mash one day, brew next day?

Hey everyone,

Thinking about getting into the AG-ing. I can only brew at night when kids are asleep and have 3-4 hours before I'm really tired. Would I be able to do a good AG beer if I mash on one night, then boil the following night?

Many thanks,

As long as it doesn't sit for more than a day, you will be ok.

The longer you let it sit, the more nasties will take hold. And even though your boil will kill them, you will still be drinking them (yuck!!).

Thanks for your reponse.

Will the nasties take hold even if I seal them into my fermenters for a few days with airlocks etc? You're probably right though.

I have heard of this being done and i'm interested as well. I think the problem with keeping it is that the grains have bacteria on them and the boil is what kills them off, so if you just mash and drain your runnings you are letting those bacteria start to eat the sugars and give off sour flavors. Also you will have a beer that is going to ferment quite dry as you will essentially have a really long mash.

I've mashed overnight with success....something to think about

Alamo_Beer said:

I've mashed overnight with success....something to think about

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Yes, this is actually a fairly common practice. If you have good temp control on your MLT, then maybe you will want to give this a try.

However, like I said earlier, personally I would not let it sit more than a day.

Oh yeah I'm talkin like 8hrs....

Maybe you could get the mash going when you get home then brew like normal at night when the kids are asleep?

Mash temps will not kill lactobacillus, but it will significantly hinder their growth. You might get a little sourness but not as much as if you were making a sour mash.

The best method I have found is to lauter and sparge first, bring your wort temp to 170 °F and hold for app 15 minutes to expire the lactobacillus, etc. Cover it and leave it until the next day when you are ready to boil.

If you hold the mash overnight, you are working against the clock. Once that mash drops to 130 °F (and below) look out, your pH reduction is going to happen like lightning.

Thanks everyone.

Yes, I agree that pasteurizing at 170 is the way to go. Very nice solution! Maybe I'll start doing 10 gallon batches to really maximize my brewing sessions!

Thanks again.

I have the same problem - can't brew till my daughter's asleep.

So, I overcome some of the time constraint by getting started when dinner is cooking, IE: get the water heating then, and then dough in, and while the mash is going, do the getting ready for bed ritual. then, 'bout the time she's asleep, I'm ready to draw off the wort, sparge, etc.

I'm doing split pot boil on my stovetop, FWIW. &, I'm usually up till 1 or 2 am brewing.

I give you guys credit! That is some serious dedication! But I suppose if I had family responsibilities I would do the same. But just reading your posts here, I feel tired and stressed from the whole thing!

conpewter said:

I have heard of this being done and i'm interested as well. I think the problem with keeping it is that the grains have bacteria on them and the boil is what kills them off, so if you just mash and drain your runnings you are letting those bacteria start to eat the sugars and give off sour flavors. Also you will have a beer that is going to ferment quite dry as you will essentially have a really long mash.

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Not sure about this. If you're doing a 170 degree mashout and using 170-plus-degree strike water, your wort is pateurized! The only nasties that will get on it will be introduced during cooling. If you keep things good and clean and boil the next night, you'll be fine.

My best beer so far is a stout with 4 pounds of flaked barley in it (and a 10-pound grainbill!) that has to be left in the lautering tun overnight or it just plain won't drain. It works just fine and produces a nice, thick, creamy beer that I really like! My efficiency sucks, though ...

My boy is excellent help. He pulls my airlock out. splashes in the water. and every time I turn around he is either throwing my stirring spoon on the ground or trying to taste the wort. He's getting better, but today he tried to grab the brew pot during the boil and burned his little fingers a little.

Finn said:

My best beer so far is a stout with 4 pounds of flaked barley in it (and a 10-pound grainbill!) that has to be left in the lautering tun overnight or it just plain won't drain

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Have you tried rice hulls?

Brett0424 said:

Have you tried rice hulls?

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I will if I can find 'em! My LHBS doesn't carry the darn things. And, I've about got this overnight-lauter thing down ... not sure I need to change things at this point ...

My son (1yo) is obsessed with all things brewing. He goes straight for all my equipment when it's in the house. I caught him tipping a carboy (he's about the same height as one) trying to drink out of the top. I grabbed it and him just as they were about to fall over with it landing on him. He tries to climb in the buckets (I just stopped using them and went to all glass and metal contact for beer now). He will crawl around dragging the plastic mash paddle everywhere.

Luckily mom will come grab him and keep him under control if I can't do it myself (like when misting a potential boilover).

I have a grandson and he will get into anything and so when I brew he is not allowed in the area unless there is another person to supervise him. I suggest that any of you dads do the same or don't brew. It's just too dangerous.

My 2yr old has been getting better. I just started brewing a couple months ago so he's just as curious as I am. Good thing is he can't reach the counter where most of the hot stuff is. I'm not sure how he reached my brew pot while it was on the stove but it didn't hurt him at all, I think it just scared me. most of the time he's just helping with the airlocks whenever I have the closet door open. Or a few weeks ago I had filled a large tub full of ice water to help cool and turned around to grab my pot to drop it in and he was splashing in the water. No harm I suppose. For the most part he listens pretty well. Maybe after we figure out what we're doing he'll be my assistant because I don't think his mom likes to help me brew very much.

Finn said:

I will if I can find 'em! My LHBS doesn't carry the darn things. And, I've about got this overnight-lauter thing down ... not sure I need to change things at this point ...

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You can do a protein rest, that would most likely solve the lauter issue. However, as you mention, it is probably not worth it if you are happy with the results!

dp69_2001 said:

My boy is excellent help. He pulls my airlock out. splashes in the water. and every time I turn around he is either throwing my stirring spoon on the ground or trying to taste the wort. He's getting better, but today he tried to grab the brew pot during the boil and burned his little fingers a little.

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Sounds like you need to get him a no-boil kit. I remember my kids used to want to do everything I was doing... Now they just want to borrow the car (sigh)

I do this and have had fine results so far. I've only done it with my last two batches though. I sparged and then let it cool overnight. The beer is not carbed up yet, but it tasted just fine at the month mark. No hints of sourness yet. I let the more recent one sit for a couple days because things get in the way going to school, teaching, and being a stay at home dad for a one year old. So, we shall see. I'll let you know how it turns out. In fact, its been two weeks so I think I'll go pull a grav sample and report back.

what I try to do is have all of my wort ready on the stove prior to bedtime. you could even mash in before dinner if you don't have any issues with large stock pot on stove heating up mash water while dinner is getting ready. perhaps treat SWMBO to carry out when this happens as that way you'll be sure to get many more brew dates

do all your sparging after dinner collecting all the wort & put on stove.


I then keep it at medium heat while putting kids to bed. when I get out I turn it up to full blast.

the time tabloe works well & I don't have to avoid putting my kids to bed andmaking SWMBO do it. nothing like having boiling wort at 9pm, cleaned up by 11-11:30