When mashing I heat my strike water high enough so it comes down to the desired mashing temperature. I have the lid open wait for it to reach for example 152 degrees then shut the lid for an hour. Half way through I open the lid and temp reads 160 degrees. I know the steam inside brings temp back up so does this mean my grains went up to 160? I’ve always been told to shut lid once temp is aquired. Would I go below 152 to compensate for steam on the inside of the mash tun?
I think it means that you don’t have the temp stabilized to start with. I keep stirring until I get the same temp no matter where in the tun I read it. Then I close it up and leave it for 60-90 min. I may lose a degree or so but I’ve never seen the temp rise.
I would agree that it sounds like hot spots within the mash. Make sure to take temp readings in numerous places in the mash.
