I'm sure this has been done to death, but how does beer character vary with mash temperature, low end (64-65 deg C) to high end (69 deg C). And do some styles demand a particular temp.
Also, I noticed when I let loose my strike water into my esky tun (with the grain), the water loses at least 6 deg immediately, and I have to top it up with more hot water to get it to the required temp. Should I be heating the strike water to maybe 74 C if I want the mash temp to be 67-68 C? I should say that as a novice, my esky is quite small and only has the capacity for 2.5kg grain and the resulting strike water (~6-7 litres).
Thanks for any advice.
Also, I noticed when I let loose my strike water into my esky tun (with the grain), the water loses at least 6 deg immediately, and I have to top it up with more hot water to get it to the required temp. Should I be heating the strike water to maybe 74 C if I want the mash temp to be 67-68 C? I should say that as a novice, my esky is quite small and only has the capacity for 2.5kg grain and the resulting strike water (~6-7 litres).
Thanks for any advice.