Crown 40L concealed element

[stewy]

Recently started doing a mash out while constantly stirring until I get to temp, without any false bottom.

Just curious as to whether any of you have kept the thermostat on during the mash without a false bottom?

There was no issue of bag scorch when I was constantly stirring for mash out & in the winter months being able to keep the thermo on during mash would be a great benefit.

I lag urn with a doonah

Cheers for any thoughts/experiences

 

[earle]

I lag with foil backed rubber/foam insulation from clark rubber and a sleeping bag. Find no need to have the urn turned on during the mash. Most of the conversion occurs in the first 30 minutes or so anyway.

I have the concealed element urn and just put a cake rack in the bottom. That way I don't need to constantly stir during mash out. Just give it a stir every 3-4 minutes. My concern is not scorching the bag - I reckon the bag of grain insulates the element and thermostat and makes it cut out even though the whole mash is not increasing in temp - the cake rack gives it some space to circulate so it keeps heating throughout the mashout.

 

[stewy]

I lag with foil backed rubber/foam insulation from clark rubber and a sleeping bag. Find no need to have the urn turned on during the mash. Most of the conversion occurs in the first 30 minutes or so anyway.

I have the concealed element urn and just put a cake rack in the bottom. That way I don't need to constantly stir during mash out. Just give it a stir every 3-4 minutes. My concern is not scorching the bag - I reckon the bag of grain insulates the element and thermostat and makes it cut out even though the whole mash is not increasing in temp - the cake rack gives it some space to circulate so it keeps heating throughout the mashout.

Any specific cake rack? I looked in Kmart & it was too big for the urn

 

[Bribie G]

I haven't done a mashout for about a year. With full volume BIAB I don't notice any difference in the yield of wort so the "wort is more runny at the higher temperature" argument is more applicable to 3V brewers I guess.

The other reason; to kill any enzymes left in the brew and to clean up any remaining starches can be done with or without the grain present as the enzymes are in residing in the wort anyway. For me the benefit of not doing a mashout is that there is no massive stirring up of the mash, leading to the formation of a sort of grain bed on hoisting the bag, and far less trub and crap in the urn.