Mash Tun Calibration - Infusion Temp

[camelfilter]

Stupid question, but just double-checking. I'm calibrating a new mash-tun I've created (50qt Coleman w/SS braided hose manifold) and questioned myself on the infusion temp setting. Is this asking for the water temp PRIOR to actually dumping it into the mash-tun (which I think is right), or is it the temp of the water immediately AFTER I've dumped the water in. I know if sounds silly, but I just wanted to double-check. Let me know.

Ryan

[ColoradoBrewer]

Yes, it is the temp the water is heated to prior to dumping it in. Think of it as the equivalent to the strike temp if you were doing an actual mash.

[rrosa]

I mash in a different way. I use a pot as a mash-tun, heat the water with it and then dump the grist. The major difference is that the mash-tun is heated. I am not sure how to calibrate the vessel this way; it is certainly not as suggested in BTP (to dump the hot water into the vessel which is at room temp). Maybe I should just heat the vessel with water to the specified temperature, turn off the heat, and then measure the temperature again. Does that sound right?

[kieran]

Sorry for reviving a very old thread.

I'm doing the same thing right now.
1. I've just calibrated a kettle (not as a heat source). Approx 47C water went to 42C when I put it in.. but this doesn't really matter, as I use immersion elements to heat water in here. So I heated my water (taking temperature measurements along the way to calibrate my heat source).. then stopped at 75C, and removed all heat sources, and calibrated from there. I used 18L of water to do this (just a hair under 5 gallons).

My mash tun is next..
I know it will drop about 5C from the time it leaves my kettle (which I use to heat all my water) to the time it gets into the mash tun/esky. I always account for this anyway.. So do I Use the last temp as it was in the kettle as my INFUSION TEMP. as T=0.. and wear all the temperature drop during the transfer, and the cooling effect when it hits the mash tun.. with t=5min being significantly lower than it would for a pre-warmed mash tun?? Or do I treat it as pre-warmed, once it is in the Esky as T=0.. ? The numbers will be VERY different!!

It would be easier if there was a T=0 being in the kettle.. t=5min for a transfer/vessel heating shift, then t=10min for a short-term thermal mass loss.. or something. then a t=65 for whatever else.

Or am I missing something completely here?

Please please help!