Options for not doing single infusion mash

I bought the Patersbier kit from NB before realizing the suggested mash schedule was single infusion (see it here). I'm still struggling with this hobby so I'm a bit uneasy doing something besides a typical 150-155 batch sparge for 60 minutes. Plus my equipment is just a cooler with hose screen so I'm not sure I could raise the temp to 170 for 10 minutes.

What would be the drawback of just going with my typical 150-155 mash for 60 minutes and batch sparging? Is there a better option I should look at?

I may be wrong....but Single Infusion can be Batch Sparge. One infusion of warm water and a timed rest (60 minutes). Just batch sparge as you always do. To raise the temp of the mash at the end....simply add a few quarts of almost boiling water (which is a Mash Out). I used to Mash Out every time, but I've since stopped and just made bigger sparges.

Hammy is correct. A single infusion mean "single heat infusion" and would be in that 150-153F range.

whether you batch sparged ro fly sparged woudln't matter.

I think you may be getting confused over the rest at 153F, and then raising the temp to mashout temperatures. Whether you do that is highly debated, especially in a batch sparge. it can help with better run off, but i think that benefits fly spargers more (my batch sparges NEVER get close to getting stuck).

you could batch sparge with hotter water, which helps halt all enzymatic activity which is the ohter purpose of a mashout.

Well the single infusion does call for 147 for 60 minutes, and that's new to me. But it also calls for a mashout at 170 for 10 minutes. Maybe that's my confusion. Is that mashout assuming I can raise the temp or is it tell me to throw in more water to raise the temp up?

Pretzelb, you're confusing the mash and the sparge. You're misusing the terms.

Your recipe calls for a single infusion mash (that means you add the water all at once, at the temperature you want, rather than stepping up the temperature of the water over two or more infusions). It calls for a relatively low mash temperature, 147 degrees - this will yield a wort high in fermentable sugars which should yield a relatively low final gravity. To achieve a mash temperature of 147 degrees, it suggests that you heat the water to 160 degrees before mashing it into the grain.

I did not see any info on your recipe/link about sparging - you have two basic options on sparging: 1) batch or 2) fly. In batch sparging, you add the water in 'batches', let it sit briefly and then drain and repeat. In fly sparging, you need a fly sparge arm which continually and slowly sprinkles water over the grain bed, which you then drain.

Hope this helps!

pretzelb said:

Well the single infusion does call for 147 for 60 minutes, and that's new to me. But it also calls for a mashout at 170 for 10 minutes. Maybe that's my confusion. Is that mashout assuming I can raise the temp or is it tell me to throw in more water to raise the temp up?

Click to expand...

After the 60 minute mash, for the mashout, add 180 - 190 degree water and you'll raise the temperature enough to stop the enzyme action. Nothing complicated here!

I think the problem I'm having is the mashout step. I will figure it out.

I followed your link and read through the recipe quickly, as well as skimmed over the above posts.

Step 1: Mash @ 147F for 60 minutes -- this is your "Single Infusion" meaning you don't have to mash at X degrees for 10 minutes and Y degrees for 30 minutes and Z degrees for 30 more minutes etc.

Step 2: Heat the grain bed up to 170F (This is the mashout step) By raising the temp of the grain bed, you stop all enzymatic activity, meaning no more fermentable or unfermentable sugars will be produced. When I batch sparge, I don't normally do this step. Instead, I drain my mash tun, then put in my first round of sparge water (that's ~175F) to raise up the grain bed temp. By the time I stir that up, let it sit, and drain it, I find the rest of my sparge water is down around 170, so I begin round 2.

The only thing I'd add to Archie's post above, is that while you are draining out the first runnings, start heating your boil kettle as the first runnings are going into the kettle.

This way you raise the 1st runnings up above 170 - stopping conversion & also shorten the time necessary to get your boil going.

Also the by raising the temp 20 or so degrees the sugars which are sticky become 'looser' if you will and flow from the grain-bed more easily. Thus effeciency is improved. I usually do my mashout by simply pulling 3 quarts of water from the mash tun at the 50 min. mark. Put it on the stove until it reaches 190-195 which takes about 10 mins. When it's ready I dump it into the mashtun, stir, & let it sit for 10 mins. then drain/sparge as usual. Does that help?

Schlante,
Phillip

Ps I believe it was Kai that found enzymatic activity continues well above the 170 mark.

It's the mashout step that throws me. I assume that if you include that step you want to heat the mash tun prior to the first drain. I can't do that since my mash tun is a cooler. The other option is to add hot water to the existing water (again prior to first drain) but that would take a bunch of water I would think. Plus, if you did that then what would your sparge be (if anything) since you've just added a bunch more water to the mash tun prior to any draining.

It seems like ProMash is either calling the mashout a batch sparge, or it's saying that by adding the water for the mashout you don't need a sparge. Or it's saying totally nothing about the sparge step.

Adding "a bunch of hot water" to achieve a mash out would be a second infusion (double infusion mash). That's probably not practical for your rig.

Do what was suggested above.

Add the recommended amount of water to achieve a 147° F single infusion mash. Rest for 60 minutes.

Toward the end of the rest, heat the recommended amount of sparge water to 180° F.

Vorlauf and drain the mash/lauter tun. As the runnings go into the kettle, begin heating the wort for boiling.

When the first runnings are in the kettle, add the hot sparge water to the mash/lauter tun, stir, vorlauf, and drain again.

It's surprising they call for a single infusion at 147°F since starches have trouble gelatinizing below 149°F.