Accidentally added grain to boiling water. Is it ruined?

[lysander]

This is my first batch. The recipe said to bring the water to 150-160 degrees. I got mixed up and ended up adding the grain bag at 215 degrees. Did I screw it up? Thanks!

 

[Rowdy]

are you doing an extract with steeping grains? how long was the bag in boiling water? its not good but shouldnt be a disaster, taste the wort if it taste good continue as planned.

 

[kurtism]

is this all grain or an extract with specialty grains?

if all grain...its not completely ruined...but you are going to have off flavors.

how long was it at 215? Upon addition, the temperature would have dropped, maybe down to 180-190...if you turned off the heat at that point, the damage would be less than if you brought it back to a boil.

either way...steeping or really boiling the grains (which is what you did) will cause the release of very astringent flavors and tannins into your wort. Did you taste the wort after you cooled it?

My recommendation, if you like hoppy beer, is maybe to double down on the hops and try to hide the off flavors.

if it was an extract with specialty grains...the extract part will likely mask the off flavors.

 

[Frodo]

I boiled a pound of grain in my wort once... it turned out just fine. Grains heated above 170F in water will supposedly add some tannins to the final product which will come across as an astringent bitterness. However, there is an advanced method of brewing called decoction mashing which actually prescribes boiling of a small portion of the mash during the process to bring the mash temp up. RDWHAHB

Edit: Don't double your hops, just brew as normal, and don't worry.

 

[mux]

I boiled a pound of grain in my wort once... it turned out just fine. Grains heated above 170F in water will supposedly add some tannins to the final product which will come across as an astringent bitterness. However, there is an advanced method of brewing called decoction mashing which actually prescribes boiling of a small portion of the mash during the process to bring the mash temp up. RDWHAHB

It may denature the enzymes, which would mess with your efficiency.

 

[mux]

Decoction boils the thick portion of the mash. The enzymes and Wort are left in the mash tun.

 

[Frodo]

It may denature the enzymes, which would mess with your efficiency.

This is his first beer, he is steeping grains in a bag... I seriously doubt he is conducting a partial mash, therefore there are minimal or no enzymes converting starches... and no efficiency to worry about.

 

[Frodo]

.

 

[lysander]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm steeping grains with extract. I boiled my water, cut the heat, let it steep for 45 minutes, added my extract, and boiled my wort for 60 minutes. I just put it in the ice bin to chill.

 

[lysander]

Oops... I boiled my water, cut my heat, *added the grains, then let it steep, etc...

 

[Frodo]

It'll be all good. Cheers!

 

[Rowdy]

Oops... I boiled my water, cut my heat, *added the grains, then let it steep, etc...

should be fine

 

[nebben]

It isn't optimal, but other than the possibility of tannin extraction, it will probably be fine.

 

[DarthMalt]

It isn't optimal, but other than the possibility of tannin extraction, it will probably be fine.

Agreed. I'm not trying to be pessimistic, but all information regarding steeping and tannin extraction points to a possibility that it will occur above 170F. Steeping volume is also an important factor. Given the fact that the grains were added at a temperature well above 170, I'd say there could some tannins in the final product.

Regardless, try not to worry about it OP. It's your first beer and if that's the worst thing that happened, you did a good job. It will probably be fine.

 

[lysander]

I cooled it to 70 degrees and tasted it, then pitched the yeast. It actually taste pretty good - a little bitter, a little sweet. It's a cream stout recipe form the supplier, by the way. I have it in the closet now, but the temperature is around 62 degrees according to the stick-on thermometer on the side of the carboy. Is that temp ok or should I heat the room up a bit with a floor heater?

 

[Frodo]

62F sounds good to me. The actual fermentation temp at the height of fermentation will be higher than the ambient temp so it's always good to start low in my opinion.

Fermentation produces heat and the temp of the stick-on thermometer will usually end up being pretty high compared to the ambient temp during the most active part of fermentation. Try to keep the stick on thermometer at the desired fermentation temp. It doesn't hurt to be a little on the low side in my opinion, versus on the high side. Once the fermentation temp starts to climb beyond what you want it to be, it can be difficult to stop, since the yeast seem to feed off of the heat and go even faster, making the temp even warmer.

 

[Revvy]

I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[lysander]

Awesome. Its sitting in a small micro-fridge that doesn't work any more, inside the closet. I'll let ya'll know how it turns out. Thanks again for all the help!

 

[kurtism]

as long as you are happy with the final product...its just a good learning experience. good luck with it