Step mashes with a direct fired recirculating MLT?

Hey guys,

Getting ready to do my second batch on the new single tier system. As it is a stout (somewhere between American stout and dry stout) with around 12% flaked barley, I am considering doing a step mash with a combined beta-glucanase / protein rest at around 120* then the sac. rest at about 152*. For the experience as well as for making lautering easier. I haven't had trouble w/ this recipe lautering before, but it couldnt hurt. Also, hoping it might boost my efficiency (65%) . ( Also gonna fly sparge this time for the first time to help that.)

For you other brewers w/ a direct fired recirculating mash ton doing step mashes, how have you found it to go? Any tips or advice?

Like I said, I have never done step mashes this way - always did them with infusions in the cube cooler MLT - so it is also for the experience.

See the pic below:
31 gal. MLT, Full false bottom, bottom drain, 1.75 gal below false bottom

It is very easy. The pump makes all the difference in the world. I used to do my step mashes by just stirring and would inevitably over or undershoot my targets. Now I just turn on the pump and fire up the burners. Easy as pie. I want some action shots of that new pump!

Haha, good news. I was thinking it would probably go pretty smoothly, based on some of the other posts I read when I searched the topic.

I was wondering if you would chime in, BK.

This will be the first time using that new pump, so pictures will definitely be involved!! Gonna use the old one for the sparge water / sparge ring where no husks will be involved. And the new one for basically all the wort operations.

My only other tip is to circulate as fast as your grain bed will allow during the steps (around 3/4 for me because I don't want to push it) this way even with your huge burners you will avoid any and all carmelization (sp?) and get a more even temp distrobution.

Sounds good. I am definitely gonna try for the step mash this time. I have blocked about half the jets on the MLT burner, so I don't think that scorching should be a problem. Thanks for the advise - dunno if anybody else will chime in or not.

It worked for me but whatever you do, stop heating a little short of your target or you WILL overshoot. I'd say 4-5F short is a good start.

Right on Sleepy. It’s really easy. The only thing to really look out for is your false bottom sticking, then you run into issues with scorching and whatnot but its actually pretty hard to scorch your recirculating wort if you’re monitoring it. It really is pretty easy once you have your pump primed and have a trustworthy thermometer.

One thing to look out for - if you're not taking temperature from the outflow (ie. Brutus style) be careful of overshooting your target temps. There will be a lag between introduction of the heated wort and the thermowell in the grain bed. You can easily float 170 deg recirculated wort on top of the grain bed thinking that you just got up to 152 deg. Then you turn off your burner and watch your thermometer tell you that you may be shutting down all enzyme activity. Until you get the hang of it or you get a rig to monitor the temp of the outflow, try and cycle the burner once you get close to your target temp and give the grainbed time to react to absorbing the heated wort that you're pumping on top.

With all that - don't worry. Step mashing with direct fire and recirculation is a breeze.

Gordie.