Easy Guide to Mini-Mash?

I'm going to be brewing my third batch this weekend, and I'm going to do a mini mash. I've read up on howtobrew.com and in Papazian's book, but I'm unsure if I've got it right...

Bring 1.5qts water per each .5lb of grains I'm mashing to ~150º.
Steep (mash) grains for about an hour.
Have another 6-9qts of water heated at 170º waiting.
after my hour is up, pull the grains up out of the water, in a grain bag, put em in a strainer, then pour this 170º water over them to rinse them off.
Whats in the pot is now my wort and is ready for the extract and boiling. Is that the basic gist of it?

Thanks from a noob.

To brew a partial mash (in general terms),

1. place cold water in boiling pot on stove
2. load specialty grains in grain bag, place in cold water
3. begin heating water and steeping grains (±25-30 minute duration steep time)
4. just prior to boil, remove grain bag, let drain (Palmer says "gentle squeeze")
5. add liquid malt extract (remove from heat prior to adding and stir to prevent scorching at bottom of kettle)
6. return kettle to heat and bring to boil
7. follow recipe's perscribed hop schedule
8. additives in last 15 minutes of boil
9. total boil time is 1 hour.
10. remove from heat and place in "ice bath" in tub or sink.
11. gentley stir to expose wort to cooler outer sides of kettle.
12. when wort is 70° or below (preferably 60) take hydrometer reading, record.
13. begin a whirlpooling stir to pile up sediments to venter of kettle, this also becomes your aeration cycle.
14. with strainer, pour cooled wort into fermenter, additional aeration if desired, add yeast.

That's what I can gather....

Larry

Rook, you've got it. Lgtg, you're talking about steeping grains, which is a diferent procecss than mashing. Similar procedures, different things going on in the pot.

Rook said:

I'm going to be brewing my third batch this weekend, and I'm going to do a mini mash. I've read up on howtobrew.com and in Papazian's book, but I'm unsure if I've got it right...

Bring 1.5qts water per each .5lb of grains I'm mashing to ~150º.
Steep (mash) grains for about an hour.
Have another 6-9qts of water heated at 170º waiting.
after my hour is up, pull the grains up out of the water, in a grain bag, put em in a strainer, then pour this 170º water over them to rinse them off.
Whats in the pot is now my wort and is ready for the extract and boiling. Is that the basic gist of it?

Thanks from a noob.

Click to expand...

this is what I am doing for the first time next weekend. Up until now I have been steeping, but it isn't all that different from mashing so figured might as well try it out. Should be interesting, that's for sure. Next step all grain!


Dan

Willsellout said:

this is what I am doing for the first time next weekend. Up until now I have been steeping, but it isn't all that different from mashing so figured might as well try it out. Should be interesting, that's for sure. Next step all grain!


Dan

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Not a pro here, but what Rook calls "Mini-Mash" is sounding like a watered down All Grain or Full Mash process, which is cool. In the future, that would be how I plan to see the process for the first time without being intimidated by tuns. There are some cool articles on the web on how to do all grain recipe's that take the fear out of it for a new guy...here's one I found the other day

http://www.classiccitybrew.com/homebrew.html/

The routine is for a three gallon batch but I'm sure that it can be modified easily enough?

Brewsmith said:

Rook, you've got it. Lgtg, you're talking about steeping grains, which is a diferent procecss than mashing. Similar procedures, different things going on in the pot.

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Brewsmith, I see what you're saying. I misunderstood. Although, I've seen the term used differently. How does "mini" play into this? Is steeping called a "partial mash" ?? I understand the difference in processes, it's just the correct way of saying what that process is....

lgtg said:

Brewsmith, I see what you're saying. I misunderstood. Although, I've seen the term used differently. How does "mini" play into this? Is steeping called a "partial mash" ?? I understand the difference in processes, it's just the correct way of saying what that process is....

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I think what he is describing is either called a "mini mash" or a "partial mash". Although it gets kind of confusing because AHB call their steeping grain kits "mini mash". I call it a stepping stone to AG, as soon as I make my tun (I'm going to the plumbing supply today) I will be going AG. I can't wait, but it is a bit daunting. No matter how much I read, it still feels like I'm going to mess something up. Although this board and the How to Brew website really helped clarify things for me.


