Decoction mash

[evan5159]

This maybe a stupid question but I am going over a recipe for an American lager recipe that I want to do which calls for this decoction mash. I have heard of it, never done it. I use an Eherms system. Is it important to scoop out mash and heat it separately for this recipe to turn out? Am I thinking correctly in that I can adjust my temps to the right rests with my hlt and herms coil? Does boiling add something to flavor profile or enzyme conversion? What am I missing?


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[rklinck]

The boiling of the thick mash (not the liquid) is supposed to enhance the malt flavor.


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[VladOfTrub]

You can use any method to step temps, direct firing, infusing boiling water, probably a herm. The term decoction means to extract by boiling. In a decoction, boiling mash is used to step temps. A portion of thick mash is pulled from the mash tun. Then, stepped through temps, brought to a boil, and added back into the mash tun. To achieve a certain temp of the main mash. Mash pH has to be considered before boiling. Boiling reduces protein gum. Also, it bursts hard starch, putting more starch into solution for enzymes to work on. A decoction takes enzymes through their optimum temps and sometimes through optimum pH, when the decoction is done correctly. Rest and conversion temps in the decoction kettle can be different than in the mash tun. The process offers a wide pallette to work from. The finest infusion or step mash will never produce the quality or quantity of what a decoction produces. It's chemically and enzymatically impossible. The caveat; certain types of malt are more suitable for use in decoctions. If you're thinking about getting into decoction mashing, it might be a good idea to buy Noonan's book. It's easy to understand and a good primer on decoction method. He tries to use one umbrella to cover the method, the basic idea is there. Without knowing the recipe or the process it calls out. There might be corn or rice in the mix and that may be a reason a decoction is called for. There are some vids on the process that are crude, but, they can provide an idea how to do decoctions.

 

[evan5159]

First, thanks for the detailed response . I have a firm grasp on the process but was curious of its benefits. I do step mashes, but the recipe I am looking at is a pilsner. Couldn't I easily mess up the color of the beer by using this method? I mean by scorching the decoction


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[lhommedieu]

I haven't done a decoction mash but I plan to soon and will travel in early May to take a class. I've done a fair amount of research to get ready, so take what I offer below with a grain of salt because I'm inexperienced. The advice below is thus "newbie to newbie."

Taking out a portion of the mash and bringing it to a boil (decoction mashing) allows you to do two things:

1. When you add the boiled portion back to the main mash, you bring the temperature up to the next step, thereby creating different kinds of enzymatic reactions, depending on how and for how many times that you do this. You can do the same thing by simply step mashing...

BUT

2. Bringing the mash to a boil also allows your to create maillard reactions in the mash that create flavor and depth that are unattainable through step mashing. (Brewers approximate these reactions by adding different malts to their recipes.)

I've found Greg Noonan's "New Brewing Lager Beers" to be the best introduction to decoction mashing.

There is a DVD from Basic Brewing called "Low Tech Lagering and Decoction Mashing" that gives a bare-bones outline of a single decoction mash. Worth a look at just to see what it looks like - and then donate to your library.

This thread had been very helpful to me.

One final note: as per the thread mentioned above, decoction mashing is an appropriate method when you are using malts that are not highly modified.

 

[VladOfTrub]

Evan. Don't scorch the mash. Add enough liquid to keep it fluid. Be careful with the heat. Once, the mash begins to boil it won't scorch as easy. It takes over an half hour of hard boiling to darken the mash. The mash will darken during conversion and lighten up after the goop is boiled out. After the goop is boiled out and with a long enough boil, mash will thin and malliard reaction will begin. The smooth, rounded malt characteristic of fine pils and lager comes from a long boil in the decoction kettle. A ten minute boil does little. Boil the mash until the foam is reduced. A higher quality of beer will be achieved.

 

[evan5159]

How long then? For this recipe I plan on doing three decoctions, should I do like 20 minutes each time?


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[smccarter]

This maybe a stupid question but I am going over a recipe for an American lager recipe that I want to do which calls for this decoction mash. I have heard of it, never done it. I use an Eherms system. Is it important to scoop out mash and heat it separately for this recipe to turn out? Am I thinking correctly in that I can adjust my temps to the right rests with my hlt and herms coil? Does boiling add something to flavor profile or enzyme conversion? What am I missing?


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Watch this video.

http://brewingtv.com/episodes/2011/3/29/brewing-tv-episode-34-decoction-day.html

 

[VladOfTrub]

Evan. Are you working for the CIA? What is the recipe and what does the tri-decoction instructions call out? LOL.. Boil the 3rd decoction 10 minutes, it's mostly mash liquid. Boil the other two decoctions until the foam is reduced. Try out Weyermann Boh Pils floor malt, it is a great malt, much suitable for tri-decoction method. I boil for 30 minutes using Boh Pils in a pils. Conversion darkens the mash, no matter what method is used. A 30 minute boil won't darken the color of the mash liquid. The liquid will be much lighter than the color of the converted or boiled mash at 30 minutes of boiling. Now, if the recipe you have uses cara, that's another thing.

 

[evan5159]

Evan. Are you working for the CIA? What is the recipe and what does the tri-decoction instructions call out? LOL.. Boil the 3rd decoction 10 minutes, it's mostly mash liquid. Boil the other two decoctions until the foam is reduced. Try out Weyermann Boh Pils floor malt, it is a great malt, much suitable for tri-decoction method. I boil for 30 minutes using Boh Pils in a pils. Conversion darkens the mash, no matter what method is used. A 30 minute boil won't darken the color of the mash liquid. The liquid will be much lighter than the color of the converted or boiled mash at 30 minutes of boiling. Now, if the recipe you have uses cara, that's another thing.

Actually, just 2row and crystal 60. Op of this recipe says it won't turn out right just single infusion, so here we go. Looking for a nice copper color.


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[Adam_Selene]

I can't remember the formula for mash fractions/target temprature, it's been a while. What I do remember is that if your fraction doesn't turn out to have enough liquid in it to come to an even boil, adding a bit of hot water to loosen it up slows it down a bit, but it also slows down your heart rate.

It's a good way to rescue a bad strike. I vaguely remember a Basicbrewing podcast about it, but that was 2006.

--Adam Selene

 

[evan5159]

Oh I've done it about fifty times when I had my cooler mash tun but never on purpose. Didn't really know what I was doing either, just didn't wanna add more hot water to the mash so I took some out and boiled it. Guess I'm an old pro at decoction


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