Is it possible to recover from mashing at an incorrect temperature by stablizing the mash temperature for a longer duration?

Question

After 30 minutes of mashing, I checked the temperature at it was 142F/61C. I added 3/4 gallon of boiling water and brought the temp up to 155F/68C. It maintained between 152-155 for 60 more minutes.

Mashing at different temperatures causes different enzymes to be more activated than others, and that these enzymes break down the starch differently.

By mashing too low for too long, have I forever altered the composition of the sugar molecules in my mash? Or will stabilizing at the correct mash temperature and holding for 60 minutes result in the same composition as it would have been had I did this originally?

Answer 1

Specifically no. You can't mash longer at the correct temperature to correct for the 30 minutes at a lower temp. It doesn't mean the beer isn't any good but the composition of the sugars are going to be different than if it was all done as you intended.

That being said you probably won't even notice the difference in the finished beer. Your wort may be more fermentable than you planned but that is probably a good thing most of the time. You essentially step mashed at two very reasonable temperatures.

Answer 2

I think you're ok.

Basically you had a short beta mash and stepped to an alpha. The result is a more fermentable beer.

One thing with mash, you can't get beta action if your mash starts to high. Because the higher temps denture beta-amylase.

So it's fine to step up a mash temp, but stepping down does little because how the enzymes respond to temperatures.