RIMS vs HERMS

[Bugeater]

foomench

would you agree that the introduction of a mash stirring device may help eliminate the stratification in the mash tun. I agree that the slow draining/ washing of the grain can cause much higher temps at the top of the mash. If that mash was steadily moving or churning that may help eliminate the difference in temperature. Of course that may also cause suck mashes as the grain bed in always unsettled. Or would it? If the grain was in a steady state of floatation due to proper grain to water ratio it should be suspended and not get stuck, right.

Thoughts?

While mash stirring would eliminate stratification, it introduces the problem of suspended solids flowing into your brew kettle. This negates the entire purpose of doing a vorlauf. You need to have the grain bed settle down so it can filter that stuff out. This is a big advantage of doing batch sparging.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

[foomench]

I'm thinking about using a grant for lautering, but I hadn't considered it for step mashing. Unless you insulated it well, yeah, I'd think you'd lose a fair amount of heat.

[Hammer]

foomench

would you agree that the introduction of a mash stirring device may help eliminate the stratification in the mash tun. I agree that the slow draining/ washing of the grain can cause much higher temps at the top of the mash. If that mash was steadily moving or churning that may help eliminate the difference in temperature. Of course that may also cause suck mashes as the grain bed in always unsettled. Or would it? If the grain was in a steady state of floatation due to proper grain to water ratio it should be suspended and not get stuck, right.

Thoughts?

While mash stirring would eliminate stratification, it introduces the problem of suspended solids flowing into your brew kettle. This negates the entire purpose of doing a vorlauf. You need to have the grain bed settle down so it can filter that stuff out. This is a big advantage of doing batch sparging.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

Hey Bugeater,

Thanks for the response. Doesn't vorlauf take place after mashing? Therefore when the mash has completed and a 20 minute vorlauf takes place wouldn't the suspended solids be filtered by the now set grain bed?

[foomench]

You can certainly stir during a step mash. I don't usually (exception-wit with an adjunct mash), and I don't stir at all for the mash-out. I guess you could if you then recirculated enough to reestablish the grain bed. That web site says stirring is pretty evil. I've seen a lot of stirring devices in professional mash tuns that I think are used after the initial strike, so I'm doubtful as to how evil. I just don't feel compelled to stir. Stirring shouldn't cause a stuck mash.
-Eric

[TheJustinClone]

don't commercial breweries lauter in a different vessel, though?

[foomench]

Most of the small professional systems I've seen lauter out of the mash tun, including one I brewed on

[baltobrewer]

You can stir your mash during the sparge. I often do. As long as you only stir the top 2/3 of the mash or thereabouts and dont disturb the bottom layer, nothing makes it into the kettle.

[Hammer]

Aside from the added amount of time, is there any down side to letting the grain bed settle for 10-20 minutes while recirculating? Assuming that you had a good mashout.