Mash question on a big beer...

Ok I am actually 40 min into the mash @ "good temps". I am brewing out in my non-heated garage and it is pretty cold out there! Anyways, I am brewing up a Baltic Porter and it should finish at about 8.4%.

I go to mash in and miss my temps to the high side @ 158 F. I think quick and add in some cold water to bring the temp down. I added to much and the temp fell to about 146 F. Since my MLT is NOT heated in any way, I pull off about 3.5 gallons and toss that wort onto the burner, 10 min later it is boiling so I add it back into the mash. Back up to 158. I stir like a fool for another 10 min or so and end up @ 154 F. Then start the timer...I am now at 151 F with 20 min left and I should finish at about 148-150 F @ 60 min.

I know the official answer is RDWHAHB and I am. I am more curious as to what the effect of my roller coaster mash temp is going to be prior to the 60 min at the target temp, as it is much more like a 90 min mash???

My biggest concern is to many non-fermentables in the wort. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

You will have produced some extra dextrins by overshooting but you got it down pretty quickly. Not sure what the pseudo decoction will do! I overshot my temps by the same amount a couple of brews ago and I was off my FG by a couple of points. It is a little sweeter than expected but not too bad. How long were temps in the high, low, and right on ranges?

Pitch a big starter. BTW, what yeast are you using?

Hopefully the 3.5 gallons was mostly grain. In that case you are fine.

TANSTAAFB said:

You will have produced some extra dextrins by overshooting but you got it down pretty quickly. Not sure what the pseudo decoction will do! I overshot my temps by the same amount a couple of brews ago and I was off my FG by a couple of points. It is a little sweeter than expected but not too bad. How long were temps in the high, low, and right on ranges?

Pitch a big starter. BTW, what yeast are you using?

Click to expand...

Ok The 1st "high temp" lasted for 3-5 minutes. Literally long enough for a temp reading and for me to dump cold water into the MLT. The "Low" lasted about 10-15 minutes. When I realized the MLT was now full the only way I could think of to raise the temp was to do a "warming decoction". So, I pulled out what I am guessing to be 2.5-3.5 gallons heated it in 10-15 min (I saw a mini boil and the hot break and that is when I returned it to the MLT. The hot break never dropped out.) This caused the 2nd high temp of 158. I then mixed the grain really well and drove the temp down to 154 where I quit messing with it and set the timer, that took about 5-10 min. I finished at 151F after 60min.

remilard said:

Hopefully the 3.5 gallons was mostly grain. In that case you are fine.

Click to expand...

Yes, this is a 12.5 gallon AG batch. There was no grain the mini decotion.


BTW thanks for the info!

Oops I forgot to mention my yeast! I will be pitching this bad boy unto a Wyeast 1728 Scottish ale yeast cakes. I will be pulling my IIPA off these cakes so I technically should be over pitching or REALLY close to the correct pitch.

It would have been ideal to have pulled the IIPA and made some starters but I ran out of time. Also this will be the 1st reuse of these yeast cakes.

Thanks again!

Yes, this is a 12.5 gallon AG batch. There was no grain the mini decotion.

Click to expand...

You destroyed a lot of enzymes using 3.5 gals. of all liquor/no grain. What was your pre-boil gravity reading after the mash? I don't think your brew will be as strong as you were expecting

+1 to OLDBREW's point about destroying the enzymes. You basically mashed out 3.5 gallons of wort so there were fewer enzymes to convert sugars in your mash. What was your FG?

You are also risking the double whammy of no no's when reusing yeast...

1) Move up in gravity. Yeast that has already fermented a big beer is stressed. It is best to pitch a big beer onto a yeast cake from a low grav simple beer, bringing me to...

2) Don't reuse yeast from a really hoppy beer.

I have reused yeast cakes with great success, but I pitch onto something like a cream ale or simple pale ale with low gravity and low IBUs

TANSTAAFB said:

+1 to OLDBREW's point about destroying the enzymes. You basically mashed out 3.5 gallons of wort so there were fewer enzymes to convert sugars in your mash. What was your FG?

You are also risking the double whammy of no no's when reusing yeast...

1) Move up in gravity. Yeast that has already fermented a big beer is stressed. It is best to pitch a big beer onto a yeast cake from a low grav simple beer, bringing me to...

2) Don't reuse yeast from a really hoppy beer.

I have reused yeast cakes with great success, but I pitch onto something like a cream ale or simple pale ale with low gravity and low IBUs

Click to expand...

I do want to input that I can simply wash and make starters for this as that only puts me back 1 day, or so...I know the wort will be just fine sitting...

TY for the input on pitching onto a used yeast cake as well.

As for the enzymes, I say 2.5-3.5 gallons of wort, it is probably closer to the 2.5. Also this wort was only in the MLT for maybe 10 minutes. (This time is also to the lean side.) I may have destroyed some enzymes but I do not think I "killed the batch"...or did I? and if so, what effect does this/will this have?

I can not tell you what the OG is as it is boiling as I type this out...I will post it up when I have it.

Ok this is going to be a odd OG as I have LOADED the wort with unfermentables...and then honey at flame out.


I got a reading of 1.065 BEFORE I added in all the unfermentables and honey. I "crunched the numbers" in Brew Target and they appear to be on the money (or really close!).

If it helps my base grain was Breiss 2-row...

Sounds like your well on your way to beer. Congratulations!
I'll bet it'll be yummy!
Please post the results!

Bull

FYI
when malt analysis reports talk about conversion in 10 minutes, they are talking about a mash of proper Ph liquor working on the malts.
When we dough in as homebrewers, unless you use acid or products like 5.2, it takes time for our neutral Ph strike water to come down from reaction with the malts to start conversion.

If you brought the liquor where most of the enzyme reside to the boiling point, all enzymes in that were denatured.

next time you need to pull the decoction, pull mainly the grist portion