SS brewtech 20 gallon mash tun

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by sooners3210, Mar 13, 2017.

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  1. sooners3210

    sooners3210 Initiate (0) Jun 15, 2006 Texas

    Today was the first time I used the 20 gallon mash tun from ss brew tech. I had a 26 pound grain bill, still had a lot of room in the mash tun after I added the grain. I was looking for a temp of 149, I used a mash in calculator and it said to get my mash in water to a temp of 162. I added the 162 water to my tun and got a reading of 144 on the thermometer in the middle of the mash tun, but the readings I took with my digital thermometer read 152. A big difference, but the thermometer I used can only take the temps from the first few inches of the grain bed. Which thermometer should I trust more, the one in the middle of the mash tun or the one that can only read the top of the grain bed? I'm thinking since I missed my OG by 1.5 points that I should trust the other thermometer. Has anyone used the Ss brew tech mash tun, do you have any advice? Is it always better to start off with a higher mash in temp, and stir until you get your desired temp?
     
    #1 sooners3210, Mar 13, 2017
  2. GreenKrusty101

    GreenKrusty101 Initiate (0) Dec 4, 2008 Nevada

    Which thermometer did you use to measure that? First time use: calibrate all thermometers, imho.
     
    #2 GreenKrusty101, Mar 13, 2017
  3. sooners3210

    sooners3210 Initiate (0) Jun 15, 2006 Texas

    The SS brewtech came with a digital thermometer for higher temperature readings, it said I was at 142. My other thermometer is just a digital thermometer, but it was reading 152 at the top of the grain bed, while the other one, in the middle of the grain bed read 144.
     
    #3 sooners3210, Mar 13, 2017
  4. PortLargo

    PortLargo Pooh-Bah (1,831) Oct 19, 2012 Florida
    Pooh-Bah

    After vigorously stirring, the top of your grain bed should be equal to middle (and bottom). That said, it's hard to know which thermo is not lying until you do a calibration check. You want to measure a compacted ice slurry (very near 32) and boiling water (212) and check the deviation. This is easy for a handheld, a little more onerous for a big mash tun. An electronic thermo may have a cal adjustment, otherwise just mentally make the correction. What you're really after is a solid accuracy check in the 150-area, but you'll have to make do with measuring the extremes. Also, be aware there is a lag time for the thermo to give its most accurate reading.

    Mash-in calculators can be helpful, but there is a learning curve on dialing in your equipment.
     
    #4 PortLargo, Mar 13, 2017
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  5. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,348) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Jokes on you, water boils at 198...


















    @6250 feet above sea level. :grinning:
     
    #5 SFACRKnight, Mar 13, 2017
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  6. HopsintheSack

    HopsintheSack Initiate (0) Apr 17, 2012 California

    I have the 10g Brewtech mash tun and found my included thermometer a bit off, but not to that extent. It took sometime for it to stabilize after dough in and even after that ran a few degrees cooler than my calibrated analog and digital handheld units. I stirred and measured every 15 minutes during the mash, so I went by the handheld units for measured temp. The included digital just looks nice I guess.

    Overall the tun works great and since I tend to stir every so often I just use my trusty thermometers.
     
    #6 HopsintheSack, Mar 13, 2017
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