Truman42
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- 31/7/11
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Gday Gents,
I just want to run my mash procedures by you to see if Im doing it right or if I could improve on my current procedures. Im getting around 65-70% on average gravity brews of around 1.050 start gravity.
I use a 3V system with a herms coil
1. Heat water in HLT to strike temp and drain to mash tun (keg with domed stainless mesh false bottom)
2. Dough in at a ratio of around 3:1 adding half the grain, stirring then adding the rest and stirring again.
3. Start pump which recirculates through the herms coil and back to the mash tun and Im using a T piece on the end of my hose with a loop of hose that has slots cut into it as my mash return.
4. Raise the temp on my herms to ramp up to the next step as per the recipe. (pump runs for the entire mash)
5. Raise to 75C for 10 min mash out then transfer to kettle until pump runs dry.
6. Add half of my sparge water at a temp of 82C. Stir for a few minutes then recirculate for 10 mins.
7. Transfer to kettle then repeat for second batch sparge.
8. Begin boil.
Ive been reading about stirring the grain at least a couple of times during the mash but seems to be done only with non recirculating systems such as BIAB etc.
I was advised not to bother stirring as im recirculating my wort, which will allow the enymes to move through the grains and convert the starches. Although Ive never had a stuck sparge, Ive considered that this recirculation for 90 mins might be compacting the grain bed and causing the enzymes to be "locked" in place so to speak and not be able to freely move around in the mash.
Obviously when I sparge and give it a stir Im freeing this up but as Ive already done a mash out wouldn't I only be freeing up sugars already converted and thus ending up with a lot of starch that wasn't able to be converted by the enzymes?
So would a stir of the mash at regular intervals, (say each time I ramp up) be beneficial? Do other herms brewers here stir their mash at all? Have you noticed a difference in efficiency compared to if you havent stirred?
Yes I could do this in my next brew as an experiment but would like to know if others have done this and what their findings were.
If I did my last stirring while ramping up to a mash out step the ten minute mash out should be enough recirculation to filter the wort through the grain bed as it is during my sparge steps.
(Yes I searched and most posts related to stirring BIAB or non recirculation mash, didnt find anything on stirring a herms or rims mash)
Thanks in advance gents for those willing to offer some good helpful advice.
I just want to run my mash procedures by you to see if Im doing it right or if I could improve on my current procedures. Im getting around 65-70% on average gravity brews of around 1.050 start gravity.
I use a 3V system with a herms coil
1. Heat water in HLT to strike temp and drain to mash tun (keg with domed stainless mesh false bottom)
2. Dough in at a ratio of around 3:1 adding half the grain, stirring then adding the rest and stirring again.
3. Start pump which recirculates through the herms coil and back to the mash tun and Im using a T piece on the end of my hose with a loop of hose that has slots cut into it as my mash return.
4. Raise the temp on my herms to ramp up to the next step as per the recipe. (pump runs for the entire mash)
5. Raise to 75C for 10 min mash out then transfer to kettle until pump runs dry.
6. Add half of my sparge water at a temp of 82C. Stir for a few minutes then recirculate for 10 mins.
7. Transfer to kettle then repeat for second batch sparge.
8. Begin boil.
Ive been reading about stirring the grain at least a couple of times during the mash but seems to be done only with non recirculating systems such as BIAB etc.
I was advised not to bother stirring as im recirculating my wort, which will allow the enymes to move through the grains and convert the starches. Although Ive never had a stuck sparge, Ive considered that this recirculation for 90 mins might be compacting the grain bed and causing the enzymes to be "locked" in place so to speak and not be able to freely move around in the mash.
Obviously when I sparge and give it a stir Im freeing this up but as Ive already done a mash out wouldn't I only be freeing up sugars already converted and thus ending up with a lot of starch that wasn't able to be converted by the enzymes?
So would a stir of the mash at regular intervals, (say each time I ramp up) be beneficial? Do other herms brewers here stir their mash at all? Have you noticed a difference in efficiency compared to if you havent stirred?
Yes I could do this in my next brew as an experiment but would like to know if others have done this and what their findings were.
If I did my last stirring while ramping up to a mash out step the ten minute mash out should be enough recirculation to filter the wort through the grain bed as it is during my sparge steps.
(Yes I searched and most posts related to stirring BIAB or non recirculation mash, didnt find anything on stirring a herms or rims mash)
Thanks in advance gents for those willing to offer some good helpful advice.