Heat loss

[Backwoodsbrewing]

I have been all grain brewing for about a year now. And with a few minor exceptions the beer I have made so far has been pretty good. I have been brewing with a gravity feed hot liquor tank. I tend to lose about ten degrees of heat from my hot liquor tank through attached hose to my mash tun. In turn I have been heating strike water and sparge water ten degrees hotter. So I have the proper temperatures to brew with. Is this everyone's experience. Theoretically it makes sense water is going to cool. It was just aggravating yesterday because when I transferred my strike water to my tun. I forgot to heat it ten degrees higher and had to do it over

 

[Derek1985]

I have been all grain brewing for about a year now. And with a few minor exceptions the beer I have made so far has been pretty good. I have been brewing with a gravity feed hot liquor tank. I tend to lose about ten degrees of heat from my hot liquor tank through attached hose to my mash tun. In turn I have been heating strike water and sparge water ten degrees hotter. So I have the proper temperatures to brew with. Is this everyone's experience. Theoretically it makes sense water is going to cool. It was just aggravating yesterday because when I transferred my strike water to my tun. I forgot to heat it ten degrees higher and had to do it over

How long is your hose? Your losing 10 degrees through a single hose to your tun? How long does this take to happen?

 

[ram5ey]

What is a general strike water temp for your system?

 

[Natdavis777]

Are you pre-heating the MLT as well? Without pre-heating the MLT, or setting the thermal mass to 0 (for water temp calc in BeerSmith), then you will lose some additional heat from the strike water, thus resulting in lower than desired temp.

I transfer my water to my MLT around 170F. I expect to lose a degree or two through the pump or hose. Once in my MLT, I put on my reflectix wrap, add my mash mineral additions/lactic acid/etc, and stir the water for a few min. The MLT will absorb some heat as well, and the last few degrees are dropped by my stirring alone. This allows me to dough in at my desired strike temp and only lose 1 degree/hr.

Its easiest to transer warmer water than needed as its easier and more convenient to remove the heat opposed to adding it.

 

[Backwoodsbrewing]

How long is your hose? Your losing 10 degrees through a single hose to your tun? How long does this take to happen?

I am using a ten foot silicone hose and losing ten degrees in an cold mash tun. Typically I heat my strike water to 178 degrees and is 168 by the time it it fills the tun with a typical amount of strike water. I usually stir it till it drops to to 165. Most of the mashing I have done has been with approximately the same amounts of grain. Yielding me a mash temp of around 155.depending on what Beer smith dictates. I could reduce my temperature by a degree or two. If I preheat my tun I just don't see the point in pre heating dumping. And refilling with strike water. But in a cold mash tun yup I lose ten degrees from hlt to mash tun or if I am fly sparking

 

[Backwoodsbrewing]

Are you pre-heating the MLT as well? Without pre-heating the MLT, or setting the thermal mass to 0 (for water temp calc in BeerSmith), then you will lose some additional heat from the strike water, thus resulting in lower than desired temp.

I transfer my water to my MLT around 170F. I expect to lose a degree or two through the pump or hose. Once in my MLT, I put on my reflectix wrap, add my mash mineral additions/lactic acid/etc, and stir the water for a few min. The MLT will absorb some heat as well, and the last few degrees are dropped by my stirring alone. This allows me to dough in at my desired strike temp and only lose 1 degree/hr.

Its easiest to transer warmer water than needed as its easier and more convenient to remove the heat opposed to adding it.

I do pre heat. I have never checked my strike water in a heated tun. I have checked the temperature of my sparge water in a heated tun and I lose ten degrees while sparging as well. My numbers come out dead on for the most part as long as I remember to heat ten degrees over.