Stirring The Mash.

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He states that stirring the mash after dough-in is undoing the clarification the recirculation of the wort gives you.

Jovial Monk
 
I've read someone else suggest that over stirring can collapse the mash structure too much (ie you stir out all the air) making a compacted grain bed andstuck sparge more likely. I don't know if that's true or not.
 
Kai said:
I've read someone else suggest that over stirring can collapse the mash structure too much (ie you stir out all the air) making a compacted grain bed andstuck sparge more likely. I don't know if that's true or not.
[post="55085"][/post]​


But don't breweries stir the mash constantly?

Batz
 
Batz said:
Kai said:
I've read someone else suggest that over stirring can collapse the mash structure too much (ie you stir out all the air) making a compacted grain bed andstuck sparge more likely. I don't know if that's true or not.
[post="55085"][/post]​


But don't breweries stir the mash constantly?

Bayz
[post="55087"][/post]​
Most of the UK micros I've spoken to in sufficient detail to know don't stir their mash much. In fact, they don't have the ability to do so.
 
The main reason to stir the mash is to ensure even heat distribution and preventing hold/cold pockets in the mash.

There are others that say the mash should float on the surface of the mash liquor and to do that it needs the air retained, so the mash isn't stirred.
Do a google on "floating mash"

Cheers
Pedro
 
Well I am in the proccess , or will be again after my move

To fit a windscreen wiper motor and timer , stir the mash at preset intervals

Sounds good to me anyway

Batz :ph34r:
 
I thought the large breweries used "rakes" to stir the mash rather than paddles
 
I had the same idea as batz, to fit a wiper to do the stirring. I dont really have a problem with stirring. I can understand how the clarity would drop off due to stirring, but i figure this will clear up later in the boil, and later again during fermentation.

On the other hand, if i dont stir, then the middle of the mash ends up @ 66 degC and the outside edges @ 63 degC. Or maybe that doesnt matter either as there will be an averaging of alpha & beta amylase.

I really can't decide which is best. There's just too many opions to listen to. Make up your own mind i guess.


still confused :blink:

vlbaby.
 
Darren

The rakes are used more in the lautering process to break open the surface of the grain. Kunze shows blades like a fan blade on the bottom of a mash tun and in another. large plates at 45 degrees that are rotated to stir the mash.

Cheers
Pedro
 
The bloke/brewer in the article in question does only make comment on the clarity of the wort as why not to stir.
Generally though if you find someone mentioning not to stir a single infusion mash it relates to what some brewers here already mentioned and that is many brewers don't want to set the mash they indeed want it to be 'floating'.
I don't think its of a great deal importance to us either way and I haven't seen much reference to the need for us to insure we have 'floating' mashes when doing small scale brewing. Iam not saying there aren't any bennifits eitherway, just it doesn't seem to be of a concern eitherway even amoung the best home brewers in the world.
I don't think theres many big breweries that stir the actuall mash as it is hydrated on its way to the tun and no need for it to be mixed for any reason during the mashing.
It is generally in the lauter tun after mashing that they imploy rakes and mixing.
Of course there are thousands of exception to this and i have seen many mash tuns with build in mixing rakes, most of these systems would simply be to insure proper grist hydration (no dough balls etc) at the begining, not for contiually mixing of the mash.
The mash in many breweries will also be mixed to insure a good ratio of water and grist is pumped to the lauter tun from the mash tun.
Anyway what this all comes down to is the mash may be mixed for many reasons but generally during the 'rest' it is not ussually common to mix it at all.
Eitherway don't be to fussed about it as all this guy is talking about is reversing the work your already done by recycling it.
My take on a normal single infusion at home is stir or don't stir it doesn't really matter.

Jayse

EDIT, looks like petridishington got the comment in 'the mixing is in the lauter tun' while i was typing away.
 
Mash tun with a stirrer I was thinking about

Batz
 
there's a big gap between the upper and lower blades batz. Do you reckon it would stir it up enough?
 
It's not mine !

Just an idea ;)

Batz
 
Then if you look bottom blades push the mash up , top blades push the mash down

I was thinking just a very gentle mix

Batz
 
I havent seen anyone thats done it, but i have been toying with the idea of making a stirrer out of copper tubing, similar to a mash tun manifold without the slots. Then pumping boiling water from the hlt through it to inject heat as well as stir.

But its just an idea in my head at the moment.


vlbaby.
 
vlbaby said:
I havent seen anyone thats done it, but i have been toying with the idea of making a stirrer out of copper tubing, similar to a mash tun manifold without the slots. Then pumping boiling water from the hlt through it to inject heat as well as stir.

But its just an idea in my head at the moment.


vlbaby.
[post="55157"][/post]​

And a good one too
I like it ! :beerbang:

Batz
 
crank it up to 500rpm plus batz.im sure bottom will meet top or visa versa. :p
 
big d said:
crank it up to 500rpm plus batz.im sure bottom will meet top or visa versa. :p
[post="55166"][/post]​


And put a NASA under it for that extra step mash :)


By the way a large proportion of all grain home brewers batch sparge anyway so it is not an issue stiriring the mash. It is required.

When I step mash I'm mucking about with the mash for hours -- but then I do admit to having a problem :)

Steve
 
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