Easy Partial Mash Brewing (with pics)

[Justibone]

Don't cut it close, boilovers are a huge mess. Also, you should use Fermcap-S or another kreusen additive in your boil if you use a small pot.

 

[brewpoint0]

Yeah, I know. I had a boil-over with my pumpkin ale a few weeks ago. Took me a solid hour to clean it up, not to mention I lost a full gallon of beer and my OG took a nosedive. I usually keep a spray bottle w/ clean water on hand to hit the foam when it starts boiling. Although that involves me actually paying attention to it.

I'll see if I can't borrow a larger pot for this brew or just sparge with less water.

 

[BostonBrewins]

No they weren't double crushed. Yes I believe its the same bag.

 

[Justibone]

fermcap-s. It is beer magic. Seriously. No, seriously.

 

[fredoinjapan]

Thanks for the detailed breakdown. I've brewed about 30 brews and they seem to be getting less and less tastier. In the beginning it was just the can of extract plus some DME and damn every brew was good. Now I most often use the can of extract, some grains and DME or LME (along with at least one variety of hops). The question I was hoping to answer when I read your post was about when to put in the extract compared to the grains. Now having learned from your post the right way to go about it, I look forward to my next brew. The mistake I've been making is putting the extract and the grains in near the beginning. You used DME (right?) but I'm assuming it's the same with a can of extract in that I want to get the conversion of the grains done first (the time consumer) and then introduce the DME or LME. Have I got this all right?

Beyond that, I have 3 other questions for you:
1) How much attention do you pay to fermenting temperatures? Do you have or have you considered one of those mats where you set the electronic gadget to the desired temp or do you rely on room temp./blankets etc.?

2) I often brew some pretty big beers. The latest IPA for example, was a calculated 7.7% before bottle conditioning. I achieved this using 1 liter LME, 500 g of DME, and 2000 g of glucose. My question: Should I have used more than 1 packet of yeast that came with this set? It seems I still managed to get the yeast working hard and convert a lot of sugars...

3) Do you keg everything or bottle and brewing many times a week, if you bottle you must have to purchase a lot of new bottles right? Got a good source? Do you recycle bottles?

Thanks in advance for any more helpful insight you may be able to offer.
fred

 

[Justibone]

Thanks for the detailed breakdown. I've brewed about 30 brews and they seem to be getting less and less tastier.

Have you replaced your fermenter? After 30 brews, you might have picked up a bacteria or two in a tube or a hose or something. If your taste is consistently less-good than it used to be, it might be time to retire - or at least bleach - some of your equipment that touches the beer post-boil.

In the beginning it was just the can of extract plus some DME and damn every brew was good.

I would suggest your palate was less developed at that time. That was the case when I started.

Now I most often use the can of extract, some grains and DME or LME (along with at least one variety of hops).

If you don't like how it's going now, decrease the complexity. Try it with just DME/LME, then add in your own hops, and when it is still good, add in just a small amount (1-4 oz.) of grain. Build from a solid foundation.

The question I was hoping to answer when I read your post was about when to put in the extract compared to the grains.

Most people will get better results putting half (or less than half) of their malt extract in at the beginning of the boil and the rest in at the end. There are a couple of caveats:

1) LME - you should remove the pot from the heat and stir vigorously so that you don't scorch on the bottom of the pot. Heating the container slightly prior to opening it makes the LME easier to handle.

2) DME - it can be a pain to get it to dissolve, so don't wait until the last 10 minutes... it might take 20 or so just to get it to dissolve properly, depending on how much you are using, and how much of your recipe is counting on DME for fermentables.

For barleywines, bocks and scotch ales, I think boiling all of the malt the whole time to get extra residual sweetness is a good thing. My $.02!

Now having learned from your post the right way to go about it, I look forward to my next brew. The mistake I've been making is putting the extract and the grains in near the beginning.

Grains must be done in the beginning - there is no other feasible way to do it. As a matter of fact, the grains are a WHOLE separate step, at a MUCH lower temperature. If there are ANY grains in your boil, your beer could end up tasting more like tea than like beer... and nobody wants that.

Grains are MASHED, at 145-155F, not BOILED, at 210-212F.

