Step mashing make a difference?

[sictransit701]

Brewing an altbier soon. Does step mashing make a difference? What differences?

 

[Miraculix]

Yes. Depends on the steps.

 

[sictransit701]

Yes. Depends on the steps.

What steps are there?

 

[AlexKay]

I am highly skeptical that anyone could ever taste a particular beer and tell you anything about the mashing schedule.

Maybe, maybe in the extreme case you could drink a bunch of light lagers and distinguish -- at a rate better than guessing -- the single infusion from the triple decocted ones. Maybe.

(Note that this is a slightly different statement than saying that mashing method does not affect beer.)

So in that sense, no, I don't believe a step mash is ever necessary to get certain characteristics in a beer. It might be helpful to have the extra knob(s) to turn, in terms of getting what you want easily.

 

[Miraculix]

It can increase fermentability, extraction rate and head retention compared to a single step.

 

[Miraculix]

What steps are there?

Your choice. You are asking about step mashing. What steps are you talking about?

 

[DBhomebrew]

Also depends on the grain. Modern, low protein, fully modified? Heritage, high protein, marginally modified?

 

[DuncB]

Brewing an altbier soon. Does step mashing make a difference? What differences?

I recently made an altbier and from my reading seemed to be inconclusive as to whether step mash, decoction or single infusion was the way to go.
I did step mash mine because it's easy on my system, improves my overall mash efficiency.

Not sure that there is a " best " step mash regime as they vary a bit which means there's no right answer.

But some info here could guide your choice.

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Infusion_Mashing

 

[mashpaddled]

Unless you're brewing with an enormous amount of unmalted or undermodified grain, you don't need a complex mash schedule. Some beer styles benefit from complex schedules to help drive greater attenuation but IMO it's better to try brewing a batch without making your brew day more difficult and if you feel like the beer needs to lean out, then consider whether complicating the mash is an option.

 

[MicroMickey]

When we decide on a particular style of beer we want to brew, a lot of thought goes into the components of the grain bill, the hops we’ll use and how long to boil them, the strain of yeast we’ll use, and the temperature of the ferment. However, it seems that virtually no thought goes into how to mash that grain bill. This is a very important part of brewing and probably the most overlooked aspect of the “recipe”. The recipe, of course, isn’t just a list of ingredients but also the procedures used to combine and process them into a finished product.

The major purpose of mashing is to degrade proteins, gums, and starches in the grain to produce a wort which will suit our purposes as brewers. Different beer styles require a wort of specific properties. Some beers are supposed to be thick, malty, and sustaining while others should be thinner, crisp, and refreshing. The method of mashing you employ will determine the kind of beer you produce.

A single infusion works for many beers with today's fully modified malts but single infusion doesn't cater to many of the nuances of some classic styles of beer. In some cases, you have to accommodate the enzymes a little better.