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Missing the Mash Temp Target

grahambayley

Apprentice
Joined
Sep 18, 2018
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Location
Melbourne, Australia
Hi All

My Second Brew, turned out quite well with some more lessons learned and to be leaarned next time ;)

My Question: Ive attached my Equipment profile for the brew, I missed the Steep Temperature by aprox 3 Deg C.

Mash (Adjust for Temps selected) target 64 Deg:
6.41 Kg Grains @ 17 Deg C
Mash Tun @ 10 Deg C
21.25 L of water at 73 deg C

Temperature reached ~61.5 Deg C

Why didn't I hit the Step Temp ?

Thanks all
 

Attachments

  • Grahams 23 L Equipment.bsmx
    1.7 KB · Views: 185
Using the information you provided, I would open up your recipe (or a copy if you want to keep it from getting accidentally saved over your brew session).  Go to the mash tab and edit the mash profile to set the temperature to your actual realized value.  Now go back to the design tab and edit the equipment profile.  You can change either the weight of your mash tun or the specific heat value up to increase the thermal demand of your equipment.  Save and check the mash tab for the effect on the strike temp.  Repeat as needed until your strike temperature matches your actual value to reach your actual (now target) mash temperature.

You can then save the equipment profile by clicking on the disk icon next to the equipment profile selection on the design page.  You will need to update any recipes already written using that profile with your new version.
 
Thanks Oginme,

I was assuming it was thermal properties related, im guessing there is a scientific way to measure the losses  of the Tun, but then i'd also need to calibrate out the hoses, pump, etc.

Thanks for the advice, will adjust and make the change of 3 Deg, then monitor and adjust over the next brews

Cheers

Graham
 
You can calculate the temperature loss if you have a good thermodynamics or unit operations text handy.  I have found that most people (like almost all) can more easily get to a suitable answer through the software modeling.

The specific heats given in the software as a guide are pretty close ball parks for the materials they represent.  Unfortunately for most of us, our mash tuns are rarely composed of one type of material, so adjustments need to be made.  For me, I went through the calculations for my Gott cooler and stainless and brass fittings years ago, but it is a real pain.  In the end, I still needed to tweak the numbers a bit to get it right on target every time. 

In general, it is easier to make small changes by adjusting the weight of the mash tun and gross changes by manipulating the specific heat.

Best of luck!

 
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