I have brewed a handful of recipes from seemingly reputable sources that call for the steeping of 2-row. In each case I steeped the grain in 4 gallons of water between 152 and 156 degrees for 45 minutes.
I am having a hard time understanding the difference between this method and actually mashing the grains. My original question stems from the use of Beersmith which places a "!" next to the grain when I select Extract as opposed to selecting Partial or All Grain. The resulting numbers are also significantly different.
Why would these numbers vary? Assuming time and temperature is constant, wouldn't steeping 2-row in 4 gallons of water produce the same fermentable sugars as mashing?
I am having a hard time understanding the difference between this method and actually mashing the grains. My original question stems from the use of Beersmith which places a "!" next to the grain when I select Extract as opposed to selecting Partial or All Grain. The resulting numbers are also significantly different.
Why would these numbers vary? Assuming time and temperature is constant, wouldn't steeping 2-row in 4 gallons of water produce the same fermentable sugars as mashing?