Iodine and chalk

**Athos56** · 02-05-2012, 05:23 PM

So I watched a video on decoction and the narrator was using iodine and chalk to check his mash conversion. So I tried it and during my decoction and mash I watched the reaction slowly change as there was less and less starch. My question is, when I'm doing a simple mash, not a Decoction, should I hold my Sac rest temp until I get little to no starch reaction from the iodine test?

kraypd · 02-05-2012, 05:35 PM

I learned this test from watching Kai's video as well. It's a great use of that children's sidewalk chalk that I had sitting around. I personally wait until conversion is complete based on the iodine reaction. This applies whether I am doing a single infusion mash or decoction.

**Athos56** · 02-05-2012, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kraypd

I learned this test from watching Kai's video as well. It's a great use of that children's sidewalk chalk that I had sitting around. I personally wait until conversion is complete based on the iodine reaction. This applies whether I am doing a single infusion mash or decoction.

Yeah that is what I thought I would do as well. Even though grain is not really expensive, if I can jack up my efficiency to the 90% just waiting fro my grain to convert, I don't need to buy as much!