Leaving my mash "home alone"

I am planning on a brew day Monday. A friend wants me to come over his house for a lunch cook out, and then come back to my place to share the brew day.

By the time we get back and start the brew day, it will be after 2:00 probably. That will lead into twilight / dark by the time we are done.

My question is, if I were to start my mash before lunch, and just let it sit for 2-4 hours while we are gone, what issues will I encounter. I realize the temp will drop more in that time then I am used to. Is that a concern? I don't typically mash out. If I do this, should I mash out to raise the temp prior to the first drain (batch sparge). What will leaving the mash go for the extra time do to the wort?

thanks in advance. BTW don't worry, if I do leave the mash home alone, I'll lock the beer fridge

no worries at all...better insulation will help keep it at temp longer.

we once went out to dinner and left the mash at 155°F. it was 140°F when we returned two hours later. we ran it as normal and it was fine. one of our best batches.

yeah, i think you should do a mash out to help.

I've also left my mashes go too long before on accident. It happened to be a style that was supposed to finish fairly low FG, so the 2.5 hour mash didn't hurt it any. I decided to take a nap during my mash, and I fell asleep on my alarm clock(cell phone) for a good period of time. Temp only dropped 5 or 6 degrees. It's currently in the secondary, but tasted good at transfer time.

I'd agree with the mashing out, or at least adding some hot sparge water. It should help to get some extra sugar dissolved, and make the grain bed a bit less viscous from temperature loss.

I've left my mash go for 7 hours before. No biggie. Assuming you are using a cooler, temp drop is not much a concern. Now I would not do this with a full bodied beer like a stout or porter, as a long mash makes lots of shorter chain sugars, but for others I say you are good.

And don't worry about your mash drinking the beer. That would be cannibalism... almost.

Yes it is a 10 gal cooler. the recipe is based on the MW happy holiday brew

I'd probably bring the cooler inside, hang the faucet over the sink in case of leaks, and wrap a blanket around it to help the temp.

Yes blanket is a good idea. If it is warmer outside this time of year in SE-PA then I'd say leave it outside unless theft in a concern.

The instructions recommend 152. I'd go higher like 158-160 for this beer given the style and longer mash time.

As long as the conversion has taken place and you rinse all the sugars off the grain with a batch sprage method then im sure it will be fine

chillHayze said:

Yes blanket is a good idea. If it is warmer outside this time of year in SE-PA then I'd say leave it outside unless theft in a concern.

The instructions recommend 152. I'd go higher like 158-160 for this beer given the style and longer mash time.

Click to expand...

Today is my 3rd AG, and Monday will be my 4th since switching from extract. Why do you recommend the higher temp? What about the style and time suggests that? I am still learning

thanks.

Mash temperature has the most direct effect on beer body. The higher temp will favor longer sugar chains which equals more body. I think holiday beer and I think thicker body. Not motor oil, but something to support the strong spice flavors. Also, the longer mash time you are using = more conversion time which breaks down a larger percentage of the long chains, lightening the beer's body. If you are doing a standard 60-90 min mash then I would go maybe 156.

As a follow up, we switched lunch and dinner today. so we brewed first without leaving the mash alone, then went over to the other guys house for dinner.

I did a 60 minute mash, and did take chillhayzes advice and bumped the mash temp up to 155 (wanted 156 but it went down a degree).

Overall it was a good brew day, although brewing a winter warmer on Labor day just felt wrong.

But that winter warmer will feel soooo right in about 3 months!