun with water at around 77c for 10 minutes or so, discard that then mash in at 77c (or thereabouts, everyone has their own variations). I personally do not pre-heat mine and mash in at 82c. By the time I've added the grain and got it all stirred in the temperature is almost invariably 67c-68c, it's very rare that I fall outside of this range. It's just a case of what works for you, the more you brew the more you'll get it nailed.

And congrats on popping your AG cherry.

[sam c]

cool

i did pre heat my mash tun with boiled water for 10 mins or so. maybe next time i will up the strike temp to 80 c and see where that gets me.

i really enjoyed my first brews and cant wait to get the next one on!!

[Eric]

Hi Sam, well done and many congratulations. Two in one weekend is proof of dedication.
I wonder how you measure temperature? It shouldn't rise without energy input and so it can only be that your mash isn't all at the same temperature when you took one or both of your readings. I would have expected 74C to be hot enough but it does also depend upon the type, quantity and temperature of the grains. It is important that you thoroughly stir your water and mash when you take temperature readings.

My procedure uses water at 80C which will heat up the mash tun as it cools to strike temperature. My most significant reading is taken after 10 minutes when I might add more water to alter temperature but with practice this isn't normally necessary. The grains shouldn't be cold although that isn't normally a problem at this time of the year. Anyway, you've made the big step and you might soon decide there is no alternative.

[Scooby]

As has been said there a many variables, grist/liquor ratio has a big effect. It sounds as if you haven't thoroughly mixed the mash and so stabilised the temp. I mix for 2-3mins after doughing in or until the temp consistent in several different places

[sam c]

it seemed like the more i mixed it in the lower the temp would drop which was a bit worrying.

i did get just above my target OG though so it must have been ok in the end.

thanks for the advice, next time i will give it a good mixing in.

cheers