My first mini-mash

Hey guys, I decided to take the next step after 3 extract batches (very successful) and move onto a mini-mash.

It's a AHS Special Holiday Ale

My question is in the instructions (I know I know they're more like guidelines) it reads:
(after putting all the grains in the grain bag) Soak the grains in the hot water and maintain approx. 155f for 45 minutes. After draining all liquid from the bag it says to put the bag in a strainer over the stock pot and run 170f water through the grains using approx. 1 quart of water per 2lb of grain.

Is that step necessary? I've read a lot and even watched youtube video's and never once noticed anyone with a strainer pouring water through the grain bag after it's soaked for the called for 45 minutes.

I'm about to get started and am not sure if this step can be skipped as I don't have a strainer that will work with my brew pot.

Thanks

this step is called the sparge

necessary? no

but it will help you extract as much of the sugar as you can, which is really the whole reason for the mash. If you don't sparge, you'll leave behind some of the sugars and will need to add more extract to make up the difference. What do you mean that you don't have a strainer that will work? Too small?

Also, when you add your grains to the mash originally and maintain a temp of 155, you'll need the original water to be somewhere in the 165-170 range, depending on the size of your mash. When you add your grain, the temp will drop to the appropriate level (or close to it). As I heat my mash water, I preheat my oven to 200 degrees. Then I put the mash in the oven and cut the heat - the hot oven box is a great insulator and will help maintain the mash temp over the 45 minutes.

Yes, the strainer is too small for the pot but I'll see what I can do as although it's not necessary, it does seem to make sense.

So instead of occasionally turning the burner on during the mash, you stick it in the oven @ 200 (why not 160) for the 45 minutes?

*edit - thanks for the quick response!

What you can do is heat up another pot with water and take the grains out and soak the bag of grains in the 2nd 170 degree pot for 10 minutes. The GENTLY dip like a tea bag. Don't squeeze or you will get tannins (but don't get all anal about it - just don't SQUEEZE the last drop.

The key is knowing WHY, which is to stop the the process and rinse the grains to get the last sugar flavor out.

Oven - whatever the lowest setting is works - just turn it off. I go 170, place pot in and turn it off. It could be 130 and you would not lose degrees to worry about.

mikefranciotti said:

Yes, the strainer is too small for the pot but I'll see what I can do as although it's not necessary, it does seem to make sense.

So instead of occasionally turning the burner on during the mash, you stick it in the oven @ 200 (why not 160) for the 45 minutes?

*edit - thanks for the quick response!

Click to expand...

sorry I couldn't get back to you sooner - hope it's not too late now.

I pre-heat the oven to 200 then shut it off when I put in the mash - I basically just want to create a hot, insulated box, not cook the mash at 200. My oven doesn't get lower than 200. If yours goes to 160, use that instead. I think this method is better than trying to add just enough heat at just the right time by using the stovetop burner.

Brilliant! JLEM, I do not know why I never thought of that. I am going to try the oven on my next brew. Do you ever see an increase in temp of the mash over the 1 hour time span? My ovens lowest temp setting is also 200 degrees. That is why I love the HBT, everytime I get on here I learn something new!!!!!! Thanks

Jlem the oven idea is awesome & I'll definitely use that. I did not end up brewing yesterday so hopefully I'll be able to do it today.

Grinder, good call on the second pot. I think my confusion comes from water amounts. I'm used boiling up 2 or 3 gallons and letting it cool, putting that in the fermenter and then using the other 2 or 3 gallons (making up 5 in total) for my brew.

I've got 2 gallons preboiled sitting in my fermenter right now and was planning on using 3-3.25 gallons for the brew but then what do you do about the extra sparge water?

Anybody have any suggestions? Do I follow the instructions that came with the mini-mash & when I'm done, top the fermenter off with the cooled pre-boiled water?

I do my mini-mash with 1.25 quarts of water per pound of grain. I then use enough sparge water to get me up to my boil volume (~3 gallons total). I then go through the boil process adding hops, extract, etc when appropriate. After cooling and adding the wort to the fermenter I top off to 5 gallons.

Don't forget that during mashing, some liquid will be absorbed by the grains, so you will not get out all the water you put in.

JLem that sums it up perfectly. Sometimes you just need to hear something two different ways to understand. I'm almost done brewing my AHS Seasonal Holiday Ale and everything worked out pretty well. I needed the wife's hands for a minute while using the strainer to sparge but all is well.

I'll be picking up some canned pumpkin tomorrow for my Pumpkin Ale and I'll hopefully brew that up tomorrow in time for Thanksgiving.

Did you use a mini mash recipe for your pumpkin ale? If so, would you mind posting it? I am looking at a few different recipes and trying to determine what looks good to me but most of my findings are extracts or AG recipes.

Thanks!