All grain mash thickness

I am new to all grain brewing. I have recently started doing some experimentations. As far as mash thickness goes, it that directly related to your final alcohol content? So for example if I use 1.75 qts/lb will this increase my alcohol content compared to 1.25 qts/lb? What other effects will it have on final product? Taste? Color?

Thanks

Nothing so dramatic. There are a few very subtle impacts related to fermentability, but it's subtle and there are generally better ways to achieve the same results. Anything between 1qt/lb and 2qt/lb will get you good results. Your best bet is to be consistent with your process.

Would more strike water impact the body of the beer making it thin and watery?

VAShooter said:

Would more strike water impact the body of the beer making it thin and watery?

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No. What you are concerned about ultimately is total water used. Most people pick a specific mash ratio, and then manipulate their sparge water to hit their desired pre-volume volumes.

MalFet said:

No. What you are concerned about ultimately is total water used. Most people pick a specific mash ratio, and then manipulate their sparge water to hit their desired pre-volume volumes.

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Makes sense.

What about flavor and overall boldness of the flavors? I like a more bold flavors.....Love IIPA's, Imperial anything for example. Will more of a 'mushy' mash (less water) concentrate more flavors in the wort vs. having more volume. I've heard this rumored before but am just now getting ready for AG and have ZERO hands on knowlege.

The Water to grain ratio is not going to affect the fermentability or flavors in the wort much at all. Your mash temperature will though! When I first started all grain I was doing the 1.25 qts/lb. I was doing this and having to do 2 batch sparges due to mash tun size. I have switched to about 2 qts/lb which is getting me closer to half mash water and half sparge water to reach my final pre boil volume. Haven't noticed much of a change in my beers because of the grist ratio. Also, with more volume in my mash tun I keep temperatures better. YMMV

brettwasbtd said:

The Water to grain ratio is not going to affect the fermentability or flavors in the wort much at all. Your mash temperature will though! When I first started all grain I was doing the 1.25 qts/lb. I was doing this and having to do 2 batch sparges due to mash tun size. I have switched to about 2 qts/lb which is getting me closer to half mash water and half sparge water to reach my final pre boil volume. Haven't noticed much of a change in my beers because of the grist ratio. Also, with more volume in my mash tun I keep temperatures better. YMMV

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So does this mean that higher mash temp = bolder, more defined flavors?

VAShooter said:

So does this mean that higher mash temp = bolder, more defined flavors?

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Higher mash temps will give you more body and more unfermentable sugars, leaving more residual sugar in the finished beer. I like higher mash temps for darker beers (stouts and porters) for this reason.

I only employ two methods for mash thickness:

1) take total water needed and divide it in half. Mash with 1/2 and batch sparge with 1/2. With this method, I get 70-80% eff.

2) Mash with full volume and skip the sparge entirely. With this method I get 60-70% eff. Think of this method as a partigyle with no second runnings.

I don't like math, so I keep everything as simple as possible. Even mash calculators make me sleepy.

Franc103 said:

Higher mash temps will give you more body and more unfermentable sugars, leaving more residual sugar in the finished beer. I like higher mash temps for darker beers (stouts and porters) for this reason.

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Correct that there are more residual sugars. - ShooterVA, It all depends on what you define as bolder. In general higher mash temp = higher final gravity. Lower temp equals lower final gravity. How you perceive the beer to taste can vary greatly from person to person. And a higher final gravity doesn't always mean a fuller beer, but a lot of times it can. There are a lot of variables here, but getting back to the main question, the grist ratio is not as big of a factor as the other variables.