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What are you using to insulate your pot?

Post #1 made 14 years ago
by de5m0mike
What are you using to insulate your pot and hold temp during mash? I've only done one batch but I used some quilted moving blankets, the kind you would use to protect furniture in a moving van, and it worked really well. Held the temp, to the degree for a 60 min. mash. :thumbs: The only think I didn't like about it was it was kind of clumsy getting it all wrapped up. My ideal system would be something I could leave on the pot, even if I had to turn on the flame for a mash out or something. If you've got pictures I'd love to see them.

Post #2 made 14 years ago
by hashie
Some leave on insulation would be a great thing.

While I wait to find the ideal leave on gear, I use a camping mat around the outside of the kettle and a folded blanket on the lid.
"It's beer Jim, but not as we know it."

Post #3 made 14 years ago
by wizard78
I've been using a camping mat and a sleeping bag over the top of it.
I agree it would be nice to have something to leave on while you apply heat.
[center]"All right, brain. You don't like me and I don't like you, but let's just do this and I can get back to killing you with beer."
[/center]
[center]Homer Simpson[/center]
[center]K.I.S.S., B.I.A.B.[/center]

Post #4 made 14 years ago
by stux
I don't insulate my pot.

Rather I tend to fill it to the brim (maxi-biab) then put the lid on.

It seems to drop 1 degree in 30 mins or so... sometimes more sometimes less depending on ambient temperature and mash temp.

I just give it a burst of gas and a mash agitation while I take the thermoter readings... once it shoots to within 0.3C of where I want it, I turn off the gas, and it cruises to its destination ;)

...

I've started doing Hochkurz mashes as they're basically 30 min steps and if I'm heating the mash, i might as well go up a step as well... and I find it gives me something to play with over the 90 min mash time, which keeps me entertained ;)
Fermenting: -
Cubed: -
Stirplate: -
On Tap: NS Summer Ale III (WY1272), Landlord III (WY1469), Fighter's 70/- II (WY1272), Roast Porter (WY1028), Cider, Soda
Next: Munich Helles III

5/7/12

Post #6 made 14 years ago
by wizard78
With Jim Morrison watching over your brew! :thumbs: :)
[center]"All right, brain. You don't like me and I don't like you, but let's just do this and I can get back to killing you with beer."
[/center]
[center]Homer Simpson[/center]
[center]K.I.S.S., B.I.A.B.[/center]

Post #7 made 14 years ago
by Silo Ted
Actually I think it's Val Kilmer, not Jim Morrison :think:

I have a large bit of 1/2 inch rubber flooring that I was going to use to make a sheath, but still havent got around to it, preferring to fire my mash tun if it drops.

Post #8 made 14 years ago
by Yeasty
It Val as I think it was the film sound track CD ...and it was the laptops last "Trip". It crashed during the brew and died forever :sad:
Why is everyone talking about "Cheese"
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Post #9 made 14 years ago
by wizard78
Ohh, of coarse I stand corrected. Was "The End" playing, that would have been fitting. :?
Sorry for the OT.
[center]"All right, brain. You don't like me and I don't like you, but let's just do this and I can get back to killing you with beer."
[/center]
[center]Homer Simpson[/center]
[center]K.I.S.S., B.I.A.B.[/center]

Post #10 made 14 years ago
by PistolPatch
LOL!

mike, I think there are many answers to your question but even before we get to what type of insulation can be used I think several questions need to be asked and answered...

1. Am I a gas, electric or stovetop brewer? - This may affect how conveniently any insulation can be utilised.

2. What volumes am I mashing? - A 70 L mash is going to lose heat a lot slower than a 19 L Mini-BIAB.

3. What are my ambient temperatures? - Mashing in a shed at 45 C is a lot different from mashing outside in the snow.

4. If I don't use insulation, what will be my labour cost? - If you are mashing with 40 L outside in the snow, you don't want to be spending the whole time applying heat and stirring. If you are mashing 65 L at 40 C you won't need any insulation and you probably won't have to apply heat or agitate at all!

Having insulation in the latter case is obviously pointless. In the former case, it will be a necessity.

So, do you really need insulation? If no, great - it's not even an issue. If yes, then this is a very important topic.

But, a new brewer, should not use insulation as an excuse to not check the temperature of the mash regularly. It will do them a great disservice...

It takes a while to get a feel for your mash. Checking the temperature of the mash regularly on your first few brews during the first 15 minutes will teach you a lot. Checking it every 20 minutes or so after this will also teach you a lot.

