Common ratio
About 3.1 L/kg. Easy to stir and holds temperature well.
Brewing · Calculator
Brewing Strike Water Calculator
Enter your grain, ratio and target mash temperature to get the strike water temperature and volume for an all-grain mash.
Live calculator · updates as you type
Your mash
I measure inUses the standard single-infusion formula. Leave tun heat loss at 0 for a preheated or well-insulated mash tun; add 1–3°C (2–5°F) for a cold cooler or kettle that you do not preheat. Check the mash after stirring and adjust with hot or cold water.
Strike water
Heat strike water to 163.2°F
Strike water volume 15.0qt
Water in gallons3.75 gal
Total mash volume18.2 qt · 4.55 gal
Mash temperature gives Balanced body
What to do next
Mash in with these 4 steps
For 10.0 lb of grain at 152 °F.
Free printable
Keep this batch on one page
A batch card made from your numbers, to save as a PDF or receive by email:
- Your temperatures and volumes in big type
- These steps with tick-boxes
- Mash times to fill in
- A mash log for each reading
Strike temperature at 1.5 qt/lb (3.1 L/kg), grain at 68°F (20°C)
| Target mash | Strike water | Body |
|---|---|---|
| 148°F (64.4°C) | 158.7°F (70.4°C) | Dry, light |
| 150°F (65.6°C) | 160.9°F (71.6°C) | Balanced |
| 152°F (66.7°C) | 163.2°F (72.9°C) | Balanced |
| 154°F (67.8°C) | 165.5°F (74.1°C) | Balanced |
| 156°F (68.9°C) | 167.7°F (75.4°C) | Full, sweet |
Mash in on target
Hit your mash temperature first time
Strike water has to start hotter than the mash because the cooler grain pulls the temperature down. The calculator does the arithmetic; the guide below covers ratios, mash temperatures and what to do when you miss.
Use these reference values to interpret your results
- 1.5 qt/lb
- 152°F
Balanced mash
67°C gives a medium body; go lower for drier, higher for fuller.
- ~163°F
Typical strike
For 152°F at 1.5 qt/lb with grain at 68°F (about 73°C for 67°C).
Strike water formula
Tw = (0.2 / r)(T2 − T1) + T2US units: r in qt/lb, temperatures in °F. Metric: replace 0.2 with 0.41, r in L/kg, temperatures in °C. T1 is the grain temperature, T2 the target mash temperature.
Understand and use your results
Choose US or metric units, then enter your grain weight, the water-to-grain ratio you mash at, the temperature of your crushed grain (usually room temperature), and the mash temperature you want to hold.
The calculator returns how hot to heat the strike water and how much of it you need. Heat the water a degree or two above the number, add it to the tun, let it settle to the strike temperature, then stir in the grain.
Worked example
10 lb grain at 68°F, 1.5 qt/lb, target 152°FTw = (0.2 / 1.5)(152 − 68) + 152 = 163.2°FWater = 10 × 1.5 = 15 qt (3.75 gal)Choosing a water-to-grain ratio
A thicker mash (1.0–1.25 qt/lb) leaves more water for sparging; a thinner one (1.75–2 qt/lb) is easier to stir and suits brew-in-a-bag and recirculating systems. Most brewers sit around 1.25–1.5 qt/lb.
1.25 qt/lbAbout 2.6 L/kg. Thicker mash, more sparge water.
1.5 qt/lbAbout 3.1 L/kg. The common default.
2.0 qt/lbAbout 4.2 L/kg. Thin mash; BIAB and recirculating systems.
Choosing a mash temperature
Mash temperature decides how fermentable the wort is, which sets the body of the finished beer.
148–150°F64–66°C. Drier, lighter beer; more fermentable sugars.
152–154°F67–68°C. Balanced body for most styles.
156–158°F69–70°C. Fuller, sweeter beer; less fermentable.
Allowing for mash tun heat loss
The formula assumes the mash tun does not absorb heat. A preheated or well-insulated tun is close to that. A cold cooler or kettle pulls a few degrees out of the mash, so add 1–3°C (2–5°F) in the tun heat-loss field, or preheat the tun with hot water first.
If you miss the mash temperature
Stir thoroughly and read again after a minute. Too hot: stir in cold water or a few ice cubes. Too cold: add near-boiling water a little at a time. Record the miss and adjust the heat-loss value for next brew day.
FAQ
Strike Water Calculator questions
What is strike water?
Strike water is the hot water you mix with crushed grain to start an all-grain mash. It has to be hotter than your target mash temperature because the cooler grain pulls the temperature down when the two are combined.
How do you calculate strike water temperature?
Use Tw = (0.2 / r)(T2 − T1) + T2 in US units, where r is the water-to-grain ratio in quarts per pound, T1 is the grain temperature and T2 is the target mash temperature in °F. In metric, use 0.41 instead of 0.2, with r in litres per kilogram and temperatures in °C.
What water-to-grain ratio should I use?
Most single-infusion mashes use 1.25–2 quarts per pound (2.6–4.2 L/kg), with 1.5 qt/lb (about 3.1 L/kg) a common default. Thinner mashes are easier to stir and hold temperature well; thicker mashes leave more water for sparging.
What mash temperature should I aim for?
Around 148–150°F (64–66°C) for a drier, more fermentable beer, 152–154°F (67–68°C) for a balanced body, and 156–158°F (69–70°C) for a fuller, sweeter beer.
My mash came in too hot or too cold. What do I do?
Stir well and wait a minute before reading. If it is too hot, stir in cold water or ice a little at a time; if it is too cold, add near-boiling water. Note the difference and set the tun heat-loss value next time.
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