Mashing for too long?

[Musketear]

Can you mash for to long?

I have never really been able to do simultaneous brews before, since my kettle was my mash kettle as well. But on my new 3-tier setup, I can. If I start the second mash right after I clean out the mash/lauter tun, it would probably end up mashing for two hours, maybe more while I boil, cool, and transfer the stuff already in the kettle. Would this be detrimental?

 

[MalFet]

Probably not much, especially if you do a mashout. But why not just wait a little longer to start the second batch?

 

[Musketear]

Well, I haven't quite figured out the temp adjustment for the new system yet. Every batch has been a little too cool so far. So I was thinking if I start with everything already warm, I will be closer....

 

[dcp27]

2 hours will be fine, you'll just have higher attenuation.

 

[stageseven]

Can't you just preheat your mash kettle with hot water? What I do in my igloo-cooler mash tun is get some of the scalding hot sink water (150ish degrees) in my house and fill up my mash tun with it while I preheat my strike water. Once my strike water is a little above (2 degrees F or so) the right temperature, I empty the hot water from my mash tun, pour in the strike water, and let it sit until it cools to the temperature that when mixed with my grain, will get my mash to the desired temperature. I think the last batch I did was something like 14.25 quarts of water at 165 F mixed with 11.4 lbs of grain to get to 152 F. I use beersmith to calculate the temperatures I need, and when my tun is preheated it takes 5-10 minutes for the strike water to cool down the the desired temperature, and I'm almost always spot on for the mash temperature.

 

[Revvy]

In answer to your original question, some folks mash overnight, with no issues. So as long as your temps are maintained, then no, you can't mash for too long.

 

[permo]

Can you mash for to long?

I have never really been able to do simultaneous brews before, since my kettle was my mash kettle as well. But on my new 3-tier setup, I can. If I start the second mash right after I clean out the mash/lauter tun, it would probably end up mashing for two hours, maybe more while I boil, cool, and transfer the stuff already in the kettle. Would this be detrimental?

I have moved almost exclusively to overnight mashing, it's great. I do however adjust my mash temps up to help create a less fermentable wort in beer that I want some body in. I am using this is a guideline

150 - kolsch, tripel, etc.etc...where the drier the better
153 - IPA, high attenuation desired but not crazy!
155 - standard mash temp for balanced beer
157 - beers where I want less attenuation

 

[DannPM]

I always mash for two hours

 

[joeldp144]

I stage my brews the same way by mashing back to back.....one mashes while the other is brewing/cooling. The extra hour will only help if your temp is pretty consistent. On a top-tier, I suspect that won't be an issue.