ktblunden

Recipes 

Hey guys, I'm about to brew extract beer #2 this weekend and I had a question regarding steeping specialty grains. For my first brew I did a partial boil because I was using a 3 gal enamel pot we had. I dug out my turkey frier and cleaned that up really nice and now I'll be able to do a full boil. My question is, should I steep in the full volume of water or do the steeping in a smaller pot and then add the water in to the big pot? Unless there's a specific reason it needs to steep in 3-4 quarts as I usually see recommended it seems like it would be easier to just have one pot going.

JSGT09

Recipes 

I used to steep my grains in about 3 gal of water, but my last batch I steeped in a smaller amount on the stove and then added the grain tea to the water in the kettle. I decided to do this after reading several steeping threads stating that it was better to steep grains with 1.5 quarts of water per pound of grain.

Haven't tried this brew yet so I can't tell you how it has changed since my first ones.

__________________
Primary: Empty :(
Kegged: Ed Wort Hefeweizen, Scottish Shilling 80
Bottled: 1554 Clone

Strangelove

Recipes 

I can't see any good reason not to steep in the full volume.

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Primary 1:
Primary 2: American Barleywine
Primary 3: SMaSH Tripel
Primary 4: Extra Hard Lemonade
On Deck:
SECONDARY:
Bottle Conditioning: MW Belgian Honey, Edwort's Apfelwein, MW Bourbon Barrel Old Ale, Joe's Ancient Orange Mead, BM's Hooked on Bitters, Beecave Haus Pale Ale
Drinking: Yooper's Stone Ruination Clone, BM's SWMBO Slayer Belgian Blonde, BM's Kona Fire Rock Clone,

unionrdr

Recipes 

__________________
Everything works if ya let it-Roady(meatloaf)

hogwash

Recipes 

Use about 1 - 1.5 qts of water per pound of grain for steeping then add it to the rest of your water. Of course you could steep in your kettle then add the rest of your water when you are done steeping.

I believe that steeping in larger volumes tends to extract tannins from the grain lending an astringent taste to your beer.

Strangelove

Recipes 

Not even close to being true. There is a lot of BS on the subject of tannins, mostly rumor. If you read a text by experts you'll find that tannins have nothing to do with volumes. Only pH and temp effect tannin production.

__________________
Primary 1:
Primary 2: American Barleywine
Primary 3: SMaSH Tripel
Primary 4: Extra Hard Lemonade
On Deck:
SECONDARY:
Bottle Conditioning: MW Belgian Honey, Edwort's Apfelwein, MW Bourbon Barrel Old Ale, Joe's Ancient Orange Mead, BM's Hooked on Bitters, Beecave Haus Pale Ale
Drinking: Yooper's Stone Ruination Clone, BM's SWMBO Slayer Belgian Blonde, BM's Kona Fire Rock Clone,

unionrdr

Recipes 

__________________
Everything works if ya let it-Roady(meatloaf)

Strangelove

Recipes 

I'm a BIAB'er, but I've never read anywhere on here (or Palmer, etc) where someone has altered a mash or steep water volume to compensate for pH, only adding buffers.

__________________
Primary 1:
Primary 2: American Barleywine
Primary 3: SMaSH Tripel
Primary 4: Extra Hard Lemonade
On Deck:
SECONDARY:
Bottle Conditioning: MW Belgian Honey, Edwort's Apfelwein, MW Bourbon Barrel Old Ale, Joe's Ancient Orange Mead, BM's Hooked on Bitters, Beecave Haus Pale Ale
Drinking: Yooper's Stone Ruination Clone, BM's SWMBO Slayer Belgian Blonde, BM's Kona Fire Rock Clone,

ilikeguns

Recipes 

I've been reading so many things that say that tannin production vs volume thing but my gut has been telling me that it is not true.. glad to hear someone say it!

__________________
Next up.. Firestone Walker Double Jack Clone


guns before beer and you're in the clear...

hogwash

Recipes 

Okay, my bad, should have researched a bit before i posted. I could swear that i read that somewhere though. But in referring to palmer's how to brew just now, i see in his extract w/ specialty grains sample recipe that they steep the 1.25# grain in 3 gallons of water. My apologies to the op, sounds like there'd be no problem steeping in the full amount.