Mash Strike Water Temperature and Thickness
Solves the strike water temperature for a target mash from the grain-water energy balance, with the tun correction.
Example
You enter
- Grain weight (lb) 542
- Mash thickness (qt per lb) 1.25
- Grain temperature (deg F) 68
- Target mash temperature (deg F) 152
- Grain specific heat (Btu/lb-deg F) 0.4
- Mash tun weight (lb, 0 to omit) 180
- Tun specific heat (Btu/lb-deg F) 0.12
- Tun starting temperature (deg F) 68
You get
- Mash water 169.375
- Water (lb) 1413.43
- Mash weight (lb) 1955.43
- Strike water temperature 164.9 deg F for a 152 deg F mash
- The rounded 0.2 convention 165.4 deg F -- 0.6 deg F apart
- What an unheated tun costs 1.09842
- Mash after the tun equilibrates 150.9 deg F -- preheat the tun to recover it
Checked against published worked examples from: John Palmer.
Details, formula, and sources
ScopeThe worked 542 lb mash at 1.25 qt/lb needs 164.9 degF water for 152 degF, and the rounded 0.2 convention gives 165.4. An unheated 180 lb tun takes 1.1 degF from that mash but 3.8 degF from a 10 lb batch in a 12 lb pot -- a small mash must preheat its vessel.
Formula or tableT_strike = T_mash + (c_grain / 2.086) x (T_mash - T_grain) / R, with R in quarts per pound; water = G x R / 4 gal; tun drop = m_tun c_tun (T_mash - T_tun) / (water lb + G c_grain + m_tun c_tun).
Source and editionEnergy balance, with grain specific heat about 0.40 Btu/lb-degF and 2.086 lb of water per quart. The brewery's own measured mash temperatures and the malt supplier's analysis govern.
Free accessPublic thermodynamics.
What governsEstimate. AHJ and licensed professional govern.
API field namesgrain_weight_lb, mash_thickness_qt_per_lb, grain_temp_f, target_mash_temp_f, grain_specific_heat, tun_weight_lb, tun_specific_heat, tun_temp_f, mash_water_gal, water_lb, mash_weight_lb, strike_temp_f, convention_strike_temp_f, tun_drop_f, mash_temp_after_tun_f
- Tun reaches the mash temperature with the whole mash, water and grain togetherenergy balance
- Losses no heat lost to air during dough-inspec-v1776 scope