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I have recently been recruited as a brewer at a small local brewery. The equipment is very basic. The previous brewer was doing extract only although he had purchased a "mash tun". This mash tun has no heat control. Its stainless vessel with a lid and false bottom. Can anyone offer any advise on mashing this way? Can it be done consistently with decent efficiency? Thank you.
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Do I understand correctly that the MT has no insulation?
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yes, it's insulated as it is double walled stainless. I guess Ill have to wait to see how it holds temp over time.Comment
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You're talking about a single step infusion mash. It's done all the time. What's your question?Comment
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Maybe you should stick to the extract... Just kidding.
I have a 20 bbl mash tun with no "heat control" or rakes, so it is just like mashing in a plastic bucket, but larger (single step infusion). Truth be told, I had more temperature control on my 1/2 bbl Sabco Brew-magic than I do my 20 bbl Specific Mechanical system, but now I can make a hell of a lot more beer at one time. Just Pre-heat the vessel, do the math, and take temp readings throughout the dough-in so that you can make adjustments if necessary.Last edited by fa50driver; 11-17-2010, 10:48 PM.Comment
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and stir until it hurts, and then some.Joel Halbleib
Partner / Zymurgist
Hive and Barrel Meadery
6302 Old La Grange Rd
Crestwood, KY
www.hiveandbarrel.comComment
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True that! And if you don't have a grist hydrator prepare for a grain dust sauna... You will find that steam is a great carrier of grain dust, so develop a good technique for gently pouring your grain or you will be cleaning dust off from EVERYTHING in your brewery after every brew.Comment
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This may be the one time I openly disagree with Joel.
Do not stir until it hurts. An infusion mash will float and make separation easier if you don't stir the hell out of it.
When mashing in, stir just enough to get the grist hydrated and reach your target L:G ratio. After the initial mash rest, try not to knock out any entrained air from the mash, since this will cause your mash to drop sooner than it would on it's own and bind the screens making it harder to separate the wort.
Having mashed in the way you're about to for 3 years plus, all I can say is get yourself a good dust mask and be prepared to clean your brewhouse after every mash in.
See here:
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Foundation water
Don't forget to lay about an inch of foundation water over the screens or your bed will absolutely compact. Also, curious how everyone is measuring temp given that you don't want to overstir. We use a probe inside a copper wand figuring that it somewhat averages out the temp variations (from top of bed to bottom) due to to the length of the wand.Comment
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Went back and re-read your post. The Tun has a lid and false bottom? No top manway, no side manway, just a lid?
Are you going to have to scoop the spent grains out of the tun?
What size batches are you going to be making?
Either way, after you get the operational bugs worked out; contact a local brew club to see if there are any members who would like some commercial brewing experience. You'll appreciate the help.Comment
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Mash
Originally posted by rudge75
This is my mash tun!(above link) Minus the awesome sparge arm.
Why does It go into a "grant" while its being recirculated? Mainly what is the purpose of the "Grant". I'm assuming it is for collecting sediment? Is a sparge arm like that purchased or custom fabricated?
I m guessing L:G ratio around 3:1? So stir only when hydrating grain? ballpark strike temps? Do you add boiling water at any time during mash to regulate/raise the temp?
I'd appreciate your suggestions. I really want to overcome my limits of extract/ partial mash with the equipment I have. I apologize for the dumb questions.Last edited by loujitsu82; 11-18-2010, 09:54 PM.Comment
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Someone in my past told me the only dumb question is the one you didn't ask!
That is a nice set-up at Bush Wakker! http://www.bushwakker.com/pdfz/brewerytour.pdf
Wish I was there!!
Happy Mashing!!
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The "grant" is basically a collection bucket for wort from the mash tun. The wort runs into the grant by gravity. Then you pump the wort from the grant over into the brew kettle. This will really really help you not stick the mash. If you pump directly from the bottom of the mash tun, you run the risk of sucking down the entire grain bed and sticking the mash. Which will pretty much make the rest of your brewday suck!
As far as strike temps go, it really depends on the temperature of your mash tun prior to mashing in, and the temperature of your grain at mash in. If you pre-heat the mash tun, and your grain is at room temperature, you'll probably want strike water to be 10-12 degrees above your desired mash temperature.
I would avoid adding boiling water to the mash tun if at all possible. Any water over 172 is going to start to extract tannins from the grain husk. Not good times.
You'll probably need to fill your mash tun with water (at 150-154) and monitor the temperature for an hour or two to get an idea of you effectively your mash tun holds its temperature. If it's insulated then it will probably do a better job at holding temp then you might think.Hutch Kugeman
Head Brewer
Brooklyn Brewery at the Culinary Institute of America
Hyde Park, NYComment
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What he said.Originally posted by kugemanComment
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I worked on a 7 bbl Peter Austin system designed by Alan Pugsley for years. The mash tum was very similar. It had a two piece lid and a middle section with two pins to hold it in place across the middle and a lip for the lids to sit on. This middle piece had a connection threaded through it with a sparage arm which was no more than a piece of hard tubing (PVC). Holes were drilled in it at an angle so the water pressure would make it spin.
Oh yeah, there was no manway so I had to stand on a step and shovel out the mash over the top and into bags
Thanks Alan
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