Effects of Mash Temperature

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PhilsBeard74

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I have done about 10 all grains with a general mash of 150 degrees for 60 minutes. For single infusions, can anybody tell me how different temperatures will affect that sweet, sweet wort? Thanks
 
Higher temps will leave you with a higher FG. Don't go over 158-160 though. The lagunitas IPA clone from CYBI is mashed at 160, I almost couldn't bring myself to do it!
 
The lower the mash temp the more fermentable the resulting wort. This means that, as enderwig said, a high mash temp results in a less fermentable wort which will end up as a finished beer with more residual sweetness -- in other words a higher terminal gravity.

Low mash temp -> drier finished beer
High mash temp -> sweeter finished beer

If you use any brewing calculations, the factor that will be affected by the mash temp is the apparent attenuation %. For example, if your yeast strain is rated to attenuate to 75-80%, mashing at 150 should result in an attenuation closer to 80%. Mashing at 158 should result in an attenuation closer to 75%.
 
Lower temps. tend to give you a drier, thinner beer (read: higher ABV), also hops utilization is effected. I made two-five gallon batches of an identical recipe for my APA. As an experiment, I mashed one at 154F and the other at 149F. Both pre-boil and OG's were within .001. Both used S-05, both fermented side by side at 66F. The APA mashed at 154F finished at 1.013, the APA mashed at 149F finished at 1.008. Both were delicious, but different.

I realize that I didn't brew these in a lab environment, so some other factors might have effected the outcome, but you can see the general idea here.
 
also hops utilization is effected.

Mash profile does not affect hop utilization.

Mash profile may affect the perception of bitterness by influencing the fermentability of the wort (a 45 IBU beer with a FG=1.010 will taste more bitter than a 45 IBU beer with a FG=1.018), but it does not change the utilization.

edit: holy necrothread
 
Rise from your grave!

Small 2-3 F differences in mash temperature don't matter all that much. Bigger shifts do matter. Above certain thresholds, different enzymes degrade faster. However, for most intents and purposes, it might be better to state:

Mash TIME matters much more than mash temperature. If you want a less attenuative beer with more body, mash for just 30-40 minutes. If you want a drier, thinner beer, mash for 90 minutes. If you don't know what to do, 45 minutes is "good enough" and 60 minutes is the hobby standard.

Personally, I mash every beer at about 150 F for 40-45 minutes. Save a few minutes of your life on every brew day. Good enough.
 
Rise from your grave!

Small 2-3 F differences in mash temperature don't matter all that much. Bigger shifts do matter. Above certain thresholds, different enzymes degrade faster. However, for most intents and purposes, it might be better to state:

Mash TIME matters much more than mash temperature. If you want a less attenuative beer with more body, mash for just 30-40 minutes. If you want a drier, thinner beer, mash for 90 minutes. If you don't know what to do, 45 minutes is "good enough" and 60 minutes is the hobby standard.

Personally, I mash every beer at about 150 F for 40-45 minutes. Save a few minutes of your life on every brew day. Good enough.


If you single infuse because your equipment prevents you from stepping then go with what is stated above.

If you can step mash, try 62/72/77 for 25/30/10 respectively. This is the best compromise between time, fermentability, body and foam.
 
If you single infuse because your equipment prevents you from stepping then go with what is stated above.

If you can step mash, try 62/72/77 for 25/30/10 respectively. This is the best compromise between time, fermentability, body and foam.

I have no doubt that that schedule makes great beer. However, in the interest of minimizing needless steps, what happens if you credit the heatup towards the boil as hitting the 77C (and beyond) rather than holding right at 77C for 10 minutes? Maybe just keep on heating and skip that step if it's not crucial.
 
I have no doubt that that schedule makes great beer. However, in the interest of minimizing needless steps, what happens if you credit the heatup towards the boil as hitting the 77C (and beyond) rather than holding right at 77C for 10 minutes? Maybe just keep on heating and skip that step if it's not crucial.


Holding at 77 °C is good for foam.
 
Is that a for-sure thing? Have side-by-side experiments been done? I never rest at 77C and I still get plenty of foam.


It's easy for those who direct fire and is only 10 minutes so for me it's a no brainer. It's well documented that a rest there can help foam stability. I don't have my searchable texts right now but glycoproteins are what you are after.

All I'm saying is that if you can direct fire it's worth a shot. It's always good to have both sides of the single infusion/step mash debate covered so that people can compare and contrast.
 
Here's a good primer:
Mash Temps Illustrated

Simply put:
The two main enzymes active during the mash are alpha and beta amylase. Alpha amylase, which is most active in the 154-167F/68-75C range, creates longer sugar chains that are less fermentable, resulting in a beer with more body. Beta amylase, which is most active between 130-150F/54-65 C trims off single maltose sugar units that are more fermentable. This results in a more complete fermentation (higher attenuation) and a cleaner beer with a thinner body.

Mash-Temperature-Chart.png
 
As a side note I mash at either very low, medium or very high to get an extra emphasis on the effect, that is 145, 151, and 158 degrees F. My palate cannot discern from a beer mashed at 154 vs 150 which is the main reason for the wide spread.
 
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