Easy Partial Mash Brewing (with pics)

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ooguyx said:
After heating the strike water to the right temp and adding the grains, do you remove the pot from the heat all together, or do you leave it on low? Last time I tried a PM (my fist PM btw) I had a really hard time keeping the temperature at 150F-152F and found that it went above 170F a couple times (I added cold water to cool). If you remove from heat, do you worry about temp loss and do you check the temp while you are mashing.
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Since I have an electric stove, I have to sit there for a few minutes (after I cut off the eye) reading my temperature to make sure it isn't rising anymore. After I hit 162-166 (depending on the style I'm going for) I lug the grains in, stir it around a few times and take five or six temp readings before putting the lid on.

Here's a nice trick that a few others do, as well. Take a couple of towels that are folded fairly thick and clamp them around your kettle. You can use those bigger spring "hand clamps" or those light plastic vice grips from Lowes/Homedepot. After I take my initial temp readings around the mash, I put the lid on and let it sit. When I get back to it an hour later, it's sitting at EXACTLY the same temp from when I covered it.

It's bittersweet having an electric stove because of heat that doesn't really stop when you turn off the eye. But the flip side is that there is some residual warmth. Personally, I think it has way more to do with the towels insulating the kettle. Also, I never take off the lid to check temps; I don't want any heat escaping. To me there isn't any point if I already know that the strike temp isn't rising anymore.

Hope this helps out a little.
 
If you put towels around it, make sure the burner is off. It would be safer to use something designed for heat, though. 150F is a far distance from cotton's flash point, but still, safety first!

Cotton's flash point is around 210C, but a hot burner at a lower temp can ignite it at lower temperature than that.
 
Yeah, absolutely agree. I keep the lowest towel at least an inch from the bottom of my of my brew pot; It's also bigger around than the eye. (flat-glass surface stove)
 
deathtomacro said:

It's bittersweet having an electric stove because of heat that doesn't really stop when you turn off the eye. But the flip side is that there is some residual warmth. Personally, I think it has way more to do with the towels insulating the kettle. Also, I never take off the lid to check temps; I don't want any heat escaping.
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I have played around a LOT with this for doing All Grain. I have covered the kettle with towels, pillows, blankets, anything I can find in my house. I too have an electric "eye" stove. I found that when I leave it on the burner (after shutting it off) it holds the heat a lot better than if I cover it in towels and remove the heat. My coutnertop is linolium, so it strips the heat from the bottom. Without even covering the kettle (usually full), just leaving it on the stove (with the warmed eye) maintins my temp much better than removing it and covering it. I haven't even bothered to cover it.

If your kettle is full like me, there is no problem with removing the cover to stir it. I like to take temps at different places in the mash as well, so this lets me do it. Maybe every 15-20 minutes. If I am worried about losing a degree or two, I put the burner on low, 3-4, just to heat the coil up, then shut it off.
 
Two tips that I've found here and elsewhere that I've started using with fantastic results:

1. More grain is better. The first time I tried to do a partial mash using this system, I only used maybe 3 pounds of grain in a 3-gallon pot. I had a terrible time maintaining a constant temperature with so little volume to hold heat. I've since discovered that my 3-gallon pot is perfect for mashing 5.5-6.5 pound grain bills, so I adjust my recipes accordingly.

2. Use an oven to maintain mash temperature. While I'm heating my water, I also preheat my oven to 200F. A few minutes before I mash my grain, I turn off the oven. Once my grains are in and I've verified that I hit my target temperature, the pot goes into the oven. With this, I've been able to maintain my temperatures FAR better than I was before. Two weeks ago I managed a 149F 90-minute mash and I only lost four tenths of a degree over that time (probably from me checking the temp!).
 
Regarding temp loss, I still recommend the blanket method, removing from heat and insulating the pot. Using direct heat applied to the bottom of the pot is far too risky, in my opinion, and I would rather have a low mash temp than a high one.

I also don't mind my mash temp lowering. Most of the time when I do small partial mashes, it drops down to 140*F by the end of my mash and all of the beers I've made with this method were fantastic.

