1v Pid strike temp

[Mr B]

I am doing a first brew on an updated 1v rig with a ramp/soak pid and recirc tomoz.

Just thinking about the strike temp. I was thinking I use the pid to get to mash temp, then put the grain in.

This will drop the temp a couple of degrees. Will take, not sure, but perhaps 5 mins to get back up. But need to let it settle before recommencing recirc. So this could maybe be an issue?

How do similar brewers do it?

Do you set an extra step to go to a predicted strike water temp (i.e. about 69 deg for a 66 deg mash)?

Or just cop the temp drop?

 

[MartinOC]

Your rig - only you can answer your own questions.

Start with where you came-from/started, then test/adjust.

It's only going to be a couple of degrees difference max & won't screw the mash, so just go for it & play with it.

 

[MickGC]

My rig (3vor 4v?... not sure what you call it lol, HLT, Mash, HeX, and kettle) has no PID, just a straight controller.
I set mash tun temp and HLT temp to about 4 deg above mash temp for a 12kg grain bill.
leave the recirc going with about 5Lto get the whole rig up to temp.
Add grain, add strike water and change mash temp to the actual mash temp
still getting used to my system myself but it gets me pretty close to mash temp from the word go

 

[Mr B]

Soz, not much detail on my rig and past process.

Really just chasing how other people do it - for 1v mash tun inside a boiler pid herms controlled systems.

I have gone from gas BIAB, to electric pid herms and gas boil. Just did test water run today.

I could potentially make the pid heat to mash temp, put it to hold, heat an extra couple of degrees on gas, mash in, then run pid again.

Contemplating process.

Bit of pressure, need to brew beer for a christening in a few weeks time, and have come to the conclusion that I need better temp control than BIAB wrapped in sleeping bags. Not that the beer is bad at all, just that I have increased my........ appreciation and desirable attributes in beer.

I have a thread, will update with pics etc.

Mr B's All grain adventure

Edit: Thanks Martin, yep agree its not a world ender, but would be nice to start on a solid process. Funny that when you are about to do something you see the detail in the detail......

 

[Mr B]

Thanks Mick - thats the thing, I dont have a HLT (yet), so the strike temp got me thinking.......

Appreciate the reply

Cheers

 

[MickGC]

i dont have a lot of experience with PID units, is it easy to set/adjust a temp?
could you just take water to strike temp, then drop the setting to mash temp as you add the grain?

 

[m3taL]

i dont have a lot of experience with PID units, is it easy to set/adjust a temp?
could you just take water to strike temp, then drop the setting to mash temp as you add the grain?

Pids Can learn the characteristics of your system when you "Auto Tune" Them which allows for it to maintain and hit temp changes more precisely.. They also can Pulse the element to get very fine temp control.

 

[Mr B]

Solution was to mash in, put pid on hold until recovered the little temp drop. Run program again to start timer

 

[boybrewer]

Try doughing in at mash temp and recirc at the same time you will probably find a small variation in temp but will quickly regain the set temp more quickly than raising the dough in temp add grain might miss by a couple of degrees dick around for five to ten minutes trying to get it right and then recirculate finding it may drop the temp even further. keep it simple .

 

[Mr B]

Thanks - I actually kept the recirc going, but put the return in between the main pot and mash tun - so it kept heating/maintaining temp.

Inside the mash tun would have dropped a little, but I believe it is good to give grain 5 mins beforte recircing. Popped hose back in after 5 to start recirc through the grain.

I had an efficiency drop compared to BIAB, but maybe a crush issue or the grain temp seemed to lag a degree or so behind the set temp.

I'll pop some pics in Mr B's Allgrain adventure to lay it out a little clearer.