Advice for a newbie, please

[gatorbrew713]

I'm starting my third batch tomorrow, another kit. It's a True Brew Bock. This is a partial listing of the included ingredients:
Dark Malt Extract - 2 can, 6.6 lbs
Chocolate Malt Grains - 6 oz
Crystal Malt Grains - 6 oz
Pale Malt Grains - 6 oz

The recipe says to toast the Pale Malt grains, then to steep all the grains together in the water. The instructions say to boil the water, then remove it from the heat, and to steep the grains in the hot water for 20 - 30 minutes.

My question is, should I let the water cool some and then should I try to maintain a certain temp during the steep? Or should I just start the steep when the temp would be near 200 and let it cool as much as it would during the 1/2 hr steep?

It seems that what I've read about all grain that the grains are usually steeped somewhere (I think) around 150 - 170 degrees. I don't want to ruin the beer my starting too hot, then ending too cool. And I know the instructions provided in the kits are very basic and lacking in really good details and info.

Any advice from someone who's brewed this kit before, or who knows enough to give some suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Calder]

There are not that many grains, that steeping them at a too high temperature probably would not make any noticeable difference.

All steeping is; is dissolving the sugars that are on the grains in water. The higher the temperature, the easier it is to dissolve the sugars in the water (think about sugar in cold water vs. adding it to hot coffee).

But ...... above 170 F you can start extracting tannins from the grains, so ideally you want to remove the grains before the water gets above 170 F.

When I used to steep grains, I would just add them to the water and leave them in there while I heated the water, and removed them by swirling a strainer around in the water when the water reached 170 F.

Most people heat the water to 160/170, turn off the heat and put the grains in. leave them for 30 minutes then remove them, and re-start heating the water.

Don't worry if a few grains get left behind and are in there through the boil. Providing you have removed most of them you will not notice anything.

 

[RM-MN]

You are right to question the instructions. You should always steep your grains in water between 150 and 170. The reasons for that are that if your water is alkaline the high temperature and high pH can extract tannins from the husks of the grain. This would be a rare occurrence but why take the risk when you can avoid it completely by steeping a little cooler.

The second reason is it is good practice in case you should decide you would like to try your hand at all grain brewing and you will then need to keep your water within a much tighter range of temperature.

 

[MikeWI]

You're right, the instructions are dumb. You want to steep between 150-170. I get the water up to 168, remove it from the heat and throw in my grain bag (did they give you a grain bag?) and then cover for 30 minutes. Then drain as much water from the grains as you can and wash them with a little extra water to try to get as much flavor out of them as you can.

Mike