MattHollingsworth

Recipes 

Hey guys.

I haven't brewed extract in about 15 years. Recently, here where I live, I saw a brewer making an extract batch and he was boiling his steeping grains. And another friend in the States just started and did his first batch. He bought some simplified book about brewing in apartments, I don't know which one. And he boiled his steeping grains for 30 minutes.

From what I remember, steeping grains are best kept under 170 or so, so as to not extract too many tannins.

Has this standard, basic extract brewing knowledge changed in the last 15 years? Or is it the same as it was: avoid boiling steeping grains.

I want to point my friend in the correct direction, but my extract brewing knowledge is totally out of date, so figured I'd check in with you guys.

Any insight is appreciated.

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HOMEBREWING SINCE 1997

Hamsterbite

Recipes 

I'm fairly new to HB, but everything I've read says NOT to boil the steeping grains for the reasons you stated.

Chipster27

Recipes 

X2. I'm under the impression that steeping grains are no different than AG brewing. You want to keep them around 150 for the starch/sugar conversion then raise them to 170 to finish off the cycle and remove them from the kettle.

MattHollingsworth

Recipes 

With steeping grains, you're not getting conversion. I'm not talking about any kind of mini mash or anything, just steeping.

Thanks guys.

Anybody say otherwise, with regards to boiling and not boiling?

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HOMEBREWING SINCE 1997

KISS Brew

Recipes 

You remember correctly, and your beer will probably turn out better than theirs. Just be sure to gloat.

__________________
Fermenting / Conditioning:
Beyond the Pale Ale, Cut and Dry Stout

Bottled:
Hoptoberfest IPA, Oktoberfest Ale, Blonde Ale, Scottish Ale, Oatmeal Stout, Edwort's Apfelwein, Janet's Brown Ale, Irish Red Ale, Strawberry Wheat, ESB, Belgian Pale Ale

KISS Brew Homebrewing Blog

Most recent post: Beyond the Pale Ale Recipe

MattHollingsworth

Recipes 

I'm not brewing extract, it's their first batch ever and I've been brewing for 15 years. I'm trying to help them with advice. Not a chance in hell I'll gloat or make fun of their beer even if they weren't 6000 miles away from me. The point is to help them make better beer so that they stick with the hobby. What would be the point of gloating?

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HOMEBREWING SINCE 1997

ncbrewer

Recipes 

John Palmer’s “How to Brew” is a respected source of home brewing information. His first edition (free, on-line) says “Steeping specialty grain is like making tea. The crushed grain is soaked in hot 150 - 170°F degree water for 30 minutes. Even though a color change will be noticeable early on, steep for the entire 30 minutes to get as much of the available sugar dissolved into the wort as possible. The grain is removed from the water and that water (now a wort) is then used to dissolve the extract for the boil.”
Link: http://www.howtobrew.com/

amandabab

Recipes 

A lot of old extract recipes hid the fact that they were trying for a short pseudo cereal mash buy just calling for boiling the grains or leaving them in until boiling, especially oatmeal.

but its best to just steep steeping grains <170.

KISS Brew

Recipes 

Calm down, not everything is so serious. I can't honestly claim that what I said was funny, but that was how it was intended

__________________
Fermenting / Conditioning:
Beyond the Pale Ale, Cut and Dry Stout

Bottled:
Hoptoberfest IPA, Oktoberfest Ale, Blonde Ale, Scottish Ale, Oatmeal Stout, Edwort's Apfelwein, Janet's Brown Ale, Irish Red Ale, Strawberry Wheat, ESB, Belgian Pale Ale

KISS Brew Homebrewing Blog

Most recent post: Beyond the Pale Ale Recipe

MattHollingsworth

Recipes 

Not angry, just didn't think that was funny.

Anyway, thanks guys. After all this, the beginner replied that "oops, I meant I boiled the wort after I took the steeping grains out." Hahaha!

Well, anyway, I'm just trying to steer him right. Now convincing him to skip secondary. The info he has says to rack to secondary after 5 or 6 days. I told him to ignore that and skip secondary. A waste of time and effort unless you intend to age the beer, IMHO.

__________________
HOMEBREWING SINCE 1997