A mixture of grain and water, used to convert complex carbohydrates in grain into sugars that yeast can convert into alcohol.
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265 views
Bringing mash pH down without changing mineral profile too far
I checked the pH in my mash at the end of my mash yesterday and it was 6.6 (using a calibrated electronic meter). I'm trying to work out how to get that down into a more normal range without adding ...
3
votes
2answers
457 views
Mash tun shape - does it matter?
Or mash tun aspect ratio, if you like. Tall and skinny, or short and wide? I know a deeper grain bed (tall and skinny) will be better for lautering purposes, but will a flatter grain bed (short and ...
3
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1answer
177 views
Why should I use a Decoction mash instead of a Single Temperature Infusion mash?
Why should I use a Decoction mash instead of a Single Temperature Infusion mash?
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1answer
157 views
Can beta amylase eat sugars after alpha amylase?
A bit of background -- I brewed a pumpkin ale recently. The mash temp was maintained fairly high (well above 150F) for at least a full hour. The sparge was a disastrous 3-4 hour experience (despite ...
3
votes
1answer
150 views
How does efficiency change when adding grains that are normally steeped to a mash?
Imagine this scenario: you have a an extract recipe that contains a pound of steeped caramel malt. According to http://www.promash.com/FAQ/faq_diff.html the average efficiency of steeped malts is ...
3
votes
2answers
320 views
Should I include my specialty grains in a mini-mash?
I'm planning to use up all my leftovers from recent batches, augmented with minimal newly-purchased ingredients, to make an oatmeal stout.
I know I need to mash the oats, so I picked up a pound of ...
3
votes
3answers
214 views
Can you mash for too long?
I'm looking at brewing an all-grain barley wine in the near future, and I'm aiming for a high ABV (13%-14% ABV). From what I've heard in discussions elsewhere, by single-infusion mashing at a lower ...
3
votes
1answer
153 views
Grains for Mashing and Grains for Steeping
Does anyone have a list they care to post that lists the "must mash" and "steepable" grains?
Might be nice content for the site overall.
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1answer
149 views
What are the effects of transferring a mash before lautering?
In my latest batch I ended up with a stuck mash due to me mis-assembling the false bottom. To solve this, I transferred the mash to a bucket, fixed the false bottom, put the mash back in the MLT and ...
3
votes
1answer
172 views
What is considered to be a reasonable temperature rate change in a HERMS or RIMS system?
When brewers speak of their mashing techniques using mash temperature controlling technology, they sometimes make claims as to how fast they can get their mash from temperature 'A' to temperature 'B', ...
2
votes
3answers
114 views
Mash-produced unfermentable sugars do add sweetness and aroma?
I read in some sources that mash conditions can influence the production of dextrins, that are not fermentable, have no taste (is that correct?) and add body to the beer. But somewhere else I read ...
2
votes
4answers
511 views
Effects of Grain Freshness on Brew House Efficiency
Background: My co-brewer (ScottyG) and I recently brewed our first all-grain in a converted Coleman cooler. We have over sixty batches of extract under our belts and have even made a few hard ciders ...
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votes
1answer
92 views
What is the quickest way to heat mash / sparge water?
Using a propane burner, is one of the following methods quicker / more efficient than the other? If so why?
a) Heat 2.82 gallons of water from 70 degrees to boiling and then add 1.12 gallons of 70 ...
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votes
1answer
183 views
Mixing grains before mashing?
Is it important to mix up the different types of grains before they go into the mash tun or is it okay to just dump them in separately?
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2answers
197 views
What characteristics should a bucket have to be suitable for a mash tun?
Does it need to have anything special or any food-grade bucket would do?
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votes
1answer
192 views
can pH strips go bad? / 5.2 stabilizer
So I just recently started paying attention to mash pH. Took a reading of a cali common I brewed about 10 days ago during the mash, and based on the strips reading (after adding the stabilizer), I ...
2
votes
2answers
138 views
Lower temp Mash-out
While I was making an AG batch this weekend I had a 154 degree mash for 60 min but my mash-out temp only got up to 162 instead of 170. What sort of effect will this low mash-out temp have on the beer? ...
2
votes
1answer
162 views
Mash rests and water to grist ratio
I am planning brewing a recipe I found of a porter that I am really excited about. The original recipe says that you should do a rest at temperature below final mash temperature for a bit. After some ...
