steeping with caution

[JerrySwirls]

so the other day when I was brewing I know I can't exceed the temp of 165 F well it was getting pretty darn close to 170 F so I ended up taking it off the burner for 10mins to reduce the heat to 160 F then removed the bag from the pot and brought it to a boil. does that harm my beer in anyway by removing the kettle from the heat source. I know 170 F RELEASES tannins

I feel like I always have trouble keeping it between 150-165 F. any suggestions on fixing my method on steeping without removing my pot

 

[homebrewer_99]

I think you should have nothing to worry about since you caught it right away.

The only thing I can recommend is turning the heat down when your wort is coming up to temp, like within 5 degrees.

 

[Bostrows128]

so the other day when I was brewing I know I can't exceed the temp of 165 F well it was getting pretty darn close to 170 F so I ended up taking it off the burner for 10mins to reduce the heat to 160 F then removed the bag from the pot and brought it to a boil. does that harm my beer in anyway by removing the kettle from the heat source. I know 170 F RELEASES tannins

I feel like I always have trouble keeping it between 150-165 F. any suggestions on fixing my method on steeping without removing my pot

I thought for extract you where just supposed add the grains as you are heating the water and steep for 20mins or until 170*F is reached.

 

[JerrySwirls]

I think you should have nothing to worry about since you caught it right away.

The only thing I can recommend is turning the heat down when your wort is coming up to temp, like within 5 degrees.

Yeah I'll give that shot next time. just saying, the temperature creeps up so fast then all of a sudden I'm reaching WTF is going on temps. In matters of seconds lol

 

[Qhrumphf]

Tannin extraction is more than just temp. Gravity and pH are also factors, and pH is largely the biggest one. Temp is arguably the least. Hell I've watched my grain bed exceed 170F with last runnings down to 1°P (or less) and because the pH stays <5.6, zero tannin problem.

The point of concern is that with steeping grains they're usually very dilute such that pH and gravity get out of spec far faster than in an all-grain mash, which does make temp more important.

Point is exceeding 170 won't kill you, but I wouldn't do it on purpose. Your best bet is to reach your temp, cut the heat, insulate in some way, and just leave it alone.

 

[RM-MN]

I know 170 F RELEASES tannins

That is only what you think you know. As mentioned above, pH is the deciding factor. I can boil the grains (as done in decoction brewing) without extracting tannins so long as I keep the wort acidic enough. Your water profile is the deciding factor whether you have tannin extraction at higher temperatures.

For steeping the temperature isn't very critical. It's like making tea, you heat water, put the tea bag in, wait, pull the tea bag out and you have tea. For steeping grains you heat the water (because extracting color and flavor happen quicker in hot water), steep the grains, pull them out. If the temperature drops several degrees it is no big deal.

 

[homebrewer_99]

It's like making tea, you heat water, put the tea bag in, wait, pull the tea bag out and you have tea.

That's how I describe it too. 2 great grands (ages 8 and 12) showed up last week while I was brewing. I gave them a sample of wort coming from the mash tun. I had to emphasize (3 times) that they are NOT supposed to say that they drank beer because they did not drink beer. They had "Barley Tea".

 

[kh54s10]

I always start my steeping grains when the water is like hot tap water, I then continue for 20 minutes. If I approach 170 before the 20 minutes is up I cut the heat. I usually get to 20 and 170 at about the same time. I have gone above 170 a couple of times. NO TANNIN, at least that I could taste.

I think that the heat and pH required to cause a problem is unlikely in a homebrew setting.

I too have done a decoction. I paid no attention to the pH and the beer was great!

 

[Mitch S]

Just to throw this in the mix, would doing an overnight steep help alleviate the concern? I saw a post in here about that, and thought I'd try it on an extract I did. I used distilled water and let it sit overnight at room temp (68-72 F, can't recall exact temps). My beer is sitting in bottles; it smelled amazing and I think it was one of my better brew days.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I thought for extract you where just supposed add the grains as you are heating the water and steep for 20mins or until 170*F is reached.

In extract-based kits, there appear to be two common approaches.

1. add the steeping grains at "flame-on" and remove after 15/20 minutes or when the water gets to 165/170. This is a good approach if one wants to brew quickly.

2. heat the water to 150/155, add the steeping grains, and hold for 30 minutes. This is approach feels similar to mashing (time and temperature).

In Methods of Modern Homebrewing, Chris Colby offers a number of additional alternatives and variations.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Just to throw this in the mix, would doing an overnight steep help alleviate the concern? I saw a post in here about that, and thought I'd try it on an extract I did. I used distilled water and let it sit overnight at room temp (68-72 F, can't recall exact temps). My beer is sitting in bottles; it smelled amazing and I think it was one of my better brew days.

This reads like a process called "cold steeping" (don't confuse this with 'cold mashing' or 'non-enzymatic mashing').

If you cold steep and 'hot' steep the same specialty grains, you will likely get different results. Cold steeping, especially of darker roasted malts, will result in "softer" or "less harsh" flavors. This may be helpful as a starting point for additional web searches (or book purchases): https://www.homebrewersassociation....steeping-getting-the-most-out-of-dark-grains/)

 

[Calder]

I know 170 F RELEASES tannins

How do you know this? Repeating things you have been told as being 'gospel' as being things that you "know" creates a condition where the readers of such information are the supporting evidence of the original statement.

It is my understanding that under certain circumstances grain can release tannins when the temp gets too high. I don't know if this is true or what temperature or other conditions have to be present.

However, reading Dave Line's book (Making beers like those you buy; around 1970), his recommendation for extract beer is to leave the steeping grains in the wort thru the boil, leaves me to believe that boiling the grains extracts minimal unwanted products. While I do not exclude the possibility of extracting tannins from the grains under certain circumstances, I don't believe the normal home-brewer will experience any issue with their beer if they remove the grains at a reasonable temperature .... even up to boiling point.

I am not advocating leaving the grains in until boiling, but I don't believe there is any reason to worry if you exceed any recipe specified temperature.