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**cheezydemon3** · 08-30-2011, 04:07 PM

I did search, there is plenty of "HOW TO" but which beers really benefit from a decoction?

I Have lagered, and can, but I am almost strictly an ALE guy. Do you do one eevry brew? Just on some?

NEVER?

Boerderij_Kabouter · 08-30-2011, 04:26 PM

I have used it all over the board. I find it particularly helpful in my Oktoberfest and in light lagers. I have used it to good effect on Am. IPA's, Am. wheats, and amber lagers. Oddly enough, I have never done a deco German wheat...

It definitely has an effect, but it can be compensated for pretty well by balancing malts and using some melo malt. However, IME it cannot be duplicated completely. There is a richness to beers done with a good deco pull that I haven't been able to replicate otherwise.

If I have the time and the inspiration to do it with a certain beer, I will do it.

hamiltont · 08-30-2011, 04:31 PM

A decoction mash works nicely for a Dopplebock and Weissbier (Hefeweizen). Cheers!!!

**GilaMinumBeer** · 08-30-2011, 04:32 PM

Just about any German styled lager benifits from a decoction.

rexbanner · 08-30-2011, 04:37 PM

I was wondering this myself today. I was brewing a Belgian pale ale a while ago, and I forgot to heat up sparge water during the mash. I always do a mash-out, so instead of using a batch sparge to hit 168, I just ran a quick decoction. Is there any reason not to do this with most of my beers?

The only beer I can think of that really wouldn't benefit from a decoction is maybe a dry stout. I've only done two decoctions so far because I was always intimidated by them, but they're really easy. The calculator makes it a piece of cake.

**BrewerinBR** · 08-30-2011, 04:43 PM

I use at least a single decoction for all beers. I use a double decoction for anything that has a complex grain bill (I.E more than 3 or 4 varieties of grain.) . IME the more complex the bill the greater benefit there is from a decoction. Plus it just plain fun to do IMHO.

King of Cascade · 08-30-2011, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheezydemon3

I did search, there is plenty of "HOW TO" but which beers really benefit from a decoction?

I Have lagered, and can, but I am almost strictly an ALE guy. Do you do one eevry brew? Just on some?

NEVER?

If you want to do an Ale I would do a hefewiezen or roggenbier otherwise a dopplebock would be traditional. IMO...With munich and melonoidin malts decoctions are a waste of time. With that said I understand some people like to do them for fun

**cheezydemon3** · 08-30-2011, 07:53 PM

I plan to actually simulate a decoction on a pm by boiling some of the grains and just adding them back in at sparge.

Will report.

**Airborneguy** · 08-30-2011, 08:34 PM

I just did my first single-decoction and plan on using it from now on whenever I make a lager. I might even try it in certain ales down the road. If you have a second pot you can use, even a smaller one, I found it much easier to do than I thought it would be.

I haven't done a double decoction yet, but will definitely do that when I brew my bock.

**smokinghole** · 08-31-2011, 12:12 AM

I use single pseudo decoctions all the time for mash temp raises. I say pseudo because I only run wort off and boil it to bring temp up, then add it back. Next time I do a belgian wit I will do a full decoction or two to give it that silky mouth feel that mine seems to lack. I've been working on my wit recipe for two years now and I'm getting close but I think the trick is a two sacch step decoction. One at 147ish and one at 156ish with no mash out step.

I think a lot would benefit from decoctions and I plan on doing them more often.