You used DME (right?) but I'm assuming it's the same with a can of extract in that I want to get the conversion of the grains done first (the time consumer) and then introduce the DME or LME. Have I got this all right?

Yes, mash or steep the grain for 30-90 minutes, then remove the grain, then add more water, and then boil. After you reach a boil, add up to half of your extract and start your hop schedule (should be 45-60 minutes long). In the last 10-20 minutes of that hour or so, you can add the rest of the malt extract.

Beyond that, I have 3 other questions for you:
1) How much attention do you pay to fermenting temperatures?

This is *hugely* important. Most people don't ferment too cold; most people ferment too warm. Try to keep the room or the water bath the beer is in below 70F, with 65F even better for most beers. Even a wheat beer is better if fermented below 70F.

2) I often brew some pretty big beers. The latest IPA for example, was a calculated 7.7% before bottle conditioning. I achieved this using 1 liter LME, 500 g of DME, and 2000 g of glucose. My question: Should I have used more than 1 packet of yeast that came with this set? It seems I still managed to get the yeast working hard and convert a lot of sugars...

That gravity is manageable with one packet of yeast, but double pitching or making a starter will probably make your beer taste "cleaner". Just my $.02, again.

3) Do you keg everything or bottle and brewing many times a week, if you bottle you must have to purchase a lot of new bottles right? Got a good source? Do you recycle bottles?

As for me, I don't brew every week any more. When I did try to brew every week, it was a half gallon at a time, so that's not even a full six-pack when all is said and done.

My friends save bottles for me, and I remove the labels in hot water. I don't use screw caps. If you have a bench capper you can use screw caps, and contacting a local bar can yield you literally *hundreds* of bottles in a single day, if you agree to pick them up.

When one of my kegs empties, I ferment another batch for it. That seems to be about every two months or so, unless I have a house party!

Thanks in advance for any more helpful insight you may be able to offer.
fred

I know this wasn't addressed to me, but I felt it would be okay to pitch in my thoughts as well.

Good luck in your hobby, and I hope you can improve your beer soon!

 

[BrewJay]

Excellent thread. I only have two extract brews under my belt, but I may try this out soon since I received 5lbs of grains in my NorthernBrewer delivery that I didn't order. :-x Not sure what grain yields what characteristic, but I'll figure it out eventually.

 

[Justibone]

Not sure what grain yields what characteristic, but I'll figure it out eventually.

There is a sticky, I believe by Deathbrewer, in the all-grain forum, I believe, that explains what characteristics many of the grains have.

 

[Toy4Rick]

Hey gang,

I have already fixed/changed a bunch of things such as DME instead of LME, which reduced the color and caramel/molasses flavor, full boils (2 half boils to make a full 5gals), yeast starters, ferment 62-68 (thermometer on outside of bucket) and leave it a week longer in fermenter after it's done for the yeast to cleanup... I have tweaked the stepping grains/hops... a bit and my beers are really very good, by my standards and by those who drink them.

So my question is this, how much better is the beer really by doing PM or AG for that matter? If my beers are currently very good, how much better will they be? What are we looking for with PM/AG? Cheaper is not always a reason to change as noted that I currently use DME which is a bit more expensive.

I guess I'm trying to justify the extra equipment and time of PM vs. steeping/extract brewing.

Thanks in advance
Toy4Rick

 

[DeathBrewer]

If you have a good process, you can make just as good of beer with extract as you can with grains. It's about attention to detail, proper temperatures, sanitation, fresh quality ingredients and all-around procedure more than anything.

You simply have more versatility and control with grain. And you can make certain styles of beers where extract limits you, such as one of my personal favorites: Roggenbier.

 

[Justibone]

So my question is this, how much better is the beer really by doing PM or AG for that matter?

Some styles can only be done by PM or AG. My AGs have been worse than my extracts, in my experience, so if I can do extract, I generally do. I don't think AG makes "better" beer, I just think it makes making beer cheaper.

What are we looking for with PM/AG? Cheaper is not always a reason to change as noted that I currently use DME which is a bit more expensive.

There are certain styles that require PM or AG. Not many, mind you, but some. For instance, finding rye extract is pretty difficult or impossible, so if you want a true roggenbier you have to PM or AG. There are other types as well.

