Source
r/Homebrewing•
chemistree

Mash too high, can I just wait?

I dont think the temp had evened out in my mash tun on my first temp reading despite mixing before. I came in low at 150 (target 153), so I added 4 cups of boiling water. after mixing that in i read 154, which i was fine with. Just took another reading 30 min in, and it's 160!

I'm assuming the temp had time to even out and I just didn't mix thoroughly before. I opened up the tun and stirred a bunch and got the temp down a few degrees. I don't want my beer to finish with a high FG, can I wait and extra half hour with the grain around 153 to get the starches to convert more to fermentable sugar?

I have about 20 min left of the original hour long mash.

Edit: Maybe I just need a new thermometer

Posted Sep 14, 2017, 7:06 PM UTC · edited

18
homebrewfinds•

I wouldn't worry about it too much. I'd just make sure and stir well next time. Over time, the temperature at the top of the mash (if it's well insulated) rises.

2
homebrewfinds•

I wouldn't worry about it too much. I'd just make sure and stir well next time. Over time, the temperature at the top of the mash (if it's well insulated) rises.

2
sloppystack•

It really shouldn't make too much of a difference on the final product (at least according to brulosophy, people can't really tell the difference)

In the future, if you hit below your target but are still in that 148-154 typical range, don't risk adjusting it and creating a bigger problem than you already have.

2
sloppystack•

It really shouldn't make too much of a difference on the final product (at least according to brulosophy, people can't really tell the difference)

In the future, if you hit below your target but are still in that 148-154 typical range, don't risk adjusting it and creating a bigger problem than you already have.

2
pr0methium•

You're likely going to end up with more conversion to unfermentable sugars than you wanted, because of the temperature being so high. I don't think that letting it sit for an extra amount of time at a lower temperature would convert those complex sugars into simple fermentable sugars. But, there was an exbeeriment lately that showed that many people can't really tell the difference even though your ABV might be off

1
chemistreeOP•

It might just be my thermometer actually. It read the temp under my tongue at 116, and I'm pretty sure I'm not dead, so I'll probably be getting a new one soon.

I guess I'll just RDWHAHB, and hope the temp was something near normal.

2
BPLU5•

I would suggest you get a thermopen. I never thought I would spend that much on a thermometer, but I feel that it was the best investment I've made in a piece of homebrew gear in the last few years.

1
Mtl-Mike•

Test it in a bowl of ice water (2/3 ice and 1/3 water) and test it boiling water. Should be bang on, if not, you know you have a problem.

1
pr0methium•

Yeah. It's interesting me how much we obsess about things because we have access to more information now. People made beer for a long time, and likely not bad beer, long before there was the ability to measure ph, gravity, etc. It might be that your beer ends up slightly off from what your calculations said it would be, but unless you have one of those brew days where you make mistake after mistake, you'll still end up with beer. And missing your mash temp by a bit won't ruin that. :) tl;dr RDWHAHB

1
BPLU5•

I would suggest you get a thermopen. I never thought I would spend that much on a thermometer, but I feel that it was the best investment I've made in a piece of homebrew gear in the last few years.

1
Mtl-Mike•

Test it in a bowl of ice water (2/3 ice and 1/3 water) and test it boiling water. Should be bang on, if not, you know you have a problem.

1
pr0methium•

Yeah. It's interesting me how much we obsess about things because we have access to more information now. People made beer for a long time, and likely not bad beer, long before there was the ability to measure ph, gravity, etc. It might be that your beer ends up slightly off from what your calculations said it would be, but unless you have one of those brew days where you make mistake after mistake, you'll still end up with beer. And missing your mash temp by a bit won't ruin that. :) tl;dr RDWHAHB

1
chemistreeOP•

It might just be my thermometer actually. It read the temp under my tongue at 116, and I'm pretty sure I'm not dead, so I'll probably be getting a new one soon.

I guess I'll just RDWHAHB, and hope the temp was something near normal.

2
BPLU5•

I would suggest you get a thermopen. I never thought I would spend that much on a thermometer, but I feel that it was the best investment I've made in a piece of homebrew gear in the last few years.

1
Mtl-Mike•

Test it in a bowl of ice water (2/3 ice and 1/3 water) and test it boiling water. Should be bang on, if not, you know you have a problem.

1
pr0methium•

Yeah. It's interesting me how much we obsess about things because we have access to more information now. People made beer for a long time, and likely not bad beer, long before there was the ability to measure ph, gravity, etc. It might be that your beer ends up slightly off from what your calculations said it would be, but unless you have one of those brew days where you make mistake after mistake, you'll still end up with beer. And missing your mash temp by a bit won't ruin that. :) tl;dr RDWHAHB

1
BPLU5•

I would suggest you get a thermopen. I never thought I would spend that much on a thermometer, but I feel that it was the best investment I've made in a piece of homebrew gear in the last few years.

1
Mtl-Mike•

Test it in a bowl of ice water (2/3 ice and 1/3 water) and test it boiling water. Should be bang on, if not, you know you have a problem.

