Mash Temp Profile question

I always see temp profiles that go low to high.

That is people mash at a lower temp, then step up to a higher temp.

Why is it never the reverse? Start your mast at a higher temp and let it fall to a lower temp.

Rethin said:

I always see temp profiles that go low to high.

That is people mash at a lower temp, then step up to a higher temp.

Why is it never the reverse? Start your mast at a higher temp and let it fall to a lower temp.

Click to expand...

I could go on and on about how and why this works, but John Palmer explains it quite well here: http://www.howtobrew.com/section3/chapter16.html

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

Essentially, high temps deactivate enzymes that work at lower temps... once you mash at 152F... the enzymes that work during your 122F protien rest are deactivated for good. If you mash low to high, all of your enzymes will get to work, then get deactivated once you go to the next temp level.

Pol

What The Pol said. Enzymatic activity as it relates to a beer mash is a one way temperature process.

Yep you need to go from low to high, but you can manipulate the character of the beer by modulating the temps and times.

Longer times at low temps (130º) result in more fermentables and a higher alcohol content beer.

Shorter times at low temps result in less fermentables and a fuller body beer.

this is because the long starch chains are not broken down completely during a short incubation at 130º for the higher temp enzymes to work on, leaving behind chains of unfermentable sugar.

It should be said that most brewers these days find that single-infusion (only targeting one temp) mashes work very well, given the modification of malts these days. Target a lower temp (148 - 152) for more fermentability, higher (155 - 158) for less. Very simple approach if you're just getting started.

Thanks for the replies. I think I understand