agenthucky
Well-Known Member
The amount of water during a mash affects which enzymes are more active, i.e., more water means a more "malty" beer. If you want a malty beer (a scotch ale, a bock) then use more water (1.75 qt/lb) or if you want a "crisp" beer (lagers especially) then use 1.25 qt/lb. Any volume in between will have an intermediate effect.
These are just approximations, the actual volumes depend on the crush of the grain, which grains you use, etc. Just remember to use more water for a more malty beer and a higher final gravity.
While you have a point with the amount of water, I think the values for those results are a little small. YES, water does affect starch conversion, but not as much as temperature. Different levels of temperature activate different proteins which act differently and give you a sweeter or thinner beer. Now, once you have your temp locked in for your style, water does make a difference, but not a HUGE difference. When you talk about more water making the beer maltier, you are right, but not on the level of 1.25 vs 1.75.
The amount of water only affects the ability for the proteins to find and seek out the startches. Imagin if you will, 1 qt vs 5 qts per pound (5 is wayyyy to high). With 1 qt/lb there is less volume, and less space for the proteins to travel in order to get to the startches. In a 5 qt/lb mash (which probably wouldn't work too well, but it emphasises the point) the volume is so great that the proteins and startches are too spread out (diluted) to find each other and convert the startches. So, you will get more conversion of startches to fermentables (making the beer thinner because more fermentables means more attenuation) if they can find each other easier. Now, this is true for what I just describded, but the difference between 1.25 and 1.75 isn't as intense, and you won't see that much of an effect (in fact, you'd probably get better conversion with 1.75, making the beer thinner, but you reach a point where there is too much water, and it affects the conversion in the opposite way). You can go up to 2-3 qts before it starts to go the other way.
So, the point of all this is the amount of water affects the ability for the proteins to get to the startches, however, a much more important variable for the characteristic of the beer is temperature. Different temperatures bring out different proteins (hence the idea of step mashing). These different proteins convert the startches differently, making it a better variable to control for having maltier or crisper beers. You can compound the effects, like mashing at a higher temp and more water, to get more effects, but the amount of water is just dilution, when temperature give you different animals to work with.
If I can, I always go to 2 qt (which is not that high, historically) per pound. You will get a better conversion of whatever characteristic you are going for with your mash temp. You can still have quite a crisp beer with a larger amount of water, and a malty beer with a smaller one. Temp rules the roost