Decoction question.

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Hayden512

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Just asking if this process sounds correct. Planning on doing a hef on Friday and wanted to do my first single decoction. For some reason I cannot get it completely straight in my head. Is this schedule correct?

Mash in at protein rest
Pull off decoction
Heat to ~156oF
Sit for 15 minutes
Slowly rise to boil and let boil for 15 minutes
Add back into mash tun until hit sacch temp. Let sit for x amount of time.
Add whatever is left of decoction and batch sparge as normal

Is this correct or am I messing it up?
 
That's pretty much exactly as I did with my first decoction a few weeks back - also a Hefe. I mashed in at about 130, let that sit for 10-15 mins before pulling the decoction and continuing as you indicated. I'm not sure what you meant with your last sentence though... After boiling the decoction (I did 20 mins, but 15 may be fine too), I emptied all of it into the mash, so there wasn't anything else to add later.

My beer turned out great... Best wheat beer I've ever made... The decoction seemed to add a rounded flavor to the mix...really enjoying it and will definitely employ the process again. A single decoction doesn't seem to add that much time, so well worth it to me.
 
Awesome! I just meant if I hit my sacch temp before all of the decoction was added. Did you do a mash out with your. I don't normally with a single infusion batch sparge
 
Just asking if this process sounds correct. Planning on doing a hef on Friday and wanted to do my first single decoction. For some reason I cannot get it completely straight in my head. Is this schedule correct?

Mash in at protein rest
Pull off decoction
Heat to ~156oF
Sit for 15 minutes
Slowly rise to boil and let boil for 15 minutes
Add back into mash tun until hit sacch temp. Let sit for x amount of time.
Add whatever is left of decoction and batch sparge as normal

Is this correct or am I messing it up?

Here is a video by Kai Troester on decoction mashes. I found it very useful.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_V1zt0mW084[/ame]

There is also a bit on step mashes and the various methods of carrying one out here.

attachment.php


In short the process you outline sounds like a reasonable one leaving aside the debate over the merits and/or downside of a protein rest.
 
I did do a mash out, but then I do that with all my beers. I seem to get a bit of an efficiency bump going through the high 150s doing so which is nice on top of the other benefits of a smoother lautering (especially helpful with large portions of wheat in a beer like this).
 
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