Mashing Temp - Oven

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sgw86

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Hi All,

Hopefully I have posted in the right area on the forum.

I have just started to move away from doing the basic kit recipes into using grain to enhance my brews. I completed my first brew the other day using Carapils Malt (am also aware that you can also steep Carapils) and I found that keeping a constant 65C on the stove using a saucepan rather painful and difficult. My method was to heat the required water to 70C and then turn the heat on low when required.


The next brew that I plan on putting down using grain uses both Pilsener Malt and Wheat Malt. As I want to keep as close to 65C when using these grains I have heard of people heating up the water in the saucepan to 70C, dropping the grain in (I will be using a grain bag) and then sticking the saucepan in an oven that has been heated to mash temperature.

Has anyone used this method before? If so is it better to heat the oven up to mash temp and then turn it off? My oven goes as low as 50C.

My only concern is that the oven temp may not be exact and heat the grain too much.

I will be mashing this grain for 30mins as per the recipe.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Sam.
 
Hi All,

Hopefully I have posted in the right area on the forum.

I have just started to move away from doing the basic kit recipes into using grain to enhance my brews. I completed my first brew the other day using Carapils Malt (am also aware that you can also steep Carapils) and I found that keeping a constant 65C on the stove using a saucepan rather painful and difficult. My method was to heat the required water to 70C and then turn the heat on low when required.


The next brew that I plan on putting down using grain uses both Pilsener Malt and Wheat Malt. As I want to keep as close to 65C when using these grains I have heard of people heating up the water in the saucepan to 70C, dropping the grain in (I will be using a grain bag) and then sticking the saucepan in an oven that has been heated to mash temperature.

Has anyone used this method before? If so is it better to heat the oven up to mash temp and then turn it off? My oven goes as low as 50C.

My only concern is that the oven temp may not be exact and heat the grain too much.

I will be mashing this grain for 30mins as per the recipe.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Sam.

If you are just using the Carapils in conjunction with a kit, or extract type brew, then i wouldn't worry so much about the temp - within reason.

Carapils can be steeped, and as such, anywhere from maybe 65-70 will do the job. Mashing Carapils with some base malt as part of an All Grain recipe requires more rigid temp control.

I still don't think i fully understand the difference between steeping and mashing, but my very vague understanding is that steeping is just soaking to remove the flavour and colour from already modified grains. Mashing is the actual conversion process of enzymes and that the use of a grain with some degree of diastatic power (base malt) is required to make this happen.

The basic procedure, (putting grain in water at specific temps) is the same, but what happens in the process is not necessarily the same thing...

Tricky, and as i said, i'm not fully across the differences, so happy to be corrected by a more technical more brewer than me.

The way you're post reads to me initially, is that you created a brew just with carapils...not sure if that's what you did though.

If you did, i would'nt have thought it was a good idea for a number of reasons.
 
I steep my grains in a thermos . Hold the temp for a hour if needed. No good for big lots but OK for 200g and a 2 litre one 400g or so..


Cheers.
 
A rice cooker can often be a great bit of equipment if you are getting into grain. The keep hot setting tends to keep it at about 68* (on the ones I've tried) and you can often flick a switch to add more heat and bring it to the boil (once the grain is out).
 
HOw much grain will you be using? I fin that the more grain the more thermal mass it has so its less likely to lose as much heat.

If it were me id just get the grains to temp, put a lid on your pot and wrap in a little blanket. Make sure you let it sit for an hour. Mashing for 30mins may result in improper conversion of your sugars. 30mins is fine when only using crystal malts as the sugar has already been converted. Even if you lose a few degrees the beer will be a massive improvement on knk.

To calculate the strike temp (temp of water just before adding grain) download a program called brewmate. Its free and will be invaluable to you. In brew mate you have a list of calculators. One of those calulators allows you to work out your strike temp. You put in the amount of water, the amount of grain (and the temp of the grain) and it will workit out for you. Too easy.
 
HOw much grain will you be using? I fin that the more grain the more thermal mass it has so its less likely to lose as much heat.

If it were me id just get the grains to temp, put a lid on your pot and wrap in a little blanket. Make sure you let it sit for an hour. Mashing for 30mins may result in improper conversion of your sugars. 30mins is fine when only using crystal malts as the sugar has already been converted. Even if you lose a few degrees the beer will be a massive improvement on knk.

To calculate the strike temp (temp of water just before adding grain) download a program called brewmate. Its free and will be invaluable to you. In brew mate you have a list of calculators. One of those calulators allows you to work out your strike temp. You put in the amount of water, the amount of grain (and the temp of the grain) and it will workit out for you. Too easy.

Hi,

The biggest amount of grain I am adding is 300g at the moment. The Carapils is 250g and as suggested before I am not too worried about the temp (as long as I don't go above 80C)....but for the Pilsener and Wheat Malt I would like to keep it at 65C. (150g Pilsener/150g Wheat).
 
In answer to your question I have used the oven to keep temperature when steeping grains 300g max but with steeping not really critical. Not sure how accurate the oven thermostat is at lower settings but should be close enough easy enough to stick a thermometer in every 20mins or so to check. If you are only steeping for 30 mins or so you should be fine switching off after reaching oven temperature. As in the BIAB for 30 bucks thread just wrapping the pot on the stove with a thick towel should be ample for your needs the oven method may be better but not really necessary.

NB trick for getting steeping water to 70C use 2/3rds boiling water to 1/3rd cold tapwater adding the grain drops to around 65C saves mucking about with brew calculators. May not be good enough for mashing but dead easy for steeping.

From what you say you are only doing partials with the main part being from extract.
 
I've got a 9 litre Esky drink cooler from Bunnings. Even came with a tap in the bottom.

Very easy and keeps the grain at almost constant temp ( within 2 deg C ) fo well over an hour.

I just put the full grain bag in, add about 1/2 litre cold water, gradually fill with boiling water to the required level, clamp down the lid and go and mow the lawn or other chores. Come back an hour later to beautiful wort ready for sparging.

I've used up to 2 kg of grain ( total volume about 7-8 litres ) I reckon it could do 2.5kg ok.

Great for a decent partial, 2 of these would do a standard AG.
 
Hi All,

Hopefully I have posted in the right area on the forum.

I have just started to move away from doing the basic kit recipes into using grain to enhance my brews. I completed my first brew the other day using Carapils Malt (am also aware that you can also steep Carapils) and I found that keeping a constant 65C on the stove using a saucepan rather painful and difficult. My method was to heat the required water to 70C and then turn the heat on low when required.


The next brew that I plan on putting down using grain uses both Pilsener Malt and Wheat Malt. As I want to keep as close to 65C when using these grains I have heard of people heating up the water in the saucepan to 70C, dropping the grain in (I will be using a grain bag) and then sticking the saucepan in an oven that has been heated to mash temperature.

Has anyone used this method before? If so is it better to heat the oven up to mash temp and then turn it off? My oven goes as low as 50C.

My only concern is that the oven temp may not be exact and heat the grain too much.

I will be mashing this grain for 30mins as per the recipe.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Sam.


The last 5 or so brews I've done at home has been using the oven.
I mash 3kg+ of grain in 8-9L of water for my partial 55L batches. I use a 20L SS stockpot
I get the mash temp right on the stove 1st then transfer into a preheated oven. I set mine to 70C and stir every 15mins & check the heat.
Bang on 67-68C every time.
Works a treat!
:icon_cheers:
PS I like the rice cooker idea! - Might try and rig a big pot onto mine. They only cost $10-$15 bucks at K-mart/Big W etc...
 
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