Why keep steeping grains off the bottom

[fatherbigfoot]

Im going to be brewing a english pale ale this evening I have about two pounds of specialy grains that I am going to be steeping before I start my boil. This will be only my second batch the first batch I make was a irish red ale and when I steeped my grains i put them in the sock (muslin bags not fruit of the loom) dropped it in the water got the water temp up to 150ish and kept it there for 30 min moving the sock and grain around periodicly. Recently I have read on here that you are not suppose to let the sock and grain sit on the bottom of the pot during this process. Is this correct? Is it due to the worry about releasing tannins into your wort? Also should I be putting two pounds of specialty grains in multiple socks when I steep?

 

[BrookdaleBrew]

I'd imagine that would only be the case if your burner were on. I get my temp up to 155, then turn the burner off before putting the grain bag in.

 

[ChshreCat]

If you're heating the pot on the burner, you could scorch your grains and/or the sock if it's sitting on the bottom, right on top of the burner.

I never bothered with a sock when I was steeping/partial mashing. Here's an easy method. Heat the water up to your steeping temp and while you do that, turn your oven on to it's lowest setting. When your water is to temp, just dump the grains right in, give a little stir and pop the pot in the oven and turn the oven off. The residual heat of the oven will keep the pot warm through the steeping time. When it's done, just pour it through a kitchen strainer and you're good. If you want to use your boil kettle for the steep and don't want to dirty another pot, you can use a paint strainer bag from Home Despot or Lowes. Put the bag in the pot with the opening stretched over the sides and throw in your grain. It'll be totally safe in the pot and the oven. Pull out the bag when you're done steeping and the grains come with it.

 

[Neonsilver]

Also should I be putting two pounds of specialty grains in multiple socks when I steep?

Nah, two pounds isn't much at all. I've done up to five pounds in one sock.

I'd imagine that would only be the case if your burner were on. I get my temp up to 155, then turn the burner off before putting the grain bag in.

Also, there are more worries if you are using an electric stove because the burner stays hot for so long. Most grains that I've used float for at least the first part though so not many worries.

 

[david_42]

As long as the grain is loose in the sack, you're fine. Water has to be able to flow around the grain to extract the flavors and colors.

 

[CrazyP]

If you're heating the pot on the burner, you could scorch your grains and/or the sock if it's sitting on the bottom, right on top of the burner.

I never bothered with a sock when I was steeping/partial mashing. Here's an easy method. Heat the water up to your steeping temp and while you do that, turn your oven on to it's lowest setting. When your water is to temp, just dump the grains right in, give a little stir and pop the pot in the oven and turn the oven off. The residual heat of the oven will keep the pot warm through the steeping time. When it's done, just pour it through a kitchen strainer and you're good. If you want to use your boil kettle for the steep and don't want to dirty another pot, you can use a paint strainer bag from Home Despot or Lowes. Put the bag in the pot with the opening stretched over the sides and throw in your grain. It'll be totally safe in the pot and the oven. Pull out the bag when you're done steeping and the grains come with it.

Thanks for the tip! I'm going to try this on my next batch. I've been struggling with keeping the steeping water at the 150-155 level for 30 minutes with my ancient electric stove. (I'm not going to try AG until I get this figured out). My very first batch I ended up holding the temp on target for 15 minutes only see it skyrocket up to 175 for the last ten minutes. That was using the "Warm" setting on a second burner after getting the water to temp. On my second batch, I overcompensated and took the water completely off the heat and the temp plunged to 138. I never did get it back up to 150.

 

[TipsyDragon]

i must say i've never given it a second thought. i always heat 1 gallon of water to about 160 or so then lower in the grain. i jostle it around to make sure its all under the water. then leave it. the heat is on the entire time. it requires constant monitoring to make sure it doesn't go above 170 or below 150. the beer always turned out fine, or at least i think it does anyway.

 

[SumnerH]

i must say i've never given it a second thought. i always heat 1 gallon of water to about 160 or so then lower in the grain. i jostle it around to make sure its all under the water. then leave it. the heat is on the entire time. it requires constant monitoring to make sure it doesn't go above 170 or below 150. the beer always turned out fine, or at least i think it does anyway.

When I did extract, I heated 4 gallons up to 165ish, then lowered in the grain and put the lid on. With more water, it preserves heat just fine; the burner was off for the half hour and it never approached 150F.