bfred805
Apprentice
Hello,
I have recently been trying to fine tune my All Grain system. I have slowly put together the pieces and now have a setup with the following tools:
- (MASH TUN) 10 Gallon Rubbermaid Orange Cooler with false bottom
- (HOT LIQUOR TANK) 10 Gallon Rubbermaid Orange Cooler
- Basic 5 Gallon Stainless Steel Pot for heating water
- (BOIL) 8 Gallon Stainless Steel Kettle
Currently, my technique is to heat just enough water in the basic 5 gal. stainless pot for the mash to the desired temp. I usually aim for about 15 deg. higher than my target temperature to accommodate for loss during transfer. Then, in the basic 5 gal. pot I will heat small amounts of water incrementally until the entire pot is boiling. I poor that water into the (Hot Liquor Tank) 10 Gallon Rubbermaid Orange Cooler. By the time this is ready, I am ready to step my mash up from a protein rest or B-amylase rest.
I use a 1.5:1 (water (qt):grain (lb)) ratio for the mash. When introducing a stepped mash to my process, I'm uncertain if this still holds true. Should I be starting the early steps of my mash with the 1.5:1 ratio and just adding more water as I step up? Is having too much water in the mash tun going to negatively impact my beer? Or should I use less water in the early steps (maybe a 1:1 ratio) so that my infusion mash (154 degrees) is stepped up to reach the desired ratio of 1.5:1? Maybe the answer lies in decoction mashing, but I would like to manage my brew day and not let time slip away.
I would appreciate any tips or recommended methods from the audience which utilizes a similar system either past or present. I have experienced an extreme inefficiency in my Mash where I continue to miss target temps by as much as 15 degrees, even when infusing boiling water. Inevitably I end up filling the entire Mash Tun trying to reach my target temperature. I would prefer to stick with a gravity fed system as it is much more economical and I know great beer can be made with it. I would just like to hear some tips on how to make my current system most efficient.
Thanks!
I have recently been trying to fine tune my All Grain system. I have slowly put together the pieces and now have a setup with the following tools:
- (MASH TUN) 10 Gallon Rubbermaid Orange Cooler with false bottom
- (HOT LIQUOR TANK) 10 Gallon Rubbermaid Orange Cooler
- Basic 5 Gallon Stainless Steel Pot for heating water
- (BOIL) 8 Gallon Stainless Steel Kettle
Currently, my technique is to heat just enough water in the basic 5 gal. stainless pot for the mash to the desired temp. I usually aim for about 15 deg. higher than my target temperature to accommodate for loss during transfer. Then, in the basic 5 gal. pot I will heat small amounts of water incrementally until the entire pot is boiling. I poor that water into the (Hot Liquor Tank) 10 Gallon Rubbermaid Orange Cooler. By the time this is ready, I am ready to step my mash up from a protein rest or B-amylase rest.
I use a 1.5:1 (water (qt):grain (lb)) ratio for the mash. When introducing a stepped mash to my process, I'm uncertain if this still holds true. Should I be starting the early steps of my mash with the 1.5:1 ratio and just adding more water as I step up? Is having too much water in the mash tun going to negatively impact my beer? Or should I use less water in the early steps (maybe a 1:1 ratio) so that my infusion mash (154 degrees) is stepped up to reach the desired ratio of 1.5:1? Maybe the answer lies in decoction mashing, but I would like to manage my brew day and not let time slip away.
I would appreciate any tips or recommended methods from the audience which utilizes a similar system either past or present. I have experienced an extreme inefficiency in my Mash where I continue to miss target temps by as much as 15 degrees, even when infusing boiling water. Inevitably I end up filling the entire Mash Tun trying to reach my target temperature. I would prefer to stick with a gravity fed system as it is much more economical and I know great beer can be made with it. I would just like to hear some tips on how to make my current system most efficient.
Thanks!