How To: Install a Thermometer on Your Mash Tun

Over my last few batches I've been struggling getting consistent original gravity (OG) results.  I'm going to discuss my struggles and changes I've made in a bit more length in a future post, but one of the issues I considered was that I wasn't properly maintaining my mash temperature.  Controlling temperature (both during the mash and fermentation) is one of the challenges of home brewing.  Placing your strike water and grains in a cooler for an hour isn't an exact science and most home brewers don't have access to the same sophisticated equipment that a commercial brewery would use.

The simplest way to monitor your mash temperature would be to just drop your floating thermometer in your mash and check the temperature every so often.  The disadvantage of that process is losing heat each time you open your cooler.  I decided that I want to be able to monitor my mash temperature more closely to have a better idea of the temperatures during the mash.

Here's the process I used to install a thermometer on the outside of my mash tun (credits to John A who posted this procedure on a MoreBeer review of the stainless weld less thermometer kit).  The only challenge of this procedure is to not damage the interior cooler liner when you drill the larger hole for the thermometer bulkhead.  The procedure is very simple and could be done in less than 20 minutes as long as you don't have any leaks.

What you'll need:

Cooler mash tun
Stainless weld less thermometer (I used the 6 in variety, but the 2 in would probably work ok)
Drill
1" spade drill bit
1 1/2" spade drill bit

1.  Decide where to drill your hole for the thermometer.  Obviously this needs to be within the mash so you definitely want it below the 5 gallon mark on your cooler.  Also, don't place the hole too low to avoid trouble removing your false bottom.  I placed my hole about 4 3/4" above the ball valve at the bottom of my cooler.

2.  Drill a 1" hole with your spade bit.

3.  Drill a 1 1/2" hole with your spade bit.  This is part where you need to be careful.  The threads on the bulkhead are designed to fit through a 1" hole, but the depth of the threads is too short to fit through the entire wall of the cooler.  The 1 1/2" hole should go through the exterior liner and insulation only.  Do not damage the interior liner.

You can see from the photo that I mangled the exterior liner a bit.  If I were doing this again I would probably drill the larger hole first.

4.  Insert the thermometer and bulkhead through the new hole.  Sandwich the interior liner between the red rubber washer (this should go outside the liner) and stainless steel washer (inside the cooler).

5.  Tighten all your fittings, test for leaks and you're ready to get your mash on!

Legion of Boom (LOB) Pale Ale

This recipe is, sadly, the result of a lost Super Bowl bet.  My friend Joel and I bet a bottled & labeled batch of home brew on the game.  Joel and I have a long history of competitive spirit (sometimes good natured) and the Super Bowl back in February gave us the chance to talk trash for two solid weeks.  I'm still shocked at how badly my Broncos were crushed.  As named by my good friend Joel, I give you Legion of Boom Pale Ale.

This recipe turned out nicely, but if I were to brew it again I would probably up the hop additions at the 10 and 20 minute marks to get some more hop flavor.  Additionally, as a side note, I used gypsum, epsom salt, and table salt to increase the hardness of my water to better match traditional English pales.  I was please with the way it turned out, but you should consult your local water report before modifying your water composition.

BJCP Style Category: 8C Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)

Batch Size: 5 gallons

Grains:
9.50 lbs UK 2-Row 
0.75 lbs Crystal 60
0.75 lbs Crystal 80 

Hops:
1.25 oz Cascade - 60 minutes remaining in the boil
0.88 oz Cascade - 20 minutes remaining in the boil
0.50 oz Cascade - 10 minutes remaining in the boil
0.50 oz Cascade - 2 minutes remaining in the boil

Other Additions:
1 - Whirlfloc Tablet @ 15 mins remaining in the boil
20 g Gypsum @ 15 min remaining in the mash
5 g Epsom Salt @ 15 min remaining in the mash
0.13 tsp Salt @ 15 min remaining in the mash

Yeast:
English Ale Yeast - While Labs 002


Mash the grains at 150 deg F (strike temp 170 deg F) for 75 minutes using 2.75 gallons of water.  This is a thicker mash than I usually work with.  I decided to use a thicker mash in for this recipe after reading about brewing pale ales in Designing Great Beers by Ray Daniels.  This book recommended using a thicker mash for pale ales, about (0.9 to 1 quart per pound of great).  I typically mash at 1.33 qts per pound of grain.

Sparge at 170 deg F using 4.6 gallons of water.  Boil for 1 hour, cool, and ferment.  I kegged half of this batch and bottled the other half to pay my super bowl debt.

Resurrection

One post in six months.....not exactly a great track record.  Going to make a run at resurrecting my activity on this blog over the next couple of weeks here.

I will say that my activity on the blog doesn't reflect, my home brewing activity.  I've got quite a few items to post here including recipes for Legion of Boom ESB (regretfully related to the Seahawks super bowl win), Courtney Chaos Saison, and a Simcoe Session IPA.  Also I've got a few new pieces of equipment that I've been working with including a March brew pump and a counterflow wort chiller.  Finally, I've been working through some brew problems in my own head on why my OG's have been low lately and how to better maintain mash temperatures without an elegant brew system.

More to come soon.....stay tuned.