Also, if you want control of the maltiness/dryness of your beer, controlling the mash temp and volume can give you that sort of fine-tuning. Most people will never need that level of control, though, so extract (which is mashed pretty much in the middle of dry/malty) is good enough for most situations.

If you can steep and are willing to pay extract prices, then you can make *almost* every kind of beer you ever want to make. Palmer and Zainasheff have a book out of extract and PM/steeping recipes that I can vouch for personally, having brewed some of the recipes.

Amazon.com: Brewing Classic Styles: 80 Winning Recipes Anyone Can Brew (9780937381922): Jamil Zainasheff, John Palmer: Books

If you don't want to do AG or PM, you definitely don't have to.

 

[Justibone]

If you have a good process, you can make just as good of beer with extract as you can with grains. It's about attention to detail, proper temperatures, sanitation, fresh quality ingredients and all-around procedure more than anything.

You simply have more versatility and control with grain. And you can make certain styles of beers where extract limits you, such as one of my personal favorites: Roggenbier.

Haha! I was just saying the same thing!!

 

[redking11]

Deathbrewer, If you are making several batch a week, what on earth do you do with al the beer?

 

[bottlebomber]

Deathbrewer, If you are making several batch a week, what on earth do you do with al the beer?

He uses it to seduce barely legal asian girls...

 

[rcook73]

Quick Question ...are the Brewers Best kits (like the one in the following link)
What you're talking about in this tutorial?

if not ..what are the main differences ..
I've done a few (still pretty new to brewing) and have thrown in a few extras with pretty good results

Big Honkin' Stout Extract Kit w/ Specialty Grains : Northern Brewer

 

[Justibone]

Quick Question ...are the Brewers Best kits (like the one in the following link)
What you're talking about in this tutorial?

if not ..what are the main differences ..
I've done a few (still pretty new to brewing) and have thrown in a few extras with pretty good results

Big Honkin' Stout Extract Kit w/ Specialty Grains : Northern Brewer

Since I didn't see a list of grains in that kit, I can't tell you if they are mashed or not. The main difference between mashing and just basically soaking grains is that in mashing you are concerned with enzyme activity converting starches to sugars. If that kit does not use 2-row (or maybe 6-row, but I doubt it) then it is not concerned with enzymatic conversion.

Usually a stout kit will use specialty grains for color and flavor, and not for fermentables. Usually those ready-made kits will not count on you to do an actual mash, because people get confused about mashing easily and it's pretty hard to mess up just soaking grain in hot water.

If you find a kit that includes 2-row or 6-row, then you know that it is a partial mash and not just specialty grain steeping.

 

[spittoono]

great info. I am a fairly new brewer. I have 5 extract brews under my belt so far. After a few more, i will be wanting to expand to the PM. You have provided great insight on the equipment needed and the process. Any chance you could elaborate on the ingredients used? Or, better yet, any good beginner recipes you recommend or could direct me towards? thanks

 

[Justibone]

great info. I am a fairly new brewer. I have 5 extract brews under my belt so far. After a few more, i will be wanting to expand to the PM. You have provided great insight on the equipment needed and the process. Any chance you could elaborate on the ingredients used? Or, better yet, any good beginner recipes you recommend or could direct me towards? thanks

Austin Homebrew Supply

Partial Mash Kits - Recipe Kits - Brewing : Northern Brewer

Brewing Ingredients - Ingredient Kits - Rebel Brewer

Beer making Kits

Pretty much any of those links will get you to partial mash kits. Using a kit is the easiest, but not the least expensive, way to get into Partial Mash. Otherwise, you can search for some established recipes and pick one you like:

Recipes/Ingredients - Home Brew Forums

The Beer Recipator - Recipes

Good luck, and have fun!

 

[GrizBrew]

Hey All. Thanks Deathbrewer for offering up this technique and recipes. I am using this as we speak to complete the first brew I have done in 15 years. I borrowed your Dunkelweizen recipe and tweaked it a little. I hope all goes well. I will report back after fermentation to let you all know how it slides down.

I have been reading this forum for a little while and you all seem like a super friendly bunch. I look forward to being part of this community!!

Hoppy Brew Year All!

 

[spittoono]

Justibone, I appreciate the help. I will look into the