Mashing question

[fisherman]

Hello,
I mash in a coolbox I preheat the box I then heat the mash liquor to 77oc then drop all 11 litres through a tube into the mash tun having thrown away the preheat water.I stir well and see the temp at 72oc. I then over aperiod of 2mins empty the enamel bowl of grain while stirring I have no dry spots this way. this settles at 65oc to 67oc. I am so used to doing it this way do you think I am wrong to empty all the liquor at one go could it possibly shock the grain in any way? please advise.

 

[Mark1964]

No its fine we put the water in the mash tun first then add the grain to avoid dry spots :thumb:

 

[Dieseljockey]

No problem..one way or t'other they've got to come together.. :pray: just hit that temp right. :thumb:

 

[evanvine]

Your method is the easiest and most efficient way, don't change. :thumb:

 

[Sean_Mc]

I do it both ways :lol:

I have a little calculator on ipod that takes into account for grain temp, brew length etc and I'm usually pretty usually bang on with my desired mash temp

 

[fisherman]

Thanks to you all as usual, My beer now seems great. I had heard of people mixing a little liquor with grain bit by bit quite frightened me. I am stuck in my ways I am very pleased you agree I shall carry on. I am throwing loads of beer away I had been over sparging tannins into the boiler. Very sharp. So I have my liquor right, mashing and sparging. What next?
Again thanks for your help.

 

[dennisking]

I put water in 1st for years [about 30], but for the last few years have been underletting and find it a lot better.

 

[Aleman]

I underlet here as well. So simple and no grain balls and very little stirring to get an even porridge and mash temperature

 

[fisherman]

Hi lads. I must sound ignorant but what is the process to underlet in a coolbox mashtun. Could you please inform me? cheers

 

[Aleman]

Hi lads. I must sound ignorant but what is the process to underlet in a coolbox mashtun. Could you please inform me? cheers

You put the grain in the tun, then attach a tube to the outlet of the tun and let the water in through that coming up under the grain. Once all the water is in a 10 second stir and all is done.

 

[Mark1964]

Can that method be used without a pump??

 

[Aleman]

Can that method be used without a pump??

Yep . . . Can use gravity to do it . . . I've even done it with the HLT and the Mash tun on the same level . . .but it was a tall HLT and a squat mash tun

 

[Mark1964]

I will try that method next weekend when we brew again :thumb: :

 

[robsan77]

:hmm: never heard of it but now it looks like I'll be trying this next time too.

 

[dennisking]

Like Aleman says I use gravity and every time I brew I kick my self thinking of all the years I brewed without trying it out. It is so much easier, get a better mix and more constant temperature throughout the tun.

 

[Vindiv8]

:hmm: never heard of it but now it looks like I'll be trying this next time too.

Yeah, this has passed me by also. Having a brew day on Saturday. I am going to give it a go. Might have to buy (yet) another flexi tap connector to give me the length of pipe, but that's all. Just can't decide what to brew....

 

[fisherman]

:drink: Aleman what temperature do you drop the liquor in from the HLT for underletting. For a normal mash I drop via a tube at 77oc and wait for 72oc in the tun before adding the malt. Cheers

 

[BigYin]

I wouldn't have thought the 'strike temp' would be any different - but I could be wrong!!! :hmm:

 

[Aleman]

With my tuns, and preheated malt (stuck in the airing cupboard overnight) I actually mash in at around 72C and get the correct mash temp . . . Different mash tuns respond differently. I use the strike heat calculator in Promash to determine what strike temp to use for the grain temp I have . . .it's normally pretty much spot on for my set up, although with the HERMS its not that much of a worry for me.

 

[dennisking]

My strike temp. is exactly the same since starting underleting.