MLT mashing-in times.

[kererubrewing]

I'm in the process of planning for a larger brewery. Presently I've been brewing on a 1BBL (120L) pilot-plant and nearing my first century-brew since being licensed 18 months ago. I've been underletting my MLT for mashing-in and since starting this practice there have not been any more dough-balls and my shoulder is no longer ready to fall apart afterwards. And it takes all of 10 minutes with the use of a small pump. I start my mash clock once I've hit my target temperature which is usually just at the end of mashing-in.

As I've been going along. talking with other brewers, making inquiries and reading a number of different texts I've found that mashing-in can take a long time on a larger system.

I've seen it take an hour plus to mash-in using the sparge ring to fill a 1200L MTL. I've heard that a couple of suppliers use a grist-case and auger system to mash-in over half an hour or so. One of these suppliers has stated that they use the same auger on 10-20BBL systems so mashing in could take up to an hour.

My financing will determine if I go with a 10BBL or 20BBL system. Do other readers of this forum use underletting to fill their MLT when they mash-in? Does anyone else use a pre-masher on a 10-20BBL system? Do you start your mash clock when you commence filling or after its fully charged?

I'm sure there will be many other questions and I look forward to your replies. Thanks for your consideration.

Regards,
Chris

[kabrewku]

In the two breweries (8BBL and 10BBL) that I've worked in with a conventional Mash Tun, we've always underlet a couple of inches over the screens and then switched the hot water to our grist hydrator when we started dropping grain in. Using this method we'd mash in at around 30 mins.

That being said my current brewery doesn't have a grist hydrator and we just fill the tun up with the calculated water and slowly stir the grain in. Doing a 7BBL mash this way we try to target 30 mins.

[grassrootsvt]

Mash Times

Without Hydration:
12HL Mash: 20 minutes. Tops.

With Hydration Ring/Auger/Etc:
25HL Mash: Underlet. Water above v-wire. 15 minutes for a 12º to 14º Plato Mash. 20º+ can take 30 to 40 minutes.

[barleyfreak]

kabrewku -- using the mashing in to measured water approach on your 7bbl, are you having any problems with that? What temp is the measured water before mashing in? Do you have problems with the temp being so high initially during the early part of your mash-in?

thx,
dave