I haven't heard anything bad about people using the oven to hold temp (unless they set it too high) so that seems like a good way to go as well.
 
DeathBrewer said:
Regarding temp loss, I still recommend the blanket method, removing from heat and insulating the pot. Using direct heat applied to the bottom of the pot is far too risky, in my opinion, and I would rather have a low mash temp than a high one.

I also don't mind my mash temp lowering. Most of the time when I do small partial mashes, it drops down to 140*F by the end of my mash and all of the beers I've made with this method were fantastic.

I haven't heard anything bad about people using the oven to hold temp (unless they set it too high) so that seems like a good way to go as well.
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For a while I was removing my kettle and wrapping it in a big Towel and putting a pillow on top. It didn't work for me because I think too much heat was escaping out of the bottom on my linoleum surface, towel on the bottom wouldn't help. I decided to leave it on the burner because the burner would stay hot, but not give any heat (once turned off) to the kettle.

I only switched because a lot of my beers were over-atenuating. I was getting 85-89% attenuation because my mash temp was so low. Granted this is for all grain, and partial wouldn't have that problem, but the extra % alcohol was ruining some of the finer characteristics of the beers.

I'm never worried about it dropping low towards the end of the mash, the bulk of the conversion happens in the first 15 minutes.

DB is right though, direct heat IS risky. You need to mix well and realize that the temp on the bottom (where most of the grain is) will be higher than up top, so don't be taking the temp up top, you could be scorching the grain below.
 
I like a dry beer. I've been mashing very low lately, my recent roggenbier sitting at 144*F. Even for "maltier" beers, I generally use the malt character from the grain and a yeast that falls out easily and still mash low. 85-89% attenuation seems extremely high...what yeast and what mash temps are we talking here, agenthucky? And what type of beer?
 
DeathBrewer said:
I like a dry beer. I've been mashing very low lately, my recent roggenbier sitting at 144*F. Even for "maltier" beers, I generally use the malt character from the grain and a yeast that falls out easily and still mash low. 85-89% attenuation seems extremely high...what yeast and what mash temps are we talking here, agenthucky? And what type of beer?
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Well, it happened multiple brews in a row, and was a problem with my last 4-5 beers. ESB, English IPA, Pale ale, amber ale, and oatmeal stout (mashed lower on purpose).

The english beers were brewing with london 3 I think, and the ales were thames valley, and the stout s-04. All were planned to mash around 152F, no heat was added. I've gone over all the variables and the only thing I can think of is the Mash temp. I have double checked my refractometer readings with hydrometer ones, the only variable left is the mash temp. Either I have a bad thermometer, or the mash temp is too low. I checked my thermometer against a floating one, both read similar temps.

In the case of my amber, it went from 1.057 to 1.005 making it 90% attenuation, and 1.5% more than I expected. Freakish, I know, but maintaining the heat worked for my last batch.
 
Crazy, especially with all those english strains. I'd be interested in taking a look at those recipes, if you get the chance. Especially for the S-04...that stuff leaves all my beers sweet. The stout I have right now is S-04 and Notty and the nottingham is dry as hell, but the S-04 is super sweet. I'm blending.
 
DeathBrewer said:
Crazy, especially with all those english strains. I'd be interested in taking a look at those recipes, if you get the chance. Especially for the S-04...that stuff leaves all my beers sweet. The stout I have right now is S-04 and Notty and the nottingham is dry as hell, but the S-04 is super sweet. I'm blending.
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Blending never lets me down. It was actually s-05 i was referring to, didn't notice the typo. I do have a few recipes that use s-04, but one came out right on the target for 73% and the other two times it was with DME and it went to 83%, probably because of a higher fermentation temp. I can give you the recipes if you really want them, but s-05 was what I was thinking of.
 
HERE IS ANOTHER HUGE THANK YOU DEATHBREWER!

I've been using your method for four batches since stumbling onto this thread. I just bottled my first of those. This is my favorite beer of 8 brews I've tasted on bottle day. Delicious. Here's the recipe and notes in case anybody else out there is interested.

