Need help fast!

I'm trying to make Edwort's Haus Pale Ale. Okay, so not really understanding the difference between steeping and mashing (but now have a better grasp)...I have 2 pounds of Vienna and 1 pound of Crystal 10 on my stovetop at about 155 in 3 gallons of water. Are the enzymes too thinned out, or can I get away with steeping/mashing the grains for longer? Should I just chuck everything and try again tomorrow, since grains are relatively cheap and the LME is expensive?

Thanks

The grains have to be crushed to mash them. If not your just steeping.

Thanks for the quick response. The grains were crushed actually.

Quick update: Putting some wort and some iodophor together made no color change.

Does this mean the starches are converted, or that absolutely nothing is coming out of the grains?

millsware said:

Quick update: Putting some wort and some iodophor together made no color change.

Does this mean the starches are converted, or that absolutely nothing is coming out of the grains?

Click to expand...

That is GOOD! No change = conversion complete.

Black = starches present = not done.

I thought so too, but tried to run a control with iodophor on a potato and nothing.

But, then, I poured the remnants of another test into my old porcelain kitchen sink, and the whole sink turned a dark blue. Oops for the sink. Good for the beer.

Well, the worst thing that can happen with such a thin mash is that you won't get conversion. That's not such a bad thing, really. I mean, you may not get fermentable sugars out of the 2 pounds of Vienna, but that's ok. The recipe will still produce a great tasting beer, even if you don't get much in the way of fermentables out of the Vienna malt. You're using about twice as much water as is recommended, so I'm not sure of the effect on the mash pH. You'll still get color and flavor from the grains, no matter what.

Do you have some Irish moss to use in the boil? If the Vienna didn't convert, you may have a bit of starch haze that may affect the clarity a bit.