thermometers

[hoboscratch]

My design philosophy is to have as little equipment inside my MLT as possible, so thermowells are out for me (I hate the idea of having to avoid something when stirring my mash). Also, unless you have a heated MLT, what good is actively monitoring the temp? Once you dough-in, what can you really do about it? Whether you lose 1 degree over an hour or 10 degrees over an hour is irrelevant if there is not a meaningful control mechanism. I suppose the exception to this would be a RIMS or HERMS type of system where the temp data is used to control a pump/heater/valve.

Does anyone here monitor their mash temps regularly throughout the process?

Your two reasons are why I have never done it in my cooler. I have put much more consideration into getting a better boil kettle that I can install one in to measure the temp in my various waters.

[tompb]

My design philosophy is to have as little equipment inside my MLT as possible, so thermowells are out for me (I hate the idea of having to avoid something when stirring my mash). Also, unless you have a heated MLT, what good is actively monitoring the temp? Once you dough-in, what can you really do about it? Whether you lose 1 degree over an hour or 10 degrees over an hour is irrelevant if there is not a meaningful control mechanism. I suppose the exception to this would be a RIMS or HERMS type of system where the temp data is used to control a pump/heater/valve.

Does anyone here monitor their mash temps regularly throughout the process?

I have left my probe hanging in the mash just to see what was going on. I usually only lose 1-2 degrees so I quit.

I have tried adjusting the mash temp with limited results. I heat my mash and sparge water at the same time so I have some 170+ water avaliable. It takes a lot to raise your temp a couple degrees.

[Matt F]

I use a converted keg with a false bottom, weldless ball valve and a weldless brewmometer. The thermometer probe is less than 3" in to the kettle and does not seem to get in the way much when stirring. The only time I stir is at mash-in and I use a high ratio of water to grain of 1.5 qts per pound which also makes stirring easy. The mash tun is wrapped in insulated wrap but seems to lose a significant amount of heat. I use my immersion chiller in my boil kettle as a HERMS coil. I would put it in the HLT but it won't fit through the opening. I would like to mount a herms coil in my electric HLT like the Electric Brewery at some point in the future. I have the typical March pump to move fluid around through silicone tubing and cheap plastic QD's from minibrew.com.

When not overly distracted by the family (that's why I brew late at night) I pay close attention to the mash temp. I mash in with water from the HLT already set at the necessary strike temp. I drain this in to the mashtun and mix in the grain. I heat enough water, about 5 gallons, in the boil kettle which is just enough to cover the 1/2" 50' copper coil immersion chiller. I do this with a natural gas Hurricane burner which does this job very quickly. I aim for a temp about 5 degrees above my desired mash temp. When the mash temp falls, I pump the wort from the mash througt the HERMS coil (immersion chiller) and back through my sparge setup which is a weldless fitting with a piece of tubing that rest on top of the mash bed. This makes a circular motion that does the mixing for you just like a Sabco Brew Magic setup. I have used a floating thermometer and check it versus the dial thermometer to see how even the temp gets and it is very close through out the mash. Temp rises do not take that long either. Not long at all to maintain and less than 10 to 15 minutes (depending on mash size) to mash out at 168 F. I really like the HERMS setup and if you have an immersion chiller and pump you can play with it now. I do not have anything automated to turn the pump on and off unless you count me after midnight after a few beers. I suppose that leaves room for some future upgrades.