any benefit of a "slope" mash?

[ebbelwoi]

Would there be any benefit from using a "slope" mash, as opposed to a step mash? Rather than doing three steps at three different temperatures, what might happen if I sweep through the whole zone at a steady rate of temperature increase? I use a sous vide cooker to control my mash temp, so it's not difficult to pull off, if there were anything to gain from it.

In particular, I'm doing a hefeweizen this weekend, with a 20-minute ferrulic rest at 45C, then 30-minute rests at 63 and 72, before mashing out at 75.

 

[SoCal-Doug]

Sloping (or ramping) can work, and every system actually does ramp (albeit some faster or slower). You would need to be able to adjust the ramp rate for time in ranges. It's just easier to step at desired temps to assure time at optimum temps and makes it easier to replicate a recipe or adjust your step points to tweak future batches.

For my Bavarian wheats (60/40 wheat/pilsner) i'll also rest at 50C for 15 to 20 minutes, on the way up. You could just rest at 66 to 67. rather than 63 and 77. Either way works fine.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Saison Dupont is reportedly brewed using that kind of mash schedule. I don't recall the exact numbers so these are examples, but it's like mash in at 118F and raise 0.5F per minute over 100 mi s to 168F.

The exact process is outlined in Markowski's "Farmhouse Ales"