Dan

Steeping is soaking speciality grains to remove flavours and colour along with sugar in the grain and is generally not done to add fermentables to a wort.

Mashing is soaking base malts at specific temperatures to convert starches into sugars and usually speciality grains are added at the same time to steep them (they do not require mashing)

Mini Mashing is done with a smaller amount of grains and the rest of the fermentables is added as malt extract. Partial mash is the same as Mini Mash

orfy said:

Steeping is soaking speciality grains to remove flavours and colour along with sugar in the grain and is generally not done to add fermentables to a wort.

Mashing is soaking base malts at specific temperatures to convert starches into sugars and usually speciality grains are added at the same time to steep them (they do not require mashing)

Mini Mashing is done with a smaller amount of grains and the rest of the fermentables is added as malt extract. Partial mash is the same as Mini Mash

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Thanks, that clears it up!

Willsellout said:

Although it gets kind of confusing because AHB call their steeping grain kits "mini mash".
Dan

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I don't know about that. I order my kits from AHB most often. Their "Extract" kits come with specialty grains which must be steeped, then they have an option for a Mini-mash that includes base grains and must be mashed. I'll be doing my first mini mash from them this weekend.

1.5 quarts per pound is a better range. Too much water dilutes the enzymes.

JnJ said:

I don't know about that. I order my kits from AHB most often. Their "Extract" kits come with specialty grains which must be steeped, then they have an option for a Mini-mash that includes base grains and must be mashed. I'll be doing my first mini mash from them this weekend.

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then I've been doing things wrong..sheesh. I have been steeping, but order the mini mash kits. Oops
Well this next time I will be doing it right then...I'm a *******....



Dan

Thanks everyone, I'm glad I've got the basics down.

david_42 said:

1.5 quarts per pound is a better range. Too much water dilutes the enzymes.

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Got it, does this go the same for the sparge water?

Willsellout said:

then I've been doing things wrong..sheesh. I have been steeping, but order the mini mash kits. Oops
Well this next time I will be doing it right then...I'm a *******....



Dan

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Nope, I don't think you've been doing it wrong, it's AHB. I just got my "mini-mash" and the instructions have you just "steeping" the grains with no rinsing or anything! Basically you are steeping the base grains with the specialty grains. I'm surprised they recommend this. I'm going to go ahead and do it like a real mini-mash and mash/lauter (SP?) the grains.
So basically for AHB, their extact kits include specialty grains that you steep, and their "mini-mash" contains base grains and specialty grains which they instruct you to steep...............

OK this is perfect, im hoping to do my first partial this Sunday. So abstractly is this about right-


1) add grains to water, bring up to mashing temperature (temp?)

2) hold at temperatiure for mashing duration (1 hour???)

3) drain water into pot for wort

4) "sparge" the grains you just drained in a strainer with 170 degree water.


Sound about right?? Anyone know exactly the times and temperatures?

beer4breakfast said:

You should vorlauf too to get clear runnings.

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This is recirculating the first couple quarts of liquid that come out, correct?



Dan

beer4breakfast said:

Right. But I would think it would be hard to do without a ball valve drain on your kettle.

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Yeah, no real way. Although I did just buy a 5 gallon gott cooler from wal mart for 15 bucks. I went and got the bulkhead and valve as well. I'm hoping to have it done so that I can fo my "mini mash" in it next week when I brew my IPA. This way I will hey a better feel for an AG batch...at least thats my game plan

beer4breakfast said:

That's perfect. And I think you got a good deal on the cooler. You can make a manifold from a stainless steel hose covering. Just make sure it's SS and not plastic that looks like metal.

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that's what I'm doing. I have to go back tomorrow to get some washers so that the bulkhead fits watertight and I am picking up the hose and a couple clamps. I can't wait to try everything out. I'm also building my wort chiller this weekend as well, thanks to Bobby M. for hooking me up with some 1/2" copper tubing



Dan