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votes
3answers
342 views
How much strike water can I expect to lose to grain hydration?
Let's say I have a pound of milled barley malt. Let's say American 2-Row, for the sake of specificity. And let's say I have a gallon of warm/hot water that I mix with the grain and let sit for some ...
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votes
2answers
1k views
Insulating My Mash Tun
I have a pretty typical converted keg mash tun. Over the course of a sixty minute mash it loses 8-10ยบ F. My previous mash tun, a converted cooler would only drop a few degrees and I would like to be ...
2
votes
1answer
148 views
Suggestions for inline heating unit housing for wort circulator?
I built an inline heating element assembly using some 1" copper pipe, a 1" threaded female fitting and some 1/2" fittings. The idea is, wort comes in from the bottom 1/2" fitting, flows over the ...
2
votes
1answer
82 views
Missed my target gravity and volume by a mile
So, I know there were lots of things I could have done to repair the situation had I been prepared (lesson learned, I'll be having DME on hand from here on out), but I'm a little more interested in ...
2
votes
1answer
101 views
Calculating Infusion Temperature After Protein Rest
I'm using this infusion calculator to determine how much and what the water temperature should be when adding water to my mash tun. A recipe I'm following calls for a protein rest at 122 degrees F for ...
2
votes
1answer
174 views
Double decoction mash profile for full bodied beer
I'm planning to brew a Single Malt and Single Hop (SMaSH) beer using Canada Malting's Superior Pilsner and Czech saaz hops. I'd like the resulting beer to be full bodied, like Pilsner Urquell, but I'm ...
2
votes
1answer
102 views
Glucan rest necessary
I am brewing all-grain and have in the past always held a glucan rast when mashing. I am trying to speed up my brewing process and that rest of course slows me down quite a bit because of the heating ...
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vote
3answers
160 views
How to make more beer than I can boil?
I will soon need to buy some more equipment, but I want to think it a little bit what I really need to buy and in the meantime I will try some workaround.
I was thinking of brewing mash/extract ...
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vote
2answers
363 views
What's the minimum mash time?
Listening to an episode of Basic Brewing last night, I heard a guest say that most of the conversion in the mash happens in the first half, and that the mash can thus be cut down as short at 45 ...
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vote
2answers
122 views
Most Feasible method to add Grains of Coffee in Porter Style
I have seen someone added coffee in a stout beer, I want to use it in batch of my beer (18 liters), to do so I have two ideas:
To combine grains of coffee with mash.
Make an espresso and add it to ...
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vote
2answers
1k views
Importance of Mash and Sparge Water Volumes using Batch Sparge
I'm new to all grain brewing and one of the things I haven't been able to find much information on is the importance of water volumes for the mash and sparge steps.
There are a lot of calculators ...
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vote
3answers
121 views
Will Adding an Active Mash to a Non-Active Mash Get Enzyme Activity Started Again?
Background: A friend of mine does ten gallon batches of big beers, so has a lot of grain. After mashing, his technique is to fly sparge with 170 degree water. I understand this shuts-down enzymatic ...
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vote
1answer
45 views
Is tin safe on the mash?
A friend is building a manifold and the copper connections he bought have a bit of tin (Sn) on it, supposedly to make the solder easier.
He is not going to solder them so the tin will remain in ...
1
vote
1answer
150 views
Mash Efficiency With Top Off
I just put my second AG batch into the primary, but I ran into an issue I need some help with.
When I did my first AG batch, I used water that was treated by a water softener (I know, I know...it was ...
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vote
2answers
280 views
overheated the mash by a long shot
I asked before and got some help and have done some reading since. The temp in my mash jumped from 175 to about 195 after I put the lid back on. How much damage did I do? Some things I've read since ...
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votes
3answers
128 views
Mash process vs specialty grains
Everybody can buy a certain number of specilaty grains and combine them, but in a way it seems to me this way I will do something that someone else can do just replicating my grain choice. On the ...
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votes
1answer
144 views
How should I combine grain and hot water when doughing in [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Should the grain or strike water be added to the mash tun first?
Should I add water first, then grain? Grain, then water? Both at the same time?
I'm worried that ...