Eventually, you will get a feel for what happens in your mash. (For example, hashie now just gets his temperature right and leaves it alone for the entire mash. His brew size, ambient temps and insulation etc, enable this.) He will also be past the stage of worrying about boil-overs. But, getting to this stage requires experience and experience usually requires activity so don't let insulation reduce your activity when you are starting out.

Sorry for this long post mike. hashie got me started on essay writing tonight in another thread :lol:

But, I hope you read the above. Maybe in your situation, you don't even need insulation? Which might mean one less thing for you and other new brewers to worry about :thumbs:

Cheers mike,
PP
Last edited by PistolPatch on 11 Mar 2011, 20:06, edited 5 times in total.
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Post #11 made 14 years ago
by stux
I thnk it was Paulbigelow who won this with his mash jacket :)
viewtopic.php?f=53&t=600
Image
Last edited by stux on 11 Mar 2011, 21:17, edited 5 times in total.
Fermenting: -
Cubed: -
Stirplate: -
On Tap: NS Summer Ale III (WY1272), Landlord III (WY1469), Fighter's 70/- II (WY1272), Roast Porter (WY1028), Cider, Soda
Next: Munich Helles III

5/7/12

Post #12 made 14 years ago
by PistolPatch
Hi there joshua,

The Commentary recommends you do exactly that. But, The Commentary, is aimed at brewers who can produce about 19 L (5 gallons) of beer to drink. So their mash volume will be much larger than a stove-top brewer.

I think a stove-top indoor brewer should do exactly what you say especially when starting out. Ralph will have much better knowledge on this though.

Just make sure that whatever you choose to do, if you are a new brewer, that you still check your mash regularly.

:peace:
PP
Last edited by PistolPatch on 11 Mar 2011, 21:50, edited 5 times in total.
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Post #13 made 14 years ago
by Ralph
Hey joshua, that's a good question!
Short answer- No, on the stovetop it is quite difficult to regulate the temperature with much precision, so I'd advise to just insulate and leave it.
Long answer- Ok, so you put a cake rack, colander or something under the bag to stop it burning, start mashing, note temperature is dropping and then add some heat. So, you've heated up the liquor below the bag, probably to quite a high temperature (thereby also destroying some enzymes), then you need to distribute that heat all through the rest of the mash. So you stir it through. Repeat that every 10 minutes, bearing in mind that precise and constant temperature regulation is now quite unlikely. How long was the mash again?
Summary- too much hassle, and not only that, you're gradually destroying enzymes plus getting the constant and uniform mash is nearly impossible.
Some folks do exactly this though at the larger scale, as PP quite rightly highlights, so it isn't the beer- wrecker I have perhaps made it out to be, but at the smaller scale heat losses are happening faster and require more frequent regulation.
And besides, I'm usually sorting other stuff out during the mash (like madly finalising the hops schedule!), so I don't need to be farting around with the mash when decent insulation and pre- heating can quite simply take care of all that bother.
IMO, the mash seems to be most efficient and reliable when left alone to its own devices, I usually check it just the once at about 10 minutes, there's not a lot I can do about it anyway- with stovetop brewing, it is full to the brim, the only ways to change the temperature is either by a decoction or, as you've noted, direct heating. Once you're accustomed to and familiar with your own equipment and the way it behaves during a mash, predicting temperature performance becomes quite simple and second nature.
Hope this helps! :drink:
[center]Give me a beer and I will move the world. Archimedes[/center]

Post #14 made 14 years ago
by sean
I'm certainly no expert ( only 2 BIAB's so far ) I use a 20 L pot. i"ve put a hole in the lid and keep a meat probe in wort whole mash.
After reaching temp on wok burner I put mine in the oven and I've marked the temp position on the dial. Both brews have stayed exactly at temp for whole 90 min mash. As the control unit for the probe is on the bench I just Check it now and again.

Obviously not viable for bigger brews but for mini works a treat

cheers
sean

Post #15 made 14 years ago
by Mick71
I've been wrestling with leave on insulation for a while too. I have made a large stainless plate with a hole in it roughly 60mm in diameter less than my pot and put that between pot and burner, with the idea that it will be a flame shield. I figured stopping the flame and then using natural fibre (cotton or Wool) it should withstand heat.

My flame shield is only a prototype and is not quite big enough, but it does seem to protect the test insulation (well about 90%), a large heavy cotton beach towel folded logways a few times and ratchet strapped around the pot and 1" poly styrene disk on lid.

I just leave towel on vessel, and drape in woolen blanket and this holds temp very well, most of the losses occur due to me removing blanket and opening the pot to check temp. I restart burner for a minute then back on with blanket.

I envisage one day a pot with an escutcheon ring about an inch up from base with full 1" thick silicon mat all way round up to top where another escutcheon ringseals top of silicon.
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