What do you do during the mash?

[Rehlgood]

Prep, clean, sanitize, organize, drink homebrew and read.

 

[NuclearRich]

I usually get other stuff ready. Relax a little. Gotta keep the brewday in line and organized

 

[william_shakes_beer]

Usually bottle a batch...

+1
Hey, no fair you got there before me!!!

 

[duckredbeard]

I usually get other stuff ready. Relax a little. Gotta keep the brewday in line and organized

+1 on that. I find myself pacing wondering if there is something I should be doing that I'm not already doing. Even though my brew day log works like a checklist, I still feel like I'm forgetting something.

And for some reason I detest cleaning a carboy on brew day. Nevermind doing anything that puts a dirty carboy in my hand when I'm brewing.

 

[NuclearRich]

+1 on that. I find myself pacing wondering if there is something I should be doing that I'm not already doing. Even though my brew day log works like a checklist, I still feel like I'm forgetting something.

And for some reason I detest cleaning a carboy on brew day. Nevermind doing anything that puts a dirty carboy in my hand when I'm brewing.

Yeah I dont like to muck up my schedule too much. Brew day is brew day and only brew day if I can help it. Keeps me focused.

 

[permo]

Alot of the times I sleep. (Overnight mash)

 

[Stauffbier]

You can absolutely stir more often than just the beginning, many people do. I do, every 20 mins- I lose 1F to 2F over an hour and pick up 4-5 points in efficiency. I sometimes just let it sit, too.

I agree with this. I usually stir twice during the mash (after the initial stir during doughing in).. I don't lose too much heat. I just do a quick stir, and close it up fast. I like to make sure all the grains get a chance to swim in the deep end!

Also, I'm not at all married to a mash time. Sometimes I'll mash 60 mins, sometimes 90, and even sometimes 2 or 3 hours. It depends on the beer, how fast I want my brew day to go, and what shenanigans I'm getting in to during the mash...

 

[Bradzukie]

I usually hang out with the kids and take them four wheeling, but if they are with their grandmother I usually pace around checking the timer every other minute. I have in the past mowed the yard and cleaned the garage during the mash. Then I found that to be something the wife expected so I try to look busy without doing anything when she checks on me.

 

[DPBISME]

Clean... mostly my fermentors, tubiung and such... I do not clean before hand... I get the mash and biol going and then I work on all the other stuff that needs to be done... if I cleaned everything before I start it would take all day...

 

[Rehlgood]

Drink a beer and smoke a cigar.

This. I meant to say this.

 

[HokieBrewer]

I usually brew two batches on my brew days, so when the first is mashing, I'm heating up strike water and prepping for the second mash.

 

[mudarra]

I start my brew days early. So I take a shower and eat breakfast during the mash.

 

[garcara]

Monstar that goes against everything I have read and heard. I have always seen that you are supposed to stir the mash in order to break up dough balls.

Only when you're putting the grain in, otherwise you just let it sit. Especially if using a cooler as a mash tun, you don't want to be opening it so it holds temp better. Dough balls only (I believe) form when you don't stir as you're pouring the grains in.

 

[Brulosopher]

Only when you're putting the grain in, otherwise you just let it sit. Especially if using a cooler as a mash tun, you don't want to be opening it so it holds temp better. Dough balls only (I believe) form when you don't stir as you're pouring the grains in.

Efficiency will increase the more you stir... throughout the mash.

 

[HawksBrewer]

My bro-in-law and I always have a homebrew or two and play some NHL 2012 during the mash. At about 20 min/game it is the perfect timing to stir like a banshee and pour a refill.

 

[RainyDay]

Only when you're putting the grain in, otherwise you just let it sit. Especially if using a cooler as a mash tun, you don't want to be opening it so it holds temp better. Dough balls only (I believe) form when you don't stir as you're pouring the grains in.

Having a higher qt/lb ratio works well for me too.

 

[RainyDay]

Oh, and I do all the boil prep work, make sure I have my mies en plas in place, and start thinking about sanitizing. Also have a beer, check the net, and look over at the timer every couple of minutes hoping its soup...

 

[Piratwolf]

I usually heat strike water for batch #2 during the first mash, and clean/sanitize or bottle/keg during #2. One single brew days, I crack a cold, delicious beer

 

[MacGruber]

Get everything else ready and try to slow my buddies down from getting too ripped too quickly.