Loading [MathJax]/extensions/TeX/AMSsymbols.js

Saturday, March 29, 2025

another all-grain guiness stout clone sort of

based on this recipe

based on this previous blog post - but I don't remember that!  I remember doing all grain for a Belgian beer.

I have the amounts of grain corresponding to the stout recipe minus amounts left over from the Belgian 

263 g Belgian Biscuit malt (0.58 lb)

250 g Belgian Munich malt (0.55 lb)

260 g Weyermann Melanoidin (0.57 lb)

3.3 lb of English 2-row

2.5 lb flaked barley

1 lb roasted barley

total:  8.5 lb


Temperature at 163 F, added the grains, temperature after stirring reads 158 F.  Temperature didn't really drop even after 20 minutes, so I added 1 L of cold tap water, this brought the temperature down to 150 F.  At 26 minutes into mash realized I forgot to add the flaked barley, added that.  Extended mash time by 22:37 - total mash time was 82:37.  Added 6 L of boiling water to attempt to raise temperature to 168 - temperature maxed out at 165.


Appendix A: temperature during mash

time    temp(F)    notes
0        158            heat off
5        159            keep heat off
10      156            keep heat off (had trouble reading thermometer so it was out longer and cooled off probably)
15      157            keep heat off
20      157            keep heat off. take lid off
24      150            added 1 L of cold tap water while checking temperature
26      149            added the flaked oats (forgot to add at beginning).  Turned heat on 2.5/7
30      149            turned heat down to 1.5
39      152            turned heat off
50      156            kept heat off
60      151            kept heat off

Appendix 2:  calculation of amount of boiling water needed to add to mash to raise temperature to 168 F



The specific heat of grain - estimates vary - will use ~0.4.  (Some references:  


homebrew mashout: calculation of how much water to add to mash to raise temperature to 168 F (75 C) to stop enzymatic activity

 I worked out the approximate math to figure out how much boiling water to add to a completed mash to for the mashout - to raise the temperature of the mash to 170 F to stop the enzymatic activity.

Using conservation of energy:  (heat content of individual components before) = (heat content of combined mixture)

$$ H_{mws} + H_{gs} + H_{aws} = H_{wf} + H_{gf} $$

starting individual terms of heat content are:

mash water at start:  $H_{mws} = C_w M_{mw} T_s$

* $C_w$ heat capacity of water

* $M_{mw}$ mass of "mash water"

* $T_s$ starting temperature


grain in mash at start:  $H_{gs} = C_g M_g T_s$

* $C_g$ heat capacity of grain

* $M_g$ mass of grain


add water at start:  $H_{aws} = C_w M_{aw} T_{aw}$

* $M_{aw}$ mass of add water

* $T_{aw}$ temperature of add water


final individual terms of heat content are:

water, final:  $H_{wf} = C_w (M_{mw} + M_{aw}) T_f$

* $T_f$ final temperature


grain, final:  $H_{gf} = C_g M_g T_f$


heat before = heat after

$$ H_{mws} + H_{gs} + H_{aws} = H_{wf} + H_{gf} $$

$$ C_w M_{mw} T_s + C_g M_g T_s + C_w M_{aw} T_{aw} = C_w (M_{mw} + M_{aw}) T_f + C_g M_g T_f $$


Solve for $M_{aw}$:

$$ C_w M_{aw} T_{aw} - C_w M_{aw} T_f = C_w M_{mw} T_f + C_g M_g T_f -C_w M_{mw} T_s - C_g M_g T_s $$

$$ M_{aw} C_w (T_{aw} - T_f) = C_w M_{mw} T_f + C_g M_g T_f -C_w M_{mw} T_s - C_g M_g T_s $$

$$ M_{aw} = \frac{C_w M_{mw} T_f + C_g M_g T_f - C_w M_{mw} T_s - C_g M_g T_s}{C_w (T_{aw} - T_f)} $$

$$ M_{aw} = \frac{C_w M_{mw} (T_f - T_s) + C_g M_g (T_f - T_s)}{C_w (T_{aw} - T_f)} $$

$$ M_{aw} = \frac{(T_f - T_s) (C_w M_{mw}  + C_g M_g)}{C_w (T_{aw} - T_f)} $$


The numerator is for the materials in the starting mash mixture (water + grain) - their change in temperature times their heat capacity - this is their energy change that will happen as a result of mixing in the add water.


The denominator is for the add water - it is the heat capacity times the change in temperature for the add water, and thus the energy change of the add water.


A lot of terms in here but all on the right side are known!


$T_f = 75.5 \degree C$

* desired final temperature

* this is just an example from one recipe may vary


$T_s = 65.5 \degree C$

* measure this value to use in the calculation

* this is just an example


$C_w = 1 \frac{cal}{g \degree C}$

* specific heat of water


$M_mw = 10 kg$

* mass of the water used to mash

* this is just an example from one recipe may vary


$C_g = 0.4 \frac{cal}{g \degree C}$

* specific heat of grain 

* there is wide variation here see below for references


$M_g = 3.4 kg$

* mass of grain

* this is just an example from one recipe may vary


$T_{aw} = 100 \degree C$

* temperature of add water

* typically it is boiling water but can adjust as needed



specific heat of grain references:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/specific-heat-of-grain.246356/

https://ojs.openagrar.de/index.php/JKA/article/view/375/1207