Water adjustments for different mash schedule

I'm going to be attempting my first Bock in the coming weeks using a recent recipe in BYO. It has a little different mash schedule to it which is throwing me for a loop when it comes to water adjustments. You start out doughing in with 4 gallons at 100º, resting for 1 hour, then every 15 minutes adding 1 gallon of near boiling water for 6 total additions. How the heck to I calculate me salt additions? I've got the -TH- spreadsheet set perfectly if I were to be using a typical mash, but this is not so typical.

That mash schedule sounds nuts. If you want to do it just add the determined ppm of given salts for the water used. A better solution would be to do a single decoction mash at 128F for 20 minutes, 148F for 60 minutes and then add a decoction to mashout at 168F.

Maybe you could add pH stabilizer to each of the additions?

It is nuts, and I swear there was a discussion on here somewhere about it but I can't find it anymore., but I think it broke it down pretty well. Or I could be just making it up. And to be honest I'm just having a real tough time wrapping my hands around decoction mashing. I know, it's silly...I've even watched Kai's video's but they confused me even more.

arturo7 said:

Maybe you could add pH stabilizer to each of the additions?

Click to expand...

5.2 doesn't get me quite to where I need to be for some reason.

OK, let me see if I have this decoction thing using a single decoction method.
1. Heat strike water and add grains to get Protein Rest (~122º). Let sit for 35mins
2. Remove portion of the mash and heat this to boiling. Return to main mash to reach Sacc rest of ~155º. Let sit for 45mins.
3. Using direct fire MLT, Slowly heat to mash out temps.
4. Drain as usual
5. Sparge as need to reach preboil volumes.

Kilted Brewer said:

OK, let me see if I have this decoction thing using a single decoction method.
1. Heat strike water and add grains to get Protein Rest (~122º). Let sit for 35mins
2. Remove portion of the mash and heat this to boiling. Return to main mash to reach Sacc rest of ~155º. Let sit for 45mins.
3. Using direct fire MLT, Slowly heat to mash out temps.
4. Drain as usual
5. Sparge as need to reach preboil volumes.

Click to expand...

Those are the basics although I would again suggest starting at closer to 130F rather than 122F. Two reasons: 1) 122F is too low, ~130F for a short time (20 min) will get you modest modification of longer proteins combined with the beginnings of beta amylase activity. 2) About a +20F rise is what you will get out of a typical decoction mash. Starting @ ~ 130F and going to ~150F both simplifies the process and reduces potential frustration.

Got it BigEd...numbers were more for place holders as I was more concerned with the actual process. Thanks.