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How often do you stir?

Post #1 made 12 years ago
by DrummoRC
I am new to brewing and have taken up with the BAIB process. I think I am getting the hang! but simple question:

How much do you need to stir the mash?

I think it sounds silly but my education has been seat of the pants and want to get an idea as to how ofte during the mash process do you need to stir the mash. I check mine every ten minutes or so and stir it for about 30 sec.. not trying to me uptight or anal here but figured I would ask. hope this is not as silly as it sound to ask. :?

:ugeek:

Post #2 made 12 years ago
by Lylo
DrummoRC , not a silly question at all. We have probably all asked it at one tine or another. I doubt that you will find any one definitve answer here or anywhere else.
I think though that the common practice here is to to stir once or twice during the 90 minute rest. I have always stirred whenever I opened the lid to check temps. Here in the great white north, that can be quite often in the winter.
Stirring can have a positive effect on your efficiencies, but nothing huge( in my experience). I believe that less is more and you shouldn't sweat the details tooooo much. Let the brew have its way.
AWOL

Post #3 made 12 years ago
by lambert
Agree, not a silly question. I used to mash in, and leave the mash for the 90 minutes - no stirring. Lately I've been checking the gravity at 30 and 60 mins and I do stir before taking a sample. I normally do a mashout and I stir continuously whilst ramping the temperature up to mashout temps. Normally takes around 12 minutes. I normally do score a couple of gravity points on mashout - and I've been thinking that it might have to do with the stirring....
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Post #4 made 12 years ago
by rpt
I cover my boiler in insulation during the mash so it would be a pain to take all that off to stir it, so I don't bother. Plus it would lose heat. So I don't stir until just before pulling the bag.

Post #5 made 12 years ago
by joshua
Good Day, I have to stir the Mash whenever I add heat to the kettle.

If I don't, the Bottom of the kettle will be much warmer than the top.
Honest Officer, I swear to Drunk, I am Not God.
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Post #6 made 12 years ago
by 2trout
I typically don't stir, and this is why.

Also Im a very "seat of the pants" kind of brewer, not very particular (anal), and do things because I "think so", not always because of research.

1.I really insulate the pot well when mashing, so I don't like to disturb it (unwrap the pot, and then wrap it up again.)

2.With the beers I normally brew I don't feel the need to stir. These are lower gravity beers with out additions like flaked oats, barley or wheat. (I hear that the flaked oats, barley or any wheat product can get gummy?)

3. I'm also lazy, and like/need to do somthing else during that 90 min.

However, when making bigger beers like say 14 lbs of grain and bigger for 5 gals, or if I am using the oats etc. described above, I will stir one or twice in 90 min. Why?

1. It makes me feel better. I think that with lots of grain, a stir or two moves water into the large grain mass.

2. When using oats etc. I think that more water movement will help relieve the gumminess? of the oats etc.

trout
Last edited by 2trout on 02 May 2013, 22:31, edited 2 times in total.
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Post #7 made 12 years ago
by BobBrews
It varies for me. When its winter here in Wisconsin USA. I try not to stir too much because of a loss of heat. Having said that I will stir on large amounts of grain and I will mash longer and add heat! If I have a small grain bill I will not stir at all but I may do a 90 minute mash? It depends on time and if it's for competition or for my own consumption.

In summer I don't insulate or cover the mash so I may tend to stir more. As always with BIAB, you just add a little heat to bring up the temp so it's just a saving on propane for me. No doubt stirring helps some but you can add a little extra grain to compensate for not stirring if you don't want to be bothered? Whatever??
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Post #8 made 12 years ago
by Mad_Scientist
On a cold winter day in Feb (you know, here in Florida, like 40'ish degrees F, tee shirt weather really :lol: ) last year, I was stirring every 15 minutes. My tolerance was like a 2 degree F drop.

I have a new potato masher that I will use for the first time on my next, double batch brew. I believe it will more evenly distribute the sugars and the heat, vertically speaking, and help me to get good gravity samples along the way (mashing and wort mixing). I plan on 'mashing, up and down' more often to keep the temperature more even in the kettle from bottom to top. More anal, you might say.

Anyway, I have a dial thermo mounted on my keggle and I also use a lab thermo for measuring near the surface. Both should read very close, if not the same to each other. I should now be able to 'mix' the mash a lot that both thermos should read the same.

I think we should start a 'potato masher' club here. :cool: Who's with me?
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Post #9 made 12 years ago
by joshua
Todd, I am Lazy, and still have a string tied to the Bottom center of the bag, and lift it up and drop it down, through a small Hole in the Lid, every 10-12 minutes.

The Reflectix (http://www.reflectixinc.com/) and a few "beach" towels keep it warm (+-3C), and the hot plate runs at low temperature to allow Ramp Mashing from 140F/60C to 158F/70C.

The Potato masher was what I started with!!!!
Honest Officer, I swear to Drunk, I am Not God.
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