First Use of Grits (Cereal Mash)

[RedGuitar]

Brewing a blonde ale with stone ground yellow grits this upcoming weekend. I'm planning on using a cereal mash but have a few questions and I hope somebody on here has experience.

I'm hoping to use a pound of raw grits, which I'm guessing will equal about a gallon or two of cooked grits. My plan right now is to cook the grits for ~30 minutes along with a half pound of 6 Row (or would rice hulls be better?), then dropping all of that on top of my grains in my cooler mash tun and adding the hot water to mash for an hour as usual.

Does that sound right?
If I toss the grits right into the mash tun after boiling them, what temperature water should I add to mash to balance out the hot grits and get the proper mash temp?
Would it make sense to try and put the grits in a grain bag after they're cooked to prevent a stuck sparge?

That's all the questions I can think of right now. Any and all help is appreciated.

 

[Yooper]

I really like the instructions I found here: http://www.ingermann.com/cerealmash.html when I did my first cereal mash. It really helps to read it over a couple of times.


When you add it to your mash, it helps if you have some brewing software to be able to calculate the temperature so you can mash in a little low but still at the right temperature so that when you add the cereal mash you don't go over. Or, simply cool it down to your strike temp/mash temp, and add it to the main mash.

I usually make my cereal mash first, rest it at 153, then bring it to a boil. When that is done boiling, I get ready to mash in. I begin mashing in, and then add my partly cooled cereal mash to the rest of the mash. I usually still hit my temps exactly.

 

[Varmintman]

I really like the instructions I found here: http://www.ingermann.com/cerealmash.html when I did my first cereal mash. It really helps to read it over a couple of times.


When you add it to your mash, it helps if you have some brewing software to be able to calculate the temperature so you can mash in a little low but still at the right temperature so that when you add the cereal mash you don't go over. Or, simply cool it down to your strike temp/mash temp, and add it to the main mash.

I usually make my cereal mash first, rest it at 153, then bring it to a boil. When that is done boiling, I get ready to mash in. I begin mashing in, and then add my partly cooled cereal mash to the rest of the mash. I usually still hit my temps exactly.

Hey Yooper since you have done this let me ask. I can see resting at 152 or so to break down the starch with 6 grain or so. But for the life of me I cant see boiling the 6 grain for fear of leaching tannins in the mess.

Can you bring it to 152 with some enzyme and then boil it before adding it to the rest of the grist. Even then I think you might need some more enzyme if nothing else to speed up the mash.

 

[Yooper]

Hey Yooper since you have done this let me ask. I can see resting at 152 or so to break down the starch with 6 grain or so. But for the life of me I cant see boiling the 6 grain for fear of leaching tannins in the mess.

Can you bring it to 152 with some enzyme and then boil it before adding it to the rest of the grist. Even then I think you might need some more enzyme if nothing else to speed up the mash.

You won't leach tannins from boiling the grain. Tannin extraction is a function of pH and not temperature- otherwise, decoctions wouldn't "work"! As long as the instructions are followed (a thick mash but with enough water to not scorch) tannin extraction is not an issue in the least.

I can't imagine why any amylase enzyme would be necessary, as full conversion isn't necessary for the cereal mash, as it will convert in the main mash.

 

[Varmintman]

You won't leach tannins from boiling the grain. Tannin extraction is a function of pH and not temperature- otherwise, decoctions wouldn't "work"! As long as the instructions are followed (a thick mash but with enough water to not scorch) tannin extraction is not an issue in the least.

I can't imagine why any amylase enzyme would be necessary, as full conversion isn't necessary for the cereal mash, as it will convert in the main mash.

Sigh my grain guy told me I had to add amylase enzyme to my mash in order to get the adjuncts to convert fast. I still had a 2 1/2 hour mash fighting to keep it above 150 before the iodine said the starches were converted.

I guess I need to have my well tested. I know I have hard water for sure

Thanks for the reply and this weekend I will try again Practice makes perfect and even a medium beer is downright tasty

 

[RedGuitar]

Thanks, Yooper. Any idea how much water should be used in a cereal mash?

 

[Yooper]

Thanks, Yooper. Any idea how much water should be used in a cereal mash?

I use two quarts of water per pound of grain to start. If it gets way too thick (like a too thick oatmeal that may scorch), you can add a bit more. The idea is to allow conversion by holding it at 153, then cooking it to fully gelatinize. Corn grits need to cook a long time- like an hour!

 

[Malticulous]

I've never boiled them longer than 30 minutes and I get good extraction. You can hold it at a higher conversion temp, 160F or so so it converts faster. You don't need full conversion (in fact you don't have to have any.) It just helps it boil with out turning in to a gravy like mess. Full conversion happens in the main mash.

I like to start the main and the cereal mashes at the same time. The main at 122 for 10 minutes or so then infused to 145 until the cereal is done. Then add the cereal mash to bring the main mash to 155-158 until conversion is complete.

 

[Varmintman]

Just for kicks last night I tried a small batch of cornmeal. I am thinking it would be tons easier to buy instant grits and do it all in the mash. For me it is just not worth it.

I suppose it might be better if I could do them on different days. I say that because it is all I can do to just brew a batch physically anymore and adding a hour at the stove stirring would wipe me out.

Not that I did not believe you Yooper but I wanted to learn why the ph leached the tannins out. Turns out the gravity in the wort plays a huge part during the boil and the ability for the tannins to leach out. Least ways that is what I understood anyway