I left my bag in the boiler in a mash on a camco low watt element.
It didn't burn. Am I lucky or is this the advantage of the low watt element?
Post #2 made 9 years ago
I have two perfectly correct answers here for you Tim 
Am I lucky? Yes
Am I lucky? No
Both of the above are true.
...
I wrote here, ten days ago, in this post, which has received not a single response
, how many different types of BIAB (let alone all methods of all-grain) are out there. To that post, you could add concealed/exposed elements when we are talking about electric BIAB.
The problem with so many forums is that the questioner and the people who reply hardly ever stop to consider the question, "Does this brewer have the same set-up as I do?"
So, my first request is that you read my link above before we move on here.
...
If you had a concealed element, you weren't lucky as it's going to be pretty hard to burn a bag with one of those I imagine. An exposed element, you would have been very lucky as if your bag touches that, it is likely to burn. With gas, on a ring burner on low, you would not but your bag but with a NASA burner, you would have.
All that is beside the point though. You are unlucky because...
What you have to consider is heat generally. If I have a very big saucepan full of oats and don't stir it, I'll never get porridge. All I will get is over-heated (burned) oats on the bottom of the saucepan and warm milk on the top.
There is way to much focus, often cheering, on not paying attention to the mash whereas the mash is the easiest thing to look after easily and well in brewing. If you think, especially when starting out, that agitating the mash well and checking its temp a few times during the mash is a deal-breaker than forget all-grain brewing or brewing in general because the cleaning etc is a far more complex procedure to get tight and right. Mashing and boiling are not procedures that require much attention. Trying to turn them into things that require zero attention is very poor practice.
...
So Tim, pay attention to your mash temperature and consider the layers of temperature etc, etc. I hope I'm not coming across too harsh here. I am using you as an example as many others are on exactly the same path as you. On the plus side, you are getting this advice for free and it does take me a very long time to write posts like this (45 mins on this one) and they are correct.
PP
Am I lucky? Yes
Am I lucky? No
Both of the above are true.
...
I wrote here, ten days ago, in this post, which has received not a single response
, how many different types of BIAB (let alone all methods of all-grain) are out there. To that post, you could add concealed/exposed elements when we are talking about electric BIAB.The problem with so many forums is that the questioner and the people who reply hardly ever stop to consider the question, "Does this brewer have the same set-up as I do?"
So, my first request is that you read my link above before we move on here.
...
If you had a concealed element, you weren't lucky as it's going to be pretty hard to burn a bag with one of those I imagine. An exposed element, you would have been very lucky as if your bag touches that, it is likely to burn. With gas, on a ring burner on low, you would not but your bag but with a NASA burner, you would have.
All that is beside the point though. You are unlucky because...
What you have to consider is heat generally. If I have a very big saucepan full of oats and don't stir it, I'll never get porridge. All I will get is over-heated (burned) oats on the bottom of the saucepan and warm milk on the top.
There is way to much focus, often cheering, on not paying attention to the mash whereas the mash is the easiest thing to look after easily and well in brewing. If you think, especially when starting out, that agitating the mash well and checking its temp a few times during the mash is a deal-breaker than forget all-grain brewing or brewing in general because the cleaning etc is a far more complex procedure to get tight and right. Mashing and boiling are not procedures that require much attention. Trying to turn them into things that require zero attention is very poor practice.
...
So Tim, pay attention to your mash temperature and consider the layers of temperature etc, etc. I hope I'm not coming across too harsh here. I am using you as an example as many others are on exactly the same path as you. On the plus side, you are getting this advice for free and it does take me a very long time to write posts like this (45 mins on this one) and they are correct.
PP
Last edited by PistolPatch on 16 Feb 2015, 20:51, edited 1 time in total.
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Post #3 made 9 years ago
Tim, those Ultra_low_Watt Density elements, have a large Surface area and excellent Heat Transfer. No Luck, all Advantage!!!!
Honest Officer, I swear to Drunk, I am Not God.
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Post #4 made 9 years ago
Cheers PP. I don't tend to stir at 66 and over the course of a 90 min mash it generally only drops a couple of degrees. I didn't insulate and with LWD element (exposed) it seemed OK. But I'm wondering if I had cool spots that interfered with the efficiency which I wouldn't have had if I I'd stirred more and had insulated
Post #5 made 9 years ago
You can easily record you efficiencies using the BIABacus and getting your volumes from you kettle with your sight glass.
MS
MS
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Post #6 made 9 years ago
If the element is exposed, then your grain near the element will be much, much hotter than the rest of the mash so I'd be very wary of applying heat to any system (electric or gas) without stirring. If you can get a thermometer with a long probe that will enable you to measure the temp from bottom to the top of an un-agitated mash, you will be very surprised at the variance.
P.S. Just noticed on your other thread re the the 1.042 versus 1.052 OG. Not stirring is often the cause of this inefficiency. Read this post (In saying this, I'm assuming that on your brew your desired VAW was in the ball-park.)
P.S. Just noticed on your other thread re the the 1.042 versus 1.052 OG. Not stirring is often the cause of this inefficiency. Read this post (In saying this, I'm assuming that on your brew your desired VAW was in the ball-park.)
Last edited by PistolPatch on 17 Feb 2015, 16:57, edited 1 time in total.
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Post #7 made 9 years ago
VAW was spot on the money. I'll do more stirring. It mostly came down to me not being able to find my giant steel spoon and having to rely on a bit of electrical conduit (Made of the same sort of plastic my plastic brewing spoon was made of)
Post #8 made 9 years ago
A little trick I have found works well in my setup, for stirring while heating, is to pull the bag up off the bottom by hand and just use the bag itself to agitate the mash. I usually bunch it up on each side and hold each bunch in each hand and pull one side up a bit, then the other, both mixing the grain and holding the bag off the bottom. I use gas but I think this would work on electric as long as you are holding the bag above the element.
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Post #9 made 9 years ago
Good Day, I don't want to promote a Company, or a product.
Check this for Mash Paddle Ideas......
http://www.morebeer.com/category/mash-paddles.html
Check this for Mash Paddle Ideas......
http://www.morebeer.com/category/mash-paddles.html
Honest Officer, I swear to Drunk, I am Not God.
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Post #10 made 9 years ago
In addition to those, a long handled potato masher works great too with a gentle up and down motion. And they are cheap too!
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Post #11 made 9 years ago
Honest Officer, I swear to Drunk, I am Not God.
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Post #12 made 9 years ago
This is the only thing I would consider for a mash paddle. Beats everything else by hands down.goulaigan wrote:...a long handled potato masher works great too with a gentle up and down motion.
Last edited by PistolPatch on 19 Feb 2015, 19:13, edited 1 time in total.
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Post #13 made 9 years ago
The focus of this thread has wandered a bit as we have gotten into mash "paddle" recommendations. I'll admit the potato masher would be great, but I have a very low-cost alternative that works exceptionally well. I use this 24" French whisk. It's currently $12.50 but has been as low as $7 in the past few months. Depending on where you are in the world, the shipping cost or availability may determine which option is less expensive.
Last edited by cwier60 on 21 Feb 2015, 02:16, edited 1 time in total.
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