BullF-16

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I'm planning my first mini mash using this method and a Belgian Pale ale mini mash kit from AHB. The kit has 2 1/2 lbss of Belgian pale ale malt and 1/2 lb of Caravienne.

I am going to the LHBS later and was wondering if i could add another pound or so of additional grains. Is this a good idea or not. This is my fisrt venture away from extract brewing.

What do you guys/gals recommend?

Saccharomyces

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For a Belgian Pale throw in .25# of Biscuit malt into the minimash, it'll rock your world.

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DeathBrewer

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here is my belgian pale. it tasted JUST like a dekonick, albeit a little more alcoholic

it took a while for the caravienne to mellow out, though, because a pound was a bit much

you could add:
0.25 biscuit, 0.5 lb flaked outs, 0.25 aromatic malt

something like that, no matter what start off with small quantities. all of these malts can be overpowering if too much is used.

let us know how it turns out!

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WBC

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Deathbrewer, I have to say that you have a great thread here and all the questions make it better yet. You have done your homework well as evidenced by your answers and that is what makes you a good brewer. I look at brewing as an art and in order to be good at it you need to study what works for others who brew well and you have done that.

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DeathBrewer

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I'm glad people are finding this thread helpful!

i've only been brewing for four years, but i treat it like everything else...there's ALWAYS something to learn. no perfect style to brewing and definitely no one way to do it

I've done a ton of reading on brewing but I discover something new on these forums almost every day. HBT brought me into a new realm of brewing and i'm happy to give something back. i've got more experiments on the way and will have some new threads soon

this weekend i'm using this method to brew my little red hen ale and another beer at a friends house. it makes everything so easy, quick, and clean.

don't be afraid of the mini mash! keep the questions coming!

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Easy Partial Mash Brewing - Stovetop All-Grain Brewing

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JerryGallant

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Ok, so me & a buddy have JUST started brewing from extract, with a basic

paint-by-numbers kit. We're going to step it up next time because I'm sure

this won't taste great like a beer could with a little more effort. So.... when

you speak of diastatic power..this is the potential of the grain to create

sugars when boiled which then ferment into alcohol? And when you speak of

"efficiency", this is the maximum % of sugars that could be produced from

said grain? And the lower the DP, the more grain you'd need? I'm just trying

to clarify what I suspect I understand already. Thanks DB.

FishinDave07

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Grain should NEVER be boiled because it will release unwanted tannins, resulting in mouth-puckering astringent beer

True, many things affect efficiency such as crush, temperatures, lautering techniques, etc.

Some specialty grains need to be mashed to convert their starches to fermentable sugars. One way to do that in a PM is to use a %age of base malts: 2-row, vienna, pilsner, munich, etc.

Any "seasoned" brewers feel free to edit some of my material, but i believe its correct.

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JerryGallant

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Ok.... So your "steeping" your grains at a desired temp to make wort, and

THEN you bring it to a boil, adding your extract.

bigjohnmilford

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Great write up. I don't know how I missed it. It's nice to know death has some friends. Thanks for taking the time to do it.

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DeathBrewer

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diastatic power is the amount of enzymes the grains have that are able to convert starches into sugars. basically, the enzymes break them down into simple sugars that the yeast can eat.

after conversion is complete, you remove the grains and start your boil. never boil grains.

mashing is basically "steeping" at a specific temperature with a specific amount of water/grain ratio.

efficiency is the amount of sugars extracted from the grains (converted from straches)...good efficiency rates are generally higher than 70%

So grains with a higher diastatic power can convert the starches in other grains. grains like munich and vienna can't convert much else other than themselves. you generally would only need a small amount of 2-row to convert the other grains in a partial mash recipe.

more on Diastatic Power

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Easy Partial Mash Brewing - Stovetop All-Grain Brewing

"Death is always with us." - Brewpastor

We will remember...