Thanks again,
Bryan
1lb coffee malt
1lb Munich Malt
12oz Pale ale Malt
8oz Special B Malt
4 oz Black roasted barley
2 Oz De-Bittered Black Malt
Steeped- @ 155 for 45 min in 2gal in a grain bag

Heated 2.5gal to 170º- tea bag sparged grain bag in pot for 10 min

Added sparge pot to orig. pot,
added 3lb Dark Extract
3lb Munich Extract
8oz malto dextrin
and brought to a boil

begin boil
1oz Nugget hops @ 60min
0.25oz cracked cardamon seed @ 15 min
Added aprox. 12oz of cold brewed cafe bustelo coffee.
cooled and topped off to 5gal

OG 1.064
Target OG 1.059
pitched 1 packet Danstar Nottingham
First batch fermented in bucket

Target FG 1.018
Projected ABV 5.371

Total time= 6 hours' ish

FG 1.020
Primed W/ 4 oz orn sugar
fastest bottle day ever

Actual ABV-- 6%
Actual ABW-- 4.7%
Calories per 12oz-- 221

Tastes delicious!!...even flat
 
DeathBrewer said:
Step 4:
After 30-60 minutes (or once you have conversion), pull up the bag of grains and let as much drain back into the pot as you can stand. This is a good workout with enough grain.

This picture caught me off guard. wait, what...beer?

06sparge2.jpg


Step 4.5 (EDIT)
Once your arm is tired, remove the bag from your mashing pot and "tea-bag" in the sparge water. Make sure it mixes well, and let it sit for 10 minutes (advice given to me in this thread. if you leave it in the sparge water longer, you will get better conversion)

After your sparge is complete, raise up the bag and let that drip again, so that you can get all the wort possible from the grains.

07sparge2.jpg


Step 5:
Dispose of your grains and spray all the grains out of your bag. You'll be using it again soon.

08grains.jpg


09hopbag.jpg
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Quick question. You say after 30 - 60 mins, or once you have conversion to remove the grain. Just curious how you know when you have conversion? The last two times I've brewed I just left the grain in the strike water for 60 mins, but I'd like to know if there's something else I should be looking for. Thanks for your help!
 
Taste the wort. Is it sweet? If so, you have conversion. You can also put a small amount of wort on a white plate and put a drop of titriable iodine or iodopher sanitizer on it. If the iodine stays red, there are no or at least very few unconverted starches present. If it turns blue, you don't have very good conversion.

I used the iodine test for awhile, but never had a fail. Now I just taste the wort as a formality, and because I like the taste of sweet unfermented beer.
 
phishfood said:
taste the wort. Is it sweet? If so, you have conversion. You can also put a small amount of wort on a white plate and put a drop of titriable iodine or iodopher sanitizer on it. If the iodine stays red, there are no or at least very few unconverted starches present. If it turns blue, you don't have very good conversion.

I used the iodine test for awhile, but never had a fail. Now i just taste the wort as a formality, and because i like the taste of sweet unfermented beer.
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+1
 
What formula are you guys using for calculating sparge water volume? I've always seen 1 quart of water for every 2 pounds of grain and it looks like you guys are using more.
 
MisterGreen said:
What formula are you guys using for calculating sparge water volume? I've always seen 1 quart of water for every 2 pounds of grain and it looks like you guys are using more.
Click to expand...

my take for this method is to use enough to get to your max boil without going crazy.
 
MisterGreen said:
What formula are you guys using for calculating sparge water volume? I've always seen 1 quart of water for every 2 pounds of grain and it looks like you guys are using more.
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I believe the recommended way to do it (as far as this thread is concerned) is to use as much water as you need to get up to your boil volume. So: boil volume = mash volume + sparge volume. If you mash with 2.5 gallons, and you want to boil 5.5, then you can sparge with 3 gallons.

Unlike mashing, sparging with extra water does not have a noticeable effect on the beer, for this BIAB method anyways.
 
Justibone said:
I believe the recommended way to do it (as far as this thread is concerned) is to use as much water as you need to get up to your boil volume. So: boil volume = mash volume + sparge volume. If you mash with 2.5 gallons, and you want to boil 5.5, then you can sparge with 3 gallons.