1
pr0methium•

Yeah. It's interesting me how much we obsess about things because we have access to more information now. People made beer for a long time, and likely not bad beer, long before there was the ability to measure ph, gravity, etc. It might be that your beer ends up slightly off from what your calculations said it would be, but unless you have one of those brew days where you make mistake after mistake, you'll still end up with beer. And missing your mash temp by a bit won't ruin that. :) tl;dr RDWHAHB

1
chino_brewsKiwi Approved•

I think it would depend on the temp, time, pH, mash thickness, and ultimately how much beta-Amylase is still around. If the beta-Amylase is around it will keep saccharifying the less-/un- fermentable sugars into more-fermentable sugars (snipping off the ends of saccharide chains). In this case, if the mash was at 160°F for a while, then remaining beta-Amylase is probably very low.

1
chino_brewsKiwi Approved•

I think it would depend on the temp, time, pH, mash thickness, and ultimately how much beta-Amylase is still around. If the beta-Amylase is around it will keep saccharifying the less-/un- fermentable sugars into more-fermentable sugars (snipping off the ends of saccharide chains). In this case, if the mash was at 160°F for a while, then remaining beta-Amylase is probably very low.

1
pr0methium•

You're likely going to end up with more conversion to unfermentable sugars than you wanted, because of the temperature being so high. I don't think that letting it sit for an extra amount of time at a lower temperature would convert those complex sugars into simple fermentable sugars. But, there was an exbeeriment lately that showed that many people can't really tell the difference even though your ABV might be off

1
chemistreeOP•

It might just be my thermometer actually. It read the temp under my tongue at 116, and I'm pretty sure I'm not dead, so I'll probably be getting a new one soon.

I guess I'll just RDWHAHB, and hope the temp was something near normal.

2
BPLU5•

I would suggest you get a thermopen. I never thought I would spend that much on a thermometer, but I feel that it was the best investment I've made in a piece of homebrew gear in the last few years.

1
Mtl-Mike•

Test it in a bowl of ice water (2/3 ice and 1/3 water) and test it boiling water. Should be bang on, if not, you know you have a problem.

1
pr0methium•

Yeah. It's interesting me how much we obsess about things because we have access to more information now. People made beer for a long time, and likely not bad beer, long before there was the ability to measure ph, gravity, etc. It might be that your beer ends up slightly off from what your calculations said it would be, but unless you have one of those brew days where you make mistake after mistake, you'll still end up with beer. And missing your mash temp by a bit won't ruin that. :) tl;dr RDWHAHB

1
BPLU5•

I would suggest you get a thermopen. I never thought I would spend that much on a thermometer, but I feel that it was the best investment I've made in a piece of homebrew gear in the last few years.

1
Mtl-Mike•

Test it in a bowl of ice water (2/3 ice and 1/3 water) and test it boiling water. Should be bang on, if not, you know you have a problem.

1
pr0methium•

Yeah. It's interesting me how much we obsess about things because we have access to more information now. People made beer for a long time, and likely not bad beer, long before there was the ability to measure ph, gravity, etc. It might be that your beer ends up slightly off from what your calculations said it would be, but unless you have one of those brew days where you make mistake after mistake, you'll still end up with beer. And missing your mash temp by a bit won't ruin that. :) tl;dr RDWHAHB

1
chemistreeOP•

It might just be my thermometer actually. It read the temp under my tongue at 116, and I'm pretty sure I'm not dead, so I'll probably be getting a new one soon.

I guess I'll just RDWHAHB, and hope the temp was something near normal.

2
BPLU5•

I would suggest you get a thermopen. I never thought I would spend that much on a thermometer, but I feel that it was the best investment I've made in a piece of homebrew gear in the last few years.

1
Mtl-Mike•

Test it in a bowl of ice water (2/3 ice and 1/3 water) and test it boiling water. Should be bang on, if not, you know you have a problem.

1
pr0methium•

Yeah. It's interesting me how much we obsess about things because we have access to more information now. People made beer for a long time, and likely not bad beer, long before there was the ability to measure ph, gravity, etc. It might be that your beer ends up slightly off from what your calculations said it would be, but unless you have one of those brew days where you make mistake after mistake, you'll still end up with beer. And missing your mash temp by a bit won't ruin that. :) tl;dr RDWHAHB

1
BPLU5•

I would suggest you get a thermopen. I never thought I would spend that much on a thermometer, but I feel that it was the best investment I've made in a piece of homebrew gear in the last few years.

1
Mtl-Mike•

Test it in a bowl of ice water (2/3 ice and 1/3 water) and test it boiling water. Should be bang on, if not, you know you have a problem.

1
pr0methium•

Yeah. It's interesting me how much we obsess about things because we have access to more information now. People made beer for a long time, and likely not bad beer, long before there was the ability to measure ph, gravity, etc. It might be that your beer ends up slightly off from what your calculations said it would be, but unless you have one of those brew days where you make mistake after mistake, you'll still end up with beer. And missing your mash temp by a bit won't ruin that. :) tl;dr RDWHAHB

1
chino_brewsKiwi Approved•

I think it would depend on the temp, time, pH, mash thickness, and ultimately how much beta-Amylase is still around. If the beta-Amylase is around it will keep saccharifying the less-/un- fermentable sugars into more-fermentable sugars (snipping off the ends of saccharide chains). In this case, if the mash was at 160°F for a while, then remaining beta-Amylase is probably very low.

1
chino_brewsKiwi Approved•

I think it would depend on the temp, time, pH, mash thickness, and ultimately how much beta-Amylase is still around. If the beta-Amylase is around it will keep saccharifying the less-/un- fermentable sugars into more-fermentable sugars (snipping off the ends of saccharide chains). In this case, if the mash was at 160°F for a while, then remaining beta-Amylase is probably very low.

1