the_bird

Recipes 

OK. gents, first in what will likely be a series of very easy questions as I prep for my first AG/mostly-AG brew next weekend...

Re-reading Papa Charlie, Complete Joy, on mashing procedures. He talks about infusion mashing if the malt is highly modified, but doing a step mashj if undermodified malted barley is used.

But - I'll be damned if I can figure out what an undermodified malted barley would be...

When would I use step mashing? Prolly gonna do his Good Life Pale Alewhich alls for a pale ale-type malt, Munich malt, and a little bit of crystal; gotta believe there's nothing undermodified there. But, I'm confused when I would do one over the other, and if a step mash accomplished anything else that would result in a better end product (sounds like head formation is improved).

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Come join Yankee Ingenuity!

"I'm kind of toasted. But I looked at my watch and it's only 6:30 so I can't stop drinking yet." - Yooper's Bob
"Brown eye finally recovered after the abuse it endured in Ptown last weekend, but it took almost a full week." - Paulie
"no, he just doesn't speak 'stupid'. i, however, am fluent...." - motobrewer

Exo

Recipes 

Funny, I've been searching the net looking for something similar for my first AG on Tuesday.

What I've found is 2-row has lots of enzymes and will more than cover your Munich and Crystal.

My IPA will have some Victory in there as well. I've come to the conclusion that a 155deg target temp followed by 170deg. sparge will be just fine.

A protien rest would help clarity from what I've read, but going from protien temps to 155 seems like a feat to me with my limited space of 6gal. mash/lauter tun.

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Primary:
doh!
Secondary:
Wasp Bitten IPA (a Walker-San clone);Cheesefood's Caramel Creme; Wee Heavy Scottish Ale;
Bottled/Conditioning:
Flyin' Hornet Pale Ale(Mirror Pond clone);Oktoberfest Ale
Drinking:
Boom-Boom Apricot Hefeweisen; Forbidden Ale;Pale-Ass Ale (SNPA Clone); Ol' Man Winter Ale
On-deck:
Dead Guy clone
Planning:
Walker's Espresso Stout; BrewPastor's Bastard Lager

Quote:

But honey, how else am I going to get enough bottles for my next batch? *burp*...*fart*

Exo

Recipes 

Also, I'm going to attempt to find some Ph sticks and some iodine. Though I currently have no way to adjust the mash Ph if it's off.

__________________
Primary:
doh!
Secondary:
Wasp Bitten IPA (a Walker-San clone);Cheesefood's Caramel Creme; Wee Heavy Scottish Ale;
Bottled/Conditioning:
Flyin' Hornet Pale Ale(Mirror Pond clone);Oktoberfest Ale
Drinking:
Boom-Boom Apricot Hefeweisen; Forbidden Ale;Pale-Ass Ale (SNPA Clone); Ol' Man Winter Ale
On-deck:
Dead Guy clone
Planning:
Walker's Espresso Stout; BrewPastor's Bastard Lager

Quote:

But honey, how else am I going to get enough bottles for my next batch? *burp*...*fart*

the_bird

Recipes 

What are you doing for a recipe?

Another stupid question; "pale ale-type malt"; is that generic 2-row, or is there something special I should be looking for? Can't recall what the HBS has for grains in stock, I remember the 2-row in addition to the crystals, chococolates, etc., but there was a whole section I paid no attention to. Guess I'll find out...

__________________
Come join Yankee Ingenuity!

"I'm kind of toasted. But I looked at my watch and it's only 6:30 so I can't stop drinking yet." - Yooper's Bob
"Brown eye finally recovered after the abuse it endured in Ptown last weekend, but it took almost a full week." - Paulie
"no, he just doesn't speak 'stupid'. i, however, am fluent...." - motobrewer

alemonkey

Recipes 

2 row Pale and Pale Ale malt are slightly different if I recall correctly - Pale Ale malt is a little darker.

the_bird

Recipes 

Is pale ale malt fully modified, i.e. I don't need to do a step infusion?

__________________
Come join Yankee Ingenuity!

"I'm kind of toasted. But I looked at my watch and it's only 6:30 so I can't stop drinking yet." - Yooper's Bob
"Brown eye finally recovered after the abuse it endured in Ptown last weekend, but it took almost a full week." - Paulie
"no, he just doesn't speak 'stupid'. i, however, am fluent...." - motobrewer

Chairman Cheyco

Recipes 

Lots of the guys who are winning competitions (nationals included) use single infusions - for everything. Keep it simple for your first AG. Mash at 154 and be done with it. Todays malts are very well modified and don't require all the fancy steps anymore.

__________________
Once the wind has been broken, it cannot be fixed.

Pumbaa

Recipes 

Iodine at Walgreens first aid section . . . about $1
PH sticks and 5.2 at your LHBS, dunno price but IIRC not that much

__________________

Blender

Recipes 

Very good advice. You will probably have a harder time finding unmodified malt vs. modified at the brew stores.

__________________
Gary

Exo

Recipes 

bird, I'm doing my Walker-san clone of Kaduva IPA on Tuesday. Recipe's in my sig. I believe I'll be doing a 1-step infusion at around 154deg.

__________________
Primary:
doh!
Secondary:
Wasp Bitten IPA (a Walker-San clone);Cheesefood's Caramel Creme; Wee Heavy Scottish Ale;
Bottled/Conditioning:
Flyin' Hornet Pale Ale(Mirror Pond clone);Oktoberfest Ale
Drinking:
Boom-Boom Apricot Hefeweisen; Forbidden Ale;Pale-Ass Ale (SNPA Clone); Ol' Man Winter Ale
On-deck:
Dead Guy clone
Planning:
Walker's Espresso Stout; BrewPastor's Bastard Lager

Quote:

But honey, how else am I going to get enough bottles for my next batch? *burp*...*fart*