Unlike mashing, sparging with extra water does not have a noticeable effect on the beer, for this BIAB method anyways.
Click to expand...

That answers my question. Thanks so much guys!
 
In other words, it is difficult to OVERsparge using this method. Oversparging, however, can have a very negative effect on the beer. It can extract tannins (think tea) and make the beer harsh.

Also, don't forget to account for absorption. The general equation (as I've seen it) is 0.125 gallons of water per pound of grain. This method, however, absorbs a bit less than that...I'm assuming because the bag allows much more liquid to drain.
 
I wanted to make a rye beer, so I entered into partial mashing using this method. At one point I thought using a canning rack to drain the grains would be a great idea, after searching the thread I only found this note to that effect:
Ecnerwal said:
You might set a large colander on top of the pot, rather than be left holding the bag. Given the bag, a canning rack (which has rather big spaces) might even work, and that has hooked handles to hold it up in place.
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I figured a few photos were warranted to show the rack in action.

6lband2gal.jpg

Mashing 6LB Grain, 2 GAL Water in my 3 Gal pot. Used lid only, temp over 1 hr dropped 1F.

auseforthecanningrack.jpg

I set the canning rack in my brew pot, added 2.5 G of sparge water and heated to 175.

canningrackinuse.jpg

After steeping for 10 minutes, I lifted the rack out and let the grains drain. Worked excellently!
 
I don't understand the difference between this (in the OP) and specialty grains. I'm pretty sure this is pretty much exactly what I've done with those.
 
Whew ... 107 pages. It took two days of on-again and off-again reading but I'm through it all.

Now for a few questions.

1) I prefer a maltier beer (Dead Guy, DFH Raison, DFH Indian Brown). What target temperature should I mash my grains for a maltier sweeter brew?

2) When using a cooler to maintain mash temperature, how are you transfering to and from the cooler? I've got a ball valve on my 8 gallon pot, and just picked up a 10 gallon Igloo water cooler with a spigot (will replace will ball valve). Do minimize splashing / oxidation, what is the best method for transfer to and from the mash tun?

3) What is the best way to convert an all grain recipe to partial mash?

4) What do you mean when discussing "dry" beer? Less sweet?

5) What is the purpose of boiling down 6.5 gallons of wort to 5? Do concentrate the flavors? What is the pro / con (besides time) of full boiling for xx minutes?

Thank you DeathBrewer for starting an awesome thread!
 
I'll give this a shot... the following are my understanding, and not warranted to be 100% correct. ;)

ultravista said:
1) I prefer a maltier beer (Dead Guy, DFH Raison, DFH Indian Brown). What target temperature should I mash my grains for a maltier sweeter brew?
Click to expand...

153F.

2) When using a cooler to maintain mash temperature, how are you transfering to and from the cooler? I've got a ball valve on my 8 gallon pot, and just picked up a 10 gallon Igloo water cooler with a spigot (will replace will ball valve). Do minimize splashing / oxidation, what is the best method for transfer to and from the mash tun?
Click to expand...

Most people use a gravity feed, but some use a food-safe high temperature pump. Don't worry about hot side aeration... it's a boogie man, apparently.

3) What is the best way to convert an all grain recipe to partial mash?
Click to expand...

Multiply the pounds of the base grain by your efficiency. Use that much malt extract. Example: a recipe calls for 5 lbs. of 2-row, you have 65% efficiency:
5 * 0.65 = 3.25 lbs malt extract

4) What do you mean when discussing "dry" beer? Less sweet?
Click to expand...

Almost all of the sugars are fermented out. Opposite of "malty".

5) What is the purpose of boiling down 6.5 gallons of wort to 5? Do concentrate the flavors? What is the pro / con (besides time) of full boiling for xx minutes?
Click to expand...

Boil-downs are a good way to get the right amount of wort after your sparge. Also, they are a necessary evil since you need a good, full boil to get rid of DMS (cabbage flavor). So, since you know you will be boiling anyways, it's good to know how much water you will be boiling off.

