How long to mash for?

I had been planning on a 90 minute mash at 150F. But I plugged my recipe and equipment information into BrewSmith, along with a "medium body double batch sparge" mash profile.

BrewSmith then tells me that I should mash for 60 minutes at 154F (or thereabouts, maybe 156F).

Are both correct? Which should I do?

Thanks

a temp of 150 for 90 minutes will make a very light beer, Ive never had to go below 152 for longer than 60 minutes. but it all depends on the style your making. 150 for 90 sounds like a light lager maybe.156 for 60 should make a very full bodied malty beer.

All the beers I have made have been mashed for 60 minutes, although some do call for longer mashes, you need to post your recipe.

Wow - I blink and there are two responses! LOL. Thanks guys.

I was planning on making BierMunchers SWMBO slayer, but that recipe does not state how long to mash for. My general reading led me to believe that 90 minutes at 150-152 would work well for most beers.

BM's recipe does say "Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body (154-156 degrees), Batch Sparge". Just doesn
t say for how long. Sounds like it should be for 60 minutes. BeerSmith appears to be correct again.

I'd go by what your recipe says, rather than the default settings in BeerSmith.

The preset numbers in BeerSmith are generic; you can and should change them to suit your needs.

If you know what you are doing you can mash from 20 minutes to 24 hours.
45 minutes will give full conversion in most circumstances.

60 - 90 minutes is best if you are unsure.
My mash time is usually set to fit in with anything else I'm doing at the time

orfy beat me to it. I've had full conversion in 45 minutes with Briess 2-row. 50 mins is usually when I vorlauf, and the 60 minute mark is typically when I start the draining, or sometimes the sparge water is being added by now.

k1v1116 said:

a temp of 150 for 90 minutes will make a very light beer . . . .

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He's probably meaning dry not light. Higher abv less body.

Edit: Hey, am I actually learning something from all the time I spend here?

I mash for 90 mins all the time, It all depends on what your schedule is like...
I also have been known to mash over night.
Either way I've made very good beer.

What makes the beer have a residual sweetness is the temperature you mash at, not the length of time you mash it.

Otis The Drunk said:

What makes the beer have a residual sweetness is the temperature you mash at, not the length of time you mash it.

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Well, that's not entirely true. BOTH time and temperature play a factor. The longer you mash, the more long chain dextrines are broken down. A 90 minute mash generally means a more fermentable wort, a 45 minute mash generally means a less fermentable wort.

From John Palmer's How to brew:

As always, time changes everything; it is the final factor in the mash. Starch conversion may be complete in only 30 minutes, so that during the remainder of a 60 minute mash, the brewer is working the mash conditions to produce the desired profile of wort sugars. Depending on the mash pH, water ratio and temperature, the time required to complete the mash can vary from under 30 minutes to over 90. At a higher temperature, a stiffer mash and a higher pH, the alpha amylase is favored and starch conversion will be complete in 30 minutes or less. Longer times at these conditions will allow the beta amylase time to breakdown more of the longer sugars into shorter ones, resulting in a more fermentable wort, but these alpha-favoring conditions are deactivating the beta; such a mash is self-limiting.

For my average ales and lagers I always favor longer mashes as I like dry beer (less sweet). I also favor lower mash temperature (less sweet). I am also a hophead = more hops.

The appeal of the SWMBO Slayer is the malty profile. Do a 60 minute mash.

As mentioned...longer mashes will cause higher attenuation and lighter...dryer beers. The Blonde you're brewing really needs to stay on the malty side.

Good luck with the brew...the chics will be all over you.

BierMuncher said:

Good luck with the brew...the chics will be all over you.

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Uh oh my wife wouldn't be too happy with that. Things might get ugly!

BierMuncher said:

Good luck with the brew...the chics will be all over you.

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This is exactly WHY I haven't brewed this beer yet! I have enough problems without dealing with chics.