More on Overnight Mashing

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permo

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I have now overnight mashed my last 10 batches and I have some notes to share for those who are intersted. I single infusion mash with single or double batch sparges:

1. Increased efficiency, I have averaged over %80 efficiency since I started overnight mashing

2. Increased fermentability, there is some debate on this, but my beers have been drying out more, so I do compensate by upping my mash temps 2-3 degrees. However for tripel and IPA, this is AWESOME.

3. No off flavors reported, dark beers and beers with more specialty malts appear to have more character from the longer soak

4. Time savings is just another benefit.



To sum things up, this is now my preferred method of mashing.
 
How long a lag are you leaving it?

I have done it on a few batches and experienced the same as you: no real problems, only a few factors that need to be taken into account.

Recently I have just been bashing out 5 hour brew days though. I used overnight when my daughter was a little younger.
 
I have a 10 month old and a 4 year old (both girls) and i work two jobs...so time is scarce for me. I mash for around 10 hours usually and with my 1970s model, coleman 54 quart stainless steel belted cooler I have no problem retaining temps.

I actually am now calculating all of my recipes for 80% efficiency, when I was doing 60 minute mashes I used %70.
 
One thing that I like to do is modify my water/grain ratios so that my mash tun is as full as possible without compromising the recipe with too thin a mash. I do 11-12 gallon batches with in upwards of 30 pounds of grain quite routinely.
 
Please detail your process.

Are you applying heat throughout the night to maintain temps. If not, the mash temp will drop.
 
ultravista said:
Please detail your process.

Are you applying heat throughout the night to maintain temps. If not, the mash temp will drop.
Click to expand...

yes the temperature will drop, but the conversion all takes place in the first 90 minutes or so, and that is the temp that is important.

The key is to not let it drop below 130 but I personally keep it above 140 to be safe.

I mash in at about 10 an night, cover the mash tun with blankets and go to bed. I wake up at about 6:30, turn the burner on for the sparge water and proceed with my brew day as usual. It's awesome.
 
permo, our kids are the same age pretty much (well, my daughter is three and my son is due in september!)

I am using a 10gallon coleman and had 15 to 20 degree temp loss at 14 hours.

Overnight mash is a great tool to have in the arsenal.
 
Man, a 630am start to the brew day? That's defeating the purpose, as far as I'm concerned. I'd be done in time to make SWMBO breakfast and I don't need that expectation! LOL
 
headfullahops said:
Man, a 630am start to the brew day? That's defeating the purpose, as far as I'm concerned. I'd be done in time to make SWMBO breakfast and I don't need that expectation! LOL
Click to expand...

Not unless you have a yummy coffee ale or a breakfast stout on tap..lol
 
permo said:
I have now overnight mashed my last 10 batches and I have some notes to share for those who are intersted. I single infusion mash with single or double batch sparges:

1. Increased efficiency, I have averaged over %80 efficiency since I started overnight mashing

2. Increased fermentability, there is some debate on this, but my beers have been drying out more, so I do compensate by upping my mash temps 2-3 degrees. However for tripel and IPA, this is AWESOME.

3. No off flavors reported, dark beers and beers with more specialty malts appear to have more character from the longer soak

4. Time savings is just another benefit.



To sum things up, this is now my preferred method of mashing.
Click to expand...


hey permo,

do you have any numbers on increased fermentability (i.e. difference in attenuation for known recipe(s))?

also, are you still doing this? any new thoughts?

thanks!
 
mb2696 said:
hey permo,

do you have any numbers on increased fermentability (i.e. difference in attenuation for known recipe(s))?

also, are you still doing this? any new thoughts?

thanks!
Click to expand...

I still do overnight mash and I love it. However, I only overnight mash on big beers where I want attenuation and beers that need to be dry, like tripel. My best example is a big red ale I did recently with WLP007. OG was over 1.070, mashed at 152-153 and pitched a healthy dose yeast. Final gravity was in the 1.007 range........you get a nice fermentable wort using this route.

I have found that my kolsch beer works really , really well with this method too.
 
permo said:
The key is to not let it drop below 130 but I personally keep it above 140 to be safe.
Click to expand...

Are you achieving this through just the insulation in the cooler or are you adding to it? Do you use a blanket? An electric blanket?

I like the idea of doing this as I tend to have time to brew early in the morning or late at night so stringing the two together makes good sense.
 
permo said:
yes the temperature will drop, but the conversion all takes place in the first 90 minutes or so, and that is the temp that is important.
Click to expand...

But the reason you are getting a more highly attenuative wort is because the temperature is dropping, regardless of the temp at which you started your mash. With more traditional mashing, many people mash-out to avoid this problem.
 
I guess this is OK if you are looking for a highly attenuative wort (IPAs, etc), but I question its utility on other styles of beer.
 
permo said:
I still do overnight mash and I love it. However, I only overnight mash on big beers where I want attenuation and beers that need to be dry, like tripel. My best example is a big red ale I did recently with WLP007. OG was over 1.070, mashed at 152-153 and pitched a healthy dose yeast. Final gravity was in the 1.007 range........you get a nice fermentable wort using this route.

I have found that my kolsch beer works really , really well with this method too.
Click to expand...

Wow, thats 90% attenuation! I am considering doing my first overnight mash attempt this coming friday for a Russian Imperial stout. I want it a little on the drier side and will be using WLP002 so I doubt I could go *too* low to receive the desired effects as I have a decent amount of non fermentables in the recipes (jamil's from BCS).

Permo, do you have any recommendations for a first time overnight masher? I have a coleman xtreme and generally don't even lose a degree over an hour once I am preheated so I think i should be good there. I plan on just collecting the first runnings for this beer.
 

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