Steep Grains and Fermentables Question

So I was thinking about doing my first mini mash.

I was going to steep a little bit of grains, now will that actually get me some fermentable sugars? Or is that purely for color and flavor?

I want to try making a Coopers can with some steeped grains and some LME.

Thanks,

Paul

steeped specialty grains will need some sort of base malt to be converted into fermentable sugars. 2-row, pilsner, pale ale malt, one of those and possibly a lower lovibond malt like munich or similar will convert the other grains. you don't get a significant contribution to fermentable sugar from specialty grains anyway, so if you're doing a minimash, most of the fermentables out of it are from the base malt you use to convert the minimash. you'll need to target a temperature of ~150-158 for 60 minutes to get conversion (generally speaking).

if you just use the LME and steep grains, it won't be a minimash since you're just getting flavor/color/aroma out of specialty grains.

what's the recipe look like?

I consider "flavor grains" or "steeping grains" to be treated like tea leaves instead of a mash. Don't get them boiling hot, instead try to get 150F-165F or so. Don't go above 168F though, as it will release tannins from the grain husks into the beer. You are making a grain tea at this point. Once it looks/smells good after a half hour or so, rinse the grains good and add all of that to your boil kettle, just before you add your extract and start the main wort boil.

A mini-mash involves a base malt that will be doing starch conversion.

Here are the instructions that come with the Can


Coopers Sparkling Ale

Ingredients:

1.7kg Thomas Coopers Sparkling Ale

1.5kg Thomas Coopers Light Malt

500g Coopers Light Dry Malt

300g Dextrose/Sucrose

Method:

Place the Coopers Light Dry Malt into a sanitised, drained fermenter, add 2 litres of hot water.

Immediately pick the fermenter up and swirl the contents until dissolved (approx 15 secs) - this method avoids lumps.

Mix the balance of ingredients with a spoon until dissolved.

Top up to the 23litre mark.

Add contents of the yeast sachet .

Just wondering if I can steep any grains to substitute some of the extracts?

Beer-Baron said:

Just wondering if I can steep any grains to substitute some of the extracts?

Click to expand...

Nope. To substitute extracts, you will need base malts, crushed, and mashed.

Mashing = converting crushed malt into sugars
Steeping = colors and flavors

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/easy-partial-mash-brewing-pics-75231/

Check out this Sticky - for a great lesson on partial mash

Thanks for explaining that! I always figured that steeping would convert just like a mash does. I guess it doesn't.