Step mashing question

[narl79]

I was going to try and do a step mash with a protein rest and then sac rest and I was wondering if I should stop recurculating and bring the heat up or continue pumping while I raise my temp.

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[NickL]

Can you give us a profile of your equipment?
Is this a HERMS system?

 

[narl79]

Yes. Igloo tun and 2 keggles with a pump.

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[jsmcclure]

I did my first step mash last weekend and that's what I did. Stopped circulating the mash while temp went up. Briefly recirculated if my mash temped started to drop. Seemed to work fine. I do the same thing at mashout

 

[BrewCrewKevin]

I think you'd have better luck recirculating. You'll have a better time monitoring temps, and they will be more consistent.

Otherwise you run the risk of heating the bottom more than the top and missing your temps.

 

[narl79]

Thats a good point.

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[Black Island Brewer]

I direct fire on my mash tun, and recirculate when I am raising temps so that I don't have to stir as much while I'm heating.

 

[narl79]

I have an igloo but I was wondering if I should still stop the pumps every so often and stir my mash or just leave it be. I use a bazooka screen but have a false bottom I can use. Any input

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[acidrain]

You could always add hot water to raise the temp...
Are you running a RIMS, and if so, what is the element size?

 

[narl79]

No I use a chiller 150 ft XL with pump and keggle. Herms I guess. I was just wondering since I use a screen (because I never get a stuck sparge that way) if while im recurculating if I should stop the pumps maybe twice while mashing as to not have a channeling problem or will recirculating act like sparging and just do it slowly. I batch sparge and have never used the false bottom I have so I dont know if that would be better than a screen for what im doing?

 

[DoWBrewer]

I added a Blichmann thermometer to my pump to monitor the temp as I recirc. You definitely want to recirculate while you are raising the temp. If you don't recirc. you will get uneven temps in your mash and scorching.

 

[narl79]

How did you add the thermometer to the pump. I have an extra blichman therm to do that. Do you have a pic?

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[narl79]

And assuming you use that temp as your mash temp and adjust the hlt tank to raise or lower when needed correst?

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[DoWBrewer]

How did you add the thermometer to the pump. I have an extra blichman therm to do that. Do you have a pic?

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Here are some pics. The probe is in the middle of the flow as it is pumped through.





I am planning on replacing all of the bronze with stainless in the future. Let me know if you need more info.

 

[DoWBrewer]

And assuming you use that temp as your mash temp and adjust the hlt tank to raise or lower when needed correst?

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I have a thermometer on my pump and on my mash tun. There is always a couple of degrees of difference. The pump is always higher because the wort is coming from the bottom of a direct fired kettle. I use the average for mash temps. I also like having the thermometer on the pump when I recirc through my plate chiller before filling my fermenters.

 

[narl79]

That is awesome man thanks for the pics you just solved my biggest headache lol. All I need is that t bar. Thanks again.

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