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I've heard Jamil Z. from the brewing network recommend re-mashing malt extract with a handful of two/six row to improve ferment-ability. Since the extract producer is attempting to please a larger customer base, they choose a middle of the road mash temp and thus a middle of the road ferment-ability. If making a high gravity beer, increasing ferment-ability of the extract could greatly improve the finished product. I want some empirical data on this topic before I attempt.

Questions:

  • Did this work for you?
  • Did you lose extract in this process? (i.e. did the grain suck up sugar, etc.?)
  • Based on your experience would you recommend the process to others?
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  • how did this work out for you? I am in a situation where i can only get a DME that seems to only go down to 1.030. I was thinking of adding Amylase enyzme and let the DME in 148 degree water. – user6245 Jan 7 '14 at 0:42
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Are you doing Jamil's Golden Strong Belgian recipe? I did that one, and did in fact re-mash my extract. I was doing it as a mostly all-grain though. I Just used some extract to get the gravity up past 1.060 (my limit for All Grain at the time) up to 1.080 or so.

My results: final gravity was like 1.007 or something, so the beer definitely dried out. However, I also: used Beano in the mash; made a very big starter; and ramped up the temps to 80F after 5-6 days. So I'm not sure what effect mashing the extract had, if any.

I don't know how much I lost to the grain, as my efficiency was kind of all over the place in those days. However, I don't suspect you would loose much (maybe 10%?) if you are doing a proper sparge.

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    I'd attribute it to the Beano, not the remashing. – Denny Conn Dec 21 '11 at 17:02
  • Not to be daft, but why would one want to add Beano? – Bill Craun Jan 6 '12 at 21:40
  • Beano helps make the mash more fermentable by breaking down some long-chain starches into simple sugars, so your normal mash enzymes and the Beano are working together in the mash for the same end product. – Graham Jan 9 '12 at 13:50
  • So complex to simple carb conversion? What are the byproduct(s) of the process? – Bill Craun Jan 9 '12 at 22:32
  • Not sure myself. Check out Jamil's podcast on his Belgian Golden Strong Ale recipe. That's where I heard about the Beano trick. – Graham Jan 10 '12 at 13:39
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I am pretty sure he is talking about complementing the extract with your own mash, not re-mashing the extract. I doubt you will get any more efficiency out of the extract, since the starches have already been converted at a certain temp to create the different sugar types. You cannot change the sugar types once this is done, which is why you can only ferment out so low with extract.

If you mash additional grains at a low temp, they will create more fermentable sugars that you can use to complement the extract to make a beer that appears to attenuate more (because the % attenuation of the combined wort will be higher).

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  • To clarify, i mean you can get your brewing water to mash temp (perhaps 148-150) and steep the crush 2/6 row in there to create a mini-mash. After a period of time (up to an hour) you can start heating the water for the brew day and then add the extract and boil per the normal recipe schedule. – Jason V Jan 19 '12 at 15:50
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    "Wellllllllllll... here's the thing:" Jamil was actually talking about re-mashing the extract. He said to add merely 1 lb of 2-or-6 row to your entire kettle of extract and water and mini-mash at 148F to increase the fermentability of extract. According to him, the amylase enzymes from the malt will be released into the water and will further break down the sugars in the extract, creating a very fermentable nearly-all-extract wort. It's at 27:50: s125483039.onlinehome.us/archive/Jamil12-31-07.mp3 – JackSmith Jan 19 '12 at 16:24
  • That is surprising to me, but if I had to choose someone to trust, it would be Jamil. – Jason V Jan 19 '12 at 16:38
  • The sugars are the sugars, but if you add more beta-amylase to the mix it will continue converting, the sugars are not locking in stone. If you dont add grain with diastatic power(enzymes) then you are correct, you are locked in, but this would very much work if done. – Kortuk Jan 7 '14 at 2:22

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