Two-temp partial mash?

I just got the "Clone Brews" book not too long ago and was looking at some of the partial mash instructions. There are a couple recipies that call for mashing for 30 min @122°F then 60 min 150°F.

So far, I've stuck to doing my partial mashes in my brew pot on the stove. What are some of the ways I could go about making the temp change recommended in these recipies? Is just adding hot water the best way? Doesn't that change the gravity? Or do I need to boil some of the "tea" and add it back in?

Thanks,
SP

I don't do partial mashes, but wouldn't you just turn up the heat on your stove? Adding the appropriate amount of boiling water would also raise the temperature into range.

I've done a lot of partial mashes on the stove, and what I do is essentially this. I bring the grist to 120F as fast as I can, and then lower my setting to medium or lower until it starts to stabilize somewhere below 130 degrees depending on the mash I'm doing. Then after I've done that stage, called the protein rest, I turn the stove up to medium-high and keep taking temps until it gets to 150 when I turn it back down and wait until it settles at 150-160, again depending on the mash I'm doing. It isn't hard, but you have to keep a really close eye on your temp so it doesn't get too hot too fast. When you get it where you want it, set the stove to low, and it usually stays pretty much where it is.

1 qt. per pound of grain @ 145F, will stabilize at around 133F, let sit for 30 min.

add 1/2 amount of boiling water, will stabilize at around 152F, let sit for 60 min.


example: 6 lbs. grain + 6 qt. 145F h20=first step @ 133F (30 min)
+ 3 qt. boiling h2o=second step @ 152F (60 min)

I bought a 2 Gallon cooler at target a few months ago.
Cost $ 10.
I use it for mini mashing.
After pre-heating, it holds the mashing temp for 1 hour with no problems, IF you put a nice fat towel on top of it.
(the lid is not insulated enough )

However, sparging is nearly impossible because you cant keep enough wort over the grain bed to clear the wort.

I think the way to go is to line the container with a grain bag, and do a simple batch sparge

Now you might say, "why not just go AG for all that effort?" The short answer is clean up. Smaller cooler, smaller pots less visual impact for the wife <img>

For 10 bucks, it was very much worth it.

Greyhair

Thanks for the info guys.

rewster451 said:

I bring the grist to 120F as fast as I can, and then lower my setting to medium or lower until it starts to stabilize somewhere below 130 degrees depending on the mash I'm doing. Then I turn the stove up to medium-high and keep taking temps until it gets to 150 when I turn it back down and wait until it settles at 150-160,

Click to expand...

I figured that this was probably the easiest way, but probably also the most time consuming and maybe a bit inconsistent from one time to the next.

Ivan Lendl said:

1 qt. per pound of grain @ 145F, will stabilize at around 133F, let sit for 30 min. Add 1/2 amount of boiling water, will stabilize at around 152F, let sit for 60 min.

Click to expand...

Do you drain the initial amount into the brew pot before adding the 1/2 amount of boiling water or do you just add the 1/2 amount to the initial?

Thanks,
SP

greyhair said:

I bought a 2 Gallon cooler at target a few months ago.
Cost $ 10.
I use it for mini mashing.
After pre-heating, it holds the mashing temp for 1 hour with no problems, IF you put a nice fat towel on top of it.
(the lid is not insulated enough )

However, sparging is nearly impossible because you cant keep enough wort over the grain bed to clear the wort.

I think the way to go is to line the container with a grain bag, and do a simple batch sparge.

Click to expand...

I've been looking at some of the options available as a cheap mash/lauter tun. I saw a 3-gal Igloo for $10 but was concerned it might be too small. Are you unable to keep enough water over the grain bed because you can't control the outflow? i.e. did you replace the tap with a valve?

Thanks,
SP

ESPY said:

Do you drain the initial amount into the brew pot before adding the 1/2 amount of boiling water or do you just add the 1/2 amount to the initial?
SP

Click to expand...

no just do everything in the kettle...its cheasy easy and it works, i do BIG partial mashes, up to 7 lbs of grain, i set my limit to amount of sparge water, when i do partial's i use a 5.5. gallon kettle so if i start w/ 6 qt.of h20, then add 3 qt., i try to sparge w/ 9 qt. giving me a total of about 4 gallons which is as much as i want to boil...i sparge in a zap-pap lauter tun (bucket in a bucket)...its really the same as allgrain except i add 3 lbs. of d.m.e. to the boil and top off the primary with about 2 gallons h2o...

Ivan Lendl said:

no just do everything in the kettle...its cheasy easy and it works, i do BIG partial mashes, up to 7 lbs of grain, i set my limit to amount of sparge water, when i do partial's i use a 5.5. gallon kettle so if i start w/ 6 qt.of h20, then add 3 qt., i try to sparge w/ 9 qt. giving me a total of about 4 gallons which is as much as i want to boil...i sparge in a zap-pap lauter tun (bucket in a bucket)...its really the same as allgrain except i add 3 lbs. of d.m.e. to the boil and top off the primary with about 2 gallons h2o...

Click to expand...

That sounds about like what I'm trying to get to. About as close to AG as I can get with my current equipment but still have a volume small enough to boil on the stove.

ESPY said:

I've been looking at some of the options available as a cheap mash/lauter tun. I saw a 3-gal Igloo for $10 but was concerned it might be too small. Are you unable to keep enough water over the grain bed because you can't control the outflow? i.e. did you replace the tap with a valve?

Thanks,
SP

Click to expand...

I would have prefered 3 Gallons over 2.
At first I replaced the tap with a valve and SS braid.
Just wasn't worth it because you really can't keep enough wort over the bed to sparge, even with the valve unless your willing to vorlauf one cup at a time!

But clarity isn't everything.
You can keep the husks out of the wort, but not easliy clarify it.
IMHO, a step up in ease and control from trying to manage a pot over a flame.
And what kind of "clarity" would you get out of steeping grains anyway?
This method is no worse and by mashing with some base malt with good enzyme content, making something like oatmeal stout is really possible.

Net-net: buy the cooler if you can get it for <= $10

Greyhair

Great thread. Doing my first Mini-Mash tomorrow afternoon. I converted a 48 qt Cooler into a Mash tun to try a Mini Mash while I put my All Grain system together.

Wish me luck.