Mashing in cool weather

[brewandski]

I am hopefully going to be going all grain for the first time this weekend, and I was going to do it outside.  The weather is supposed to be in the mid 50s.  I converted a 10 gal Rubbermaid cooler for my mash tun.  In people’s experience if I keep the lid on the cooler the whole time I mash, will the temp stay constant in that kind of weather or will I have to add hot water?

[system]

There are a number of options.  The simple - let it ride, it will lose some temp.  The pretty easy – use a blanket, sleeping bag, keg koozy, winter coat and throw it over the mashtun.  The slightly more difficult - heat water outside, carry inside, mash-in inside, carry back outside for run-off, sparge and boil.  Personally, my rubbermaid looses a few degrees over an hour’s time with 60s ambient, not a big deal.  I brew outside even in the coldest of temps and improvise from all of the options I listed above.  cheers, j

don’t sweat it

[srnoel]

I did my first all grain last friday outside and it was about 40ish out.  I didn’t have a problem maintaining my temp.  Got the grain bed to 152…covered the cooler and then threw a blanket on for good measure and forgot about it for an hour.

[wtrice (Will's Swill)]

I’ll mash outside in a snowstorm (we’ll get a snowstorm in July if I decide to brew…) and I won’t get a significant drop in temperature over an hour in a cooler.

[srnoel]

I’ll mash outside in a snowstorm (we’ll get a snowstorm in July if I decide to brew…)

I like your style.  Maybe I’ll do a brew while its hailing one time so I can call it Pale Hail…yep I just said that.

[brewandski]

Thanks for all the input.  I am just going to insulate it and go with it.

I am hopfully going to hit 1.083 OG with this beer and I was wondering if it will be ok to just pitch two bags of liquid yeast rather than making a starter because I don’t have time to make one before the weekend.  The liquid yeast I used last time said it started out with 500 billion* cells in the bag.

Edit: 100 Billion

[hokerer]

@brewandski

The liquid yeast I used last time said it started out with 500 billion cells in the bag.

Is that some sort of commercial bag?  Even the large Wyeast bags only claim 100 billion.

[brewandski]

Whoops, yes I did mean 100 billion.

[sathingtonwilloby (Mark G)]

@brewandski

Thanks for all the input.  I am just going to insulate it and go with it.

I am hopfully going to hit 1.083 OG with this beer and I was wondering if it will be ok to just pitch two bags of liquid yeast rather than making a starter because I don’t have time to make one before the weekend.  The liquid yeast I used last time said it started out with 500 billion* cells in the bag.

Edit: 100 Billion

Well, according to http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html, you need 283 billion cells for a 5 gallon batch. Even if you had a brand new pack at close to 100% viability, you’d be grossly underpitching. You should consider making a starter or buying a couple more packs.

[bluesman]

@brewandski

Thanks for all the input.  I am just going to insulate it and go with it.

I am hopfully going to hit 1.083 OG with this beer and I was wondering if it will be ok to just pitch two bags of liquid yeast rather than making a starter because I don’t have time to make one before the weekend.  The liquid yeast I used last time said it started out with 500 billion* cells in the bag.

Edit: 100 Billion

Well, according to http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html, you need 283 billion cells for a 5 gallon batch. Even if you had a brand new pack at close to 100% viability, you’d be grossly underpitching. You should consider making a starter or buying a couple more packs.

Yes, 4 vials/smackpacks or a 3.6L starter with one package of liquid yeast.