Step Mash vs. Infusion

Does anyone step mash, or have any comments about it? What advantages come from step mashing as opposed to single infusion mashing? Also what temps should be achieved at the respective steps? How many steps? Thanks for answering so many questions. I get questions in mind and keep expanding on them as I write.

You can get everything that you need out of almost all modern, highly modified malts with a single infusion mash. You can certainly do a step mash, but I'm not sure that you get much of a benefit from it like brewers would using less modified malts in the past.

The main purpose of a protien rest (usually in the 120F - 130F range) is to prevent chill haze and improve head retention.

You can also do an acid rest in the 86F - 126F range but with today's water and malts, it's not necessary at all.

John Palmer does a good job explaining the various mash rests here.

In short, acid rest are usually only done if you can't get proper mash pH with your water or by other means (acid, minerals)...or for German brewers who have to follow the Reinheitsgebot.

Traditional protein rests aren't required and sometimes detrimental with most of today's malts, depending on the temperature at which they're employed. There is some antiquated information on protein rest temps out there.

Then you can play with the saccharification rest and dextrin rest to facilitate the level of attenuation you want to achieve and how sweet or dry you want the beer to be... or, in the case of single infusion mashing, just combine these into one rest.