erikrocks
Well-Known Member
Hey folks. I'm planning to brew a 16 gallon batch of Oktoberfest Lager this week, and I'm thinking about doing my first decoction. My plan is to mash in and hold at 131 for 20 minutes, then pull the decoction, boil, and add to the MLT to achieve 152 in the full mash. I've read a bunch of stuff on HBT, bust still have a few questions about what I can do and decoctions in general. Here goes:
1. When I put my numbers into BeerSmith, it told me I should pull 13 quarts of mash for the decoction. Has anyone been able to boil that amount of mash on a propane kitchen stovetop? My brew rig is all electric, so I don't have a dedicated burner for decoctions (yet).
2. While I'm boiling my decoction upstairs on the stovetop, what happens to the remaining mash/liquid in my MLT? Should I continue to recirculate (I have a HERMS) at 131?
3. What if it takes a long time to boil the mash on the stove top? Will anything detrimental happen to the liquid in the MLT?
THanks for the help. If all else fails, I'll just go 131 for 30 min and 152 for 60 with a 10 minute mash out and call it a day.
1. When I put my numbers into BeerSmith, it told me I should pull 13 quarts of mash for the decoction. Has anyone been able to boil that amount of mash on a propane kitchen stovetop? My brew rig is all electric, so I don't have a dedicated burner for decoctions (yet).
2. While I'm boiling my decoction upstairs on the stovetop, what happens to the remaining mash/liquid in my MLT? Should I continue to recirculate (I have a HERMS) at 131?
3. What if it takes a long time to boil the mash on the stove top? Will anything detrimental happen to the liquid in the MLT?
THanks for the help. If all else fails, I'll just go 131 for 30 min and 152 for 60 with a 10 minute mash out and call it a day.