I'm Pretty sure I screwed my first decoction mash up

[Ravenshead]

I had a few issues with my first decoction pils today. The plan was to mash at 122 for 35 minutes and then decoct 2 gallons for a 10 min boil followed by 45 more minutes at 155. A 10 minute mash out at 168 would have followed.

Everything went well until after the decoction. After returning the decoction to the mash and stabilizing the temp (I use a herms setup) I walked away for half an hour. Meanwhile, my RTD managed to fall most of the way out of its thermo-well so the mash rose to about 170 in 30 mins. I caught it at that point and cooled it back down to 150-ish with a fresh water addition and finished the mash.

The question is; how bad did I mess up my final gravity? I’m thinking it will end up a little sweet but still workable given the long time at 122.

 

[RM-MN]

With your time at 122, your grains would have been wet as far in as they were going to. You started your mash at 155 and it slowly rose to 170 over the course of 30 minutes. There's a pretty good chance that your grains converted within the first 15 minutes so there shouldn't be a big problem. If you are terribly worried you might get a little drier beer by adding some sugar as I've heard that will dry out a beer.

 

[Ravenshead]

That's pretty much what I'm thinking. Especially since I hit my numbers dead on. The only disconcerting thing was that I saw almost no foam during the hot break.

 

[Yooper]

That's pretty much what I'm thinking. Especially since I hit my numbers dead on. The only disconcerting thing was that I saw almost no foam during the hot break.

That's a pretty long protein rest- so it's possible that some foam making and retention proteins were destroyed. I don't do many protein rests, but when I do, I make them "higher and shorter"- a higher temperature (131-133) at a much short time (15 minutes total)>

 

[Ravenshead]

That explains it. I thought that was pretty long too but it's what Beersmith came up with for a single decoction schedule.

 

[Ravenshead]

Well, It's going to be dry. It just finished a diacetyl rest and it at 1.001, 1.002 at the most.

Edit: False alarm, the paper in my hydrometer slipped. It's at 1.015.