Alright, so I tried this newfangled "Single Infusion" thing again...

You may know that I never really got away from Papazian's stepped, direct-fired kettle mashing technique (133f for 30 mins, 149-155f for 60 mins, 158 for 20 mins or until starch test is negative). I've had crappy results in the past with single-infusion mashing in the cooler. I couldn't stand the lack of temp control, and the last time I did it, my efficiency (which is normally 80%+) dropped down to the low 60's. I mean, hell, I even have a sweeeet 10 gallon picnic cooler outfitted with a domed stainless false bottom and spigot that was given to me, but I still usually mash in the kettle and then dump it in the cooler to drain and sparge.

This weekend, though, I decided I was going to try it out again and see if I couldn't get some good results with the single infusion thing. So I did...and I gotta say, the whole "set it and forget it" thing really appeals to me. Anyway, I did 2 batches like this, with a little mini-decoction at the end to make up for the slight temp drop over 60 minutes. The hefe ended up at 73% efficiency and the Munich Helles ended up at like 86%. Not sure what the difference was, except maybe all that wheat malt not converting as well in the hefe. But anyway, I gotta say, I just might try this more often. I'll probably still direct-fire with some batches, but if I can consistently get 75-80% with single infusion, even if I have to do a 10 minute decoc at the end, I'm all about that. No transferring, no babysitting the mash...not bad!

How much temperature are you losing? You pre-heating? You pre-heating enough?

I've been using the Coleman Xtreme, set and forget (don't bother stirring once everything is all set) and nailing 80% - 90%. Don't bother with a decoction at the end; just start your sparge by adding water that's 175°-ish (basically still doing a mashout). I think I've read that the fermentability characteristics of the wort are driven more by the INITIAL temperature in the cooler (starting at 154°, for example) rather than if it stayed at 154° or cooled off to 148°, so I don't sweat any minor temp drop I might have, anyway.

Welcome to the easy life I do single infusions in a cooler and then batch sparge, I get 80+% all day long. I've never felt the need to step mash, although I don't do lagers yet either. Glad you had some decent results.

Cheers

I've never read Papazian's book, what was the point of a final rest at 158F? It doesn't seem like it would really accomplish anything since conversion is done by then (most of the time) and it's too low of a temperature for a mash out. Is it just a hold over from when the malts were less modified?

I always dial down my efficiency settings for heavy wheat bills.

You ol' dog. Seems like your learning a new trick each week.
That trip to France, "must have gotten your mind right."

Papizian mentions that single-infusion mashes need to be done with highly modified malts. Is that what you used? I've found there is a limited selection of grains for single-infusion. Thanks for your origional prost.

learningmore said:

Papizian mentions that single-infusion mashes need to be done with highly modified malts. Is that what you used? I've found there is a limited selection of grains for single-infusion. Thanks for your origional prost.

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From the places I've shopped I've seen the opposite -- very few grains are under-modified.

Yeah, most grains available for brewing that need to be mashed are highly modified and only need a single infusion. The styles that still need some seperate rests are the ones high in protein, large percentages of wheat, rye and even oats. Then you might do a protein rest at around 122º for 15 minutes or so before going to your main conversion rest.

I didn't preheat my cooler, but I accounted for that in ProMash by adjusting my thermal mass setting. I lost a couple degrees over 60 minutes...and by the end of that, starch tests were negative, but I still did the mini-decoctions because, well, I was brewing a hefe and a helles---both styles that benefit from melanoidin production.

And yeah, I think it was the 5 or 6 week hiatus from brewing that helped me step back and reevaluate some of the things I do. That, and Yuri's got me concerned about tannin extraction...but we'll see on that one.

I do single infusions 90% of the time. If I have a grainbill heavy in undermodified malt, I'll step mash it. If I'm doing something German, I'll do a decoction.

I got a consistent 5-8% increase in efficiency by mashing for 75 minutes instead of 60.

The only time I mess with anything else is when I use unmalted products or when I decoct.

Funny, I recently have wandered away from the single infusions. I think it is more because I have a lessened concern over how long my brew day takes.

I typically do a "Direct Fired Single Infusion" in my keg MLT. Easy Peezy!

I fill the tun with the strike water, heat to rest temp as if I was doing an infusion keeping, add the grain while keeping the flame on low to ensure no drastic drops below rest point.

I rest the mash with a digital alarm that sounds off "if" the mash drops 1 degree below rest while recirculating. When that occurs (usually about 45 minutes into the mash) I just kick the flame back up to get that heat back.

At about this time I fire up the HLT to heat the sparge water.

Just before the mash is done, about 5 minutes, I kicjk the flame on high to raise to mash out and open the HLT to fly sparge, I recirc this for about 5 minutes until I get a 3 to 6 inch water level above the grain and then I start to pump out to the kettle. I let the pump drain the level down until I can adjust the valve to balance.

When I get about 3/4 of my target volume (usually 12 gallons pre-boil) I'll start checking the runoff gravity with my refract.

bradsul said:

I've never read Papazian's book, what was the point of a final rest at 158F?

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It's an alpha-amylase, body building rest to pick up those last bits of starch running around in the mash.

You know, to this day, I still feel weird doing just a single infusion. I just feel like I'm leaving something out. One of these days, I'll get over it, I guess.


TL

TexLaw said:

It's an alpha-amylase, body building rest to pick up those last bits of starch running around in the mash...

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Seems like that would be counter-productive if you mashed lower than that on purpose to get less mouthfeel.

You can take that up with Charlie.


TL

Kaiser has I believe to a degree been hitting a wall so to speak with his brews iirc, because the malt is overmodified for his endeavors. I would be in the same camp as he if I 1) Owned a direct fired MLT and 2)Had access to undermodified malts.

bradsul said:

Seems like that would be counter-productive if you mashed lower than that on purpose to get less mouthfeel.

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I think most of the recipes in Joy of Homebrewing are not intended to produce an extra-light mouthfeel. However, the technique for achieving lighter mouthfeel is discussed.