Mash Stirring

[deckedoutdaz]

Whilst mashing, and keeping my mash at a constant temp with a handheld element, i use an electric motor with a prop to keep the mash circulating, which mixes the mash extremely quickly, at a guess approx 1000 revs per min...

i haven't noticed anything wrong with my brews, but because i'm changing my setup, and i'm looking for improvments all the time, can the wort be tainted or oxygenated at this point of brewing???

Daz

 

[Jye]

Daz that is way to fast, do you have any pics of the blades?

Ive got a feeling that the shear force will be huge and you are pretty much blending the mash and destroying the husk, but it doesnt sound like your getting stuck sparges. You only need to be going fast enough to turn the mash over and keep the temp homogeneous.

Have a read of this great article from Brewing Techniques.

http://brewingtechniques.com/library/backi...sue2.6/put.html

 

[Duff]

Whilst mashing, and keeping my mash at a constant temp with a handheld element.....

.....can the wort be tainted or oxygenated at this point of brewing???

Oxygen is driven out during the boil, not an issue when mashing.

The first line has me intrigued.

 

[deckedoutdaz]

I will take some pics tommorrow, i do not get stuck sparges, but i heard on a podcast last night that injecting oxygen into the brews at an early stage affects them after fermentation, i am deffinately introducing oxygen acctually i am injecting it like a turbo, i haven't noticed a difference, but how could i tell what crap beer tastes like, cascade isn't much of a bench mark...

 

[deckedoutdaz]

Duff, if the first line is "keeping my mash at a constant temp with a handheld element" i use a 2400kw element to keep my mash at a constant 65c- 68c, i do this with a PID and the above mentioned stirrer.....works a treat, in actual fact, doesn't miss abeat...

 

[Zizzle]

Mate, if you are happy with how your beers are tasting then that is all that matters.

Having siad that, me, I'd be going down to the local wrecker and getting a windscreen wiper motor to drive the stirrer.

1000RPM, jeez are you using the rest of the outboard motor to drive it?

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Mash only really needs to be gently stirred....not blended..


If you need an element to keep your mash temp up, then I think you have some serious insulation issues.

My mash would be lucky to drop 2*c an hour in a 26ltr esky..and most of the conversion is usually done in 30 ish mins

 

[roger mellie]

Mash only really needs to be gently stirred....not blended..
If you need an element to keep your mash temp up, then I think you have some serious insulation issues.

My mash would be lucky to drop 2*c an hour in a 26ltr esky..and most of the conversion is usually done in 30 ish mins

I suppose though if you are stirring that hard that there must be a considerable amount of cooling occurring - hence the need for an element.

I stir for 2 minutes at mash in to smash up the dough balls - then 3 more times over the mash. Once more after mash out - then again after Batch sparge water addition.

But isnt that the great thing about this obsession - empirical methods prevail - if it works - repeat it!

RM

 

[johnno]

Have to say i never stir the mash apart from the initial mash in and the sparge.

Have never seen the need for it.

cheers
johnno

 

[brendanos]

My understanding is that enzyme activity can be adversely affected by vigorous stirring, so when I stir it's as gently as possible.

 

[Zwickel]

Oxygen is driven out during the boil, not an issue when mashing...

sorry Duff,
there is a difference in solved oxygen in liquids to an oxidized hot liquor.

You are right in saying the solved oxygen will be driven out by boiling the wort,
but some stuff in the hot liquor will oxidize and that oxygen is bound to the stuff, cant get driven out by boiling.

So better to stir continuous, but not vigorous.

Another point of view why to stir continuous is: as you know, the enzymes cut the starch into parts. If the mash is still standing, the enzymes will stop theire work as soon as the starch around them is already broken, so the enzymes cannot swim or move to the next chain of starch (sorry for that silly comparison)

So if youre going to stir continuous, the enzymes will be always in contact wit new unbroken starch chains, so it can do its work better.

Cheers

Edit: Spelling

 

[yardy]

Have to say i never stir the mash apart from the initial mash in and the sparge.

Have never seen the need for it.

cheers
johnno

i was going to say the same but i'll be changing my habits after reading Zwickel's post.

 

[tangent]

i give a brief stir about every 20 minutes.

 

[bindi]

About the same as tangent.

 

[deckedoutdaz]

I should have added, but was easier not to type it all..........that i use a pid to control the heat of the element for step mashing.....if i put a lid on the mlt it should stay at the constant temp for the desired amount of time, but as the majority of brews are stepped, it just becomes habit.....


daz

 

[BrissyBrew]

Whilst mashing, and keeping my mash at a constant temp with a handheld element, i use an electric motor with a prop to keep the mash circulating, which mixes the mash extremely quickly, at a guess approx 1000 revs per min...

i haven't noticed anything wrong with my brews, but because i'm changing my setup, and i'm looking for improvments all the time, can the wort be tainted or oxygenated at this point of brewing???

Daz

100RPM what is yoru liquor to grist ratio?

 

[deckedoutdaz]

Normally i add 35 litres of water, turn on the prop add the grain, around 10kg at a time as i normally do double batches, and once all the grain is in add another 5-10 litres to either bring temp up or down to desired starting reading, so i suppose its about 4:1 ratio....

daz