Anyone use a decoction mash?

Hey all. Im a new all grain brewer and was thinking of using a decoction mash because I love malty beer. Also I have a smaller pot and this would allow multiple rests without adding a ton of water. Anyone have experience with this and does it help flavor a lot?

It depends what grain you are using. Most modern grain is very well modified, so that it has plenty of enzymes and only needs a single infusion rest. A decoction can possibly be not a good thing for these beers. Less modified and under modified malts are the ones generally used for decoctions and are probably going to come from Germany or some other place that has a tradition of decoction mashing. The only beers that I have decocted so far have been my hefeweizen. The decoction guru around here is Kaiser. Check out some of his posts and the section on decoction in the wiki.

I did my first decoction with my last Bock. It's still lagering, so the jury's still out, but early reviews seem to indicate that it is my best Bock ever.

SpecialEd said:

Hey all. Im a new all grain brewer and was thinking of using a decoction mash because I love malty beer. Also I have a smaller pot and this would allow multiple rests without adding a ton of water. Anyone have experience with this and does it help flavor a lot?

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I use them quite frequently and don't think that they make a significant difference in the maltiness of the beer. The correct grain bill seems more important.

Kai

I beat you Kai...

How did this thread sit for a half hour and then have three of us post a reply at the same time?

Brewsmith said:

I beat you Kai...

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I admit that I'm a slow typer. That's why don't do well in chats. The other may have already changed the subject by the time I get my question out.

Ed, I'm in the process of writing something about the various mash schedules on the Wiki. Including decoction mashes that minimize or even eliminate the protein rest. The latter needs to be short or skipped based on the malt's modification.

It may take me a few days though.

Kai

I like them, but really I do them "for the hell of it". Sometimes it's useful if you run out of space in your tun, but OTOH if you're doing a single infusion it's not really necessary. I mostly use them when I'm planning an acid or protein rest and have the time.

Cool, thanks Kai. PS youve helped me a lot with all my questions Kai cheers to you.

Are you doing decotion mashing by heating up more water? Or by drawing off thick mash and boiling that?

I was planning on a tripple decotion by pulling thick mash twice, and thin wort the final time for mashout. This was going to be for a doppleboc.

D*Bo said:

Are you doing decotion mashing by heating up more water? Or by drawing off thick mash and boiling that?

I was planning on a tripple decotion by pulling thick mash twice, and thin wort the final time for mashout. This was going to be for a doppleboc.

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It really should be thick or medium-thick mash until you get to mashout, otherwise you risk denaturing most of your enzymes which are in the liquidy portion of the mash. For mashout the thin decoction is the way to go since it's easier and denaturing enzymes isn't an issue at that point.

As far as I know, denaturing enzymes isn't an issue with a thick decoction, either. Your grains have been steeping for a while before the decoction, and since the diastatic enzymes in malt are very water-soluble, they are left behind in the liquid. Since you're boiling mostly solids from the grist with just a little liquid to keep the stuff from burning, you're good to go.

I really want to do a decotion, again, "just for the hell of it," but I need to find a recipe where the decotion at least has a chance of doing it some good. Still a little ways away from lagering capabilities, so bocks / dopplebocks / Oktoberfests are out; what kind of ale recipes (normal fermentation temps) might (theoretically) benefit from a decotion? I would assume something German in origin; what about a dunkelweisen, since I should probably step-mash the wheat to do a protein rest anyway?

the_bird said:

I really want to do a decotion, again, "just for the hell of it," but I need to find a recipe where the decotion at least has a chance of doing it some good. Still a little ways away from lagering capabilities, so bocks / dopplebocks / Oktoberfests are out; what kind of ale recipes (normal fermentation temps) might (theoretically) benefit from a decotion? I would assume something German in origin; what about a dunkelweisen, since I should probably step-mash the wheat to do a protein rest anyway?

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Kolsch, Alt. Both traditionally brewed using decoction. But you 'd need a little lower then usual ale fermentation temperature, around 62F.

the_bird said:

I really want to do a decotion, again, "just for the hell of it," but I need to find a recipe where the decotion at least has a chance of doing it some good. Still a little ways away from lagering capabilities, so bocks / dopplebocks / Oktoberfests are out; what kind of ale recipes (normal fermentation temps) might (theoretically) benefit from a decotion? I would assume something German in origin; what about a dunkelweisen, since I should probably step-mash the wheat to do a protein rest anyway?

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Brewing an Alt or Hefe would work nicely with decoction. I'd recommend a single decoction as a mash-out decoction after a stepped infusion mash.

Maybe next time we have a NE (meaning north east to include the Yankees)brew-out you can brew my Alt recipe with a decoction. I expect this mash to take only 30-40 min longer than a regular single infusion mash.

Kai

Kaiser said:

Brewing an Alt or Hefe would work nicely with decoction.

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AND...if you chose a Hefeweizen, you could join an even more exclusive / masochistic subset of homebrewers by incorporating an acid rest into your schedule...:rockin: