Mash Ratio

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The standard is 1.25 qts/lb. I personally have went down to 1 qt/lb to minimize the water above my grainbed.
 
kai did some experiments on this. Here's the writeup in pdf form. He was also a guest on Basic Brewing Radio on November 20th.

To summarize his results, mash thickness does not have a significant affect on attenuation, but thinner mashes (2 qts/lb) resulted in a sizeable increase in efficiency.

One thing I have wondered about, however, is that it may be that the ratio of mash to sparge water is a greater influence on brewhouse efficiency than mash thickness alone. So, thin mashes may increase efficiency for low-gravity brews, but it may decrease efficiency in high-gravity brews because there would be so little sparge water.
 
mew said:
kai did some experiments on this. Here's the writeup in pdf form. He was also a guest on Basic Brewing Radio on November 20th.

To summarize his results, mash thickness does not have a significant affect on attenuation, but thinner mashes (2 qts/lb) resulted in a sizeable increase in efficiency.

One thing I have wondered about, however, is that it may be that the ratio of mash to sparge water is a greater influence on brewhouse efficiency than mash thickness alone. So, thin mashes may increase efficiency for low-gravity brews, but it may decrease efficiency in high-gravity brews because there would be so little sparge water.
Click to expand...

+1 on this, in fact they even talked about it on a basic brewing VIDEOcast as well...And brought up our very own Kai once again.
 
I can't really speak for efficiency yet. I've done it on two batches and my efficiency increased to 70% from 65%, but based on the information here, it shouldn't have. I attribute my increased efficiency to my sparge water being hotter and the grainbed getting close to 170 on the sparge.

Just for the heck of it, I think I'll try a thin mash next time.
 
I almost always mash as 1 qt / lb, but according to numerous sources, that is a standard for English beers (which I brew).
I have also experimented with a thinner mash (1.25 qts / lb). I did not detect a noticeable change in efficiency, but the thinner mashes definitely resulted in a thinner tasting beer.

-a.
 
It's probably thicker than you have tried (judging by your comment), but it works fine for me. It's also what Papazian recommends, and what Ray Daniels suggests for English beers.

-a.
 
I have done .9qt/lb

That was back in my cooler, infusion step mash days. You had to go thick in those days baby!

Now I am between 1.15 and 1.3qt/lb.
 
I batch sparge. I mash with 1/2 the desired kettle volume plus what the grain will absorb - usually between 1.5 to 2 qts. per lb. Sparge with the other 1/2 of desired kettle volume - try to raise grain bed temp to 168. I get 75-80% on most beers and 65-70% on big beers.
 
desertbronze said:
I batch sparge. I mash with 1/2 the desired kettle volume plus what the grain will absorb - usually between 1.5 to 2 qts. per lb. Sparge with the other 1/2 of desired kettle volume - try to raise grain bed temp to 168. I get 75-80% on most beers and 65-70% on big beers.
Click to expand...


If you're looking to maximize efficiency, this is the way to do it. According to Kai's pdf, there is no attenuation difference between thick and thin mashes, so the only reason not to maximize efficiency in this manner is for simplicity.
 
mew said:
If you're looking to maximize efficiency, this is the way to do it. According to Kai's pdf, there is no attenuation difference between thick and thin mashes, so the only reason not to maximize efficiency in this manner is for simplicity.
Click to expand...

I was a little skeptical about using a thinner mash, but then I tried it a couple of times - I did not have any fermentation or attenuation issues. I only have to heat the mash water and the sparge water - the KISS principle at work.
 
I tend to mash between 1.25-1.5 qt/lb. Though maybe this weekend I will try to mash a little thicker for my Brown Porter.
 

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