Horsepuncher

Recipes 

Hello all,

I've just graduated from all extract brewing and am starting some partial mash brewing.

This past weekend I just brewed my first partial mash kit. It went fairly smoothly. I have partial mash recipe for a SNPA clone that I plan on brewing next.

My question is, what are the water guidelines for the partial mash and sparge? My recipe doesn't list this. I've read that for a full grain mash it's about 1.25-1.5 qt of water per lb. of grain, and 3 qt of water per lb. for the sparge. Are the guidelines for a partial mash the same?

Thanks for any advice.

Yooper

Recipes 

Yes, the mash is the same no matter what the size. Generally, you use 1.25-2 quarts of water per pound of grain in the mash, and then sparge up to your boil volume or up to 2 quarts of water per pound of grain for the sparge.

Using 1.25-2 quarts of water per pound of grain helps to ensure proper pH for conversion for the mash, and limited the sparge amount to +/- 2 quarts of water per pound of grain means you don't risk oversparging.

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bobbrews

Recipes 

Put your mini mash in a nylon mesh paint strainer bag, secure it with a thick rubber band or twist-tie, and mash in a smaller covered pot at about 1.3-1.5 liters water at about 147-155 F degrees (depending on recipe) per lb. of grain. The smaller volume will allow you to use a smaller kettle to mash in while your main volume of water is heating up in the larger kettle.

Lower mash temp. range for more alcohol and less body. Higher mash temp. range for less alcohol and more body. If you want to level out at about 151 F, then I recommend mashing your grains at 147-148 F since the grain used to make the Extract was probably mashed around 152-154 F by the maltster.

While your minimash is happening, simultaneously heat your main volume of plain water to 170 F-ish in a separate larger kettle. After the minimash, dunk sparge the grain bag into the 170 F-ish kettle to rinse the sugars and mashout. Afterward, let drip drain into a bowl and proceed with the rest of your recipe.

strambo

Recipes 

I do it exactly the way bobbrews explained. I PM up to 6lbs grain in a 3 gal pot, I pre-heat the oven to low (then turn it off) and stick the pot in the oven for the mash. The center oven rack, which would have been in the way, is set aside, then after my dunk-sparge, I put the oven rack over my large brew kettle and set the wet grain bag on that to drain as the kettle is heating to boil.