Indoor brewers typically have very small boil-off volumes.
 
ultravista said:
Whew ... 107 pages. It took two days of on-again and off-again reading but I'm through it all.

5) What is the purpose of boiling down 6.5 gallons of wort to 5? Do concentrate the flavors? What is the pro / con (besides time) of full boiling for xx minutes?

Thank you DeathBrewer for starting an awesome thread!
Click to expand...

I usually boil about 6.5 to account for evaporation. I usually end up with just over 5 gallons. I lose a bit of that volume when dumping trub at the end of fermentation. Many times have I had 4-4.5 gallons of brew left in the fermenter because of miscalculations. But, it didn't worry me that much since the beer is awesome.

Most beer calculators will answer a lot of your questions to include mash in and strike temps along with a plethora of other data that can come in handy to dial in your beer. I never brew without my handy BeerSmith tools and BeerTools Software.
 
I haven't finished reading the full thread but the original post looks to be very helpful. I am going to attempt this method on Saturday. Thanks for the help :)
 
manhattanksbrewer said:
couldn't you just use a wort chiller instead of water to cool it
Click to expand...

To what are you responding?

If the wort is diluted more than you wanted, you have to add water back in anyways. Why add hot water when you can add cool? Even if you are using a wort chiller the last 20 degrees or so can take the longest, so if you need to top up then topping up with refrigerated water (or even ice) will get you to pitching temps that much faster.

Did that answer your question?
 
Okay, go ahead and go back to that specific post and hit "quote" if you want a specific answer to a specific question about what he posted. 107 pages is waaay too much to dig through.
 
Hello DeathBrewer
It was easy step but my home(Thailand) unable to find raw materials such as malts,yeast,hop.
I have bought in eBay, but shipping cost is very expensive.You can send it to me?. How much shipping cost.
Thank you
x_glod
 
x_glod said:
Hello DeathBrewer
It was easy step but my home(Thailand) unable to find raw materials such as malts,yeast,hop.
I have bought in eBay, but shipping cost is very expensive.You can send it to me?. How much shipping cost.
Thank you
x_glod
Click to expand...

If you can't get supplies, you'll have to grow them yourself.

Making malt is fairly easy, if you have grain. It largely involves wetting the grain, allowing it to germinate partially, and then roasting the grain. There are tutorials on the Internet.

If you use 50% barley and 50% rice (or other sugar), the beer will taste like "light" beer, but some people like that.

As for hops, you can order "rhizomes" to plant and grow your own. It grows as a vine, so look for tutorials on how to grow them on the Internet. I don't know which type would grow best in your climate, but you should definitely look around to find out.

As for yeast, you can order them once and then use scientific methods to culture them, separate them and store them in a freezer. Yeast are probably the easiest to maintain yourself.

If you want an easier way to get supplies, contact a brewery in your own country and see if they will sell you any, or if they will tell you where they buy supplies.

If you are forced to get supplies from the Internet, I recommend making very big orders all-at-once, so you can save on shipping. Good luck to you!
 
Many thanks for good advice.I'll try it.:mug:
Justibone said:
If you can't get supplies, you'll have to grow them yourself.

Making malt is fairly easy, if you have grain. It largely involves wetting the grain, allowing it to germinate partially, and then roasting the grain. There are tutorials on the Internet.

If you use 50% barley and 50% rice (or other sugar), the beer will taste like "light" beer, but some people like that.

As for hops, you can order "rhizomes" to plant and grow your own. It grows as a vine, so look for tutorials on how to grow them on the Internet. I don't know which type would grow best in your climate, but you should definitely look around to find out.

As for yeast, you can order them once and then use scientific methods to culture them, separate them and store them in a freezer. Yeast are probably the easiest to maintain yourself.

If you want an easier way to get supplies, contact a brewery in your own country and see if they will sell you any, or if they will tell you where they buy supplies.

If you are forced to get supplies from the Internet, I recommend making very big orders all-at-once, so you can save on shipping. Good luck to you!
Click to expand...
 
Just confused how you figure out the amount of water to use compared to the amount of grains your working with?

Thanks!
 
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. :)
 

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