So, I'm outside in 90 degree FL heat, with 52% humidity, so it feels like 96 according to my weather bug. I'm brewing a Belgian Wit and man it's hot. I'm sweating constantly and I'm just sitting here now will the grains are mashing at a temperature of 150 degrees. Mashing is when you release the malt sugars by soaking the grains in water. Kind of like a big tea steep right now. Smells delicious when you open the mash tun and begin to get ready to sparge. I'll steep these grains (a mixture of Belgian 2-row and malted wheat flakes) for 75 minutes. Then it's on to sparging, or rinsing the grains with 160 degree water to release the sweet wort from the grains and to form the wort for brewing. Then it's a 60 minute boil and we're pretty much done.
As I sit here sweating away the toxins from a night at Oldsmar Tap House last night, I'm wondering how I'm going to get the wort down to yeast pitching temperature (70 degrees) when its so hot outside, and my water from the hose, which I'd usually use in the immersion chiller, is about 80 degrees. I'm thinking of running to get some ice and running ice water through it to bring it down. It's certainly going to be an adventure. Also, I'm dreadfully low on propane and might run out in the middle of the boil.Nothing like planning ahead huh? Well, I'll update you in a bit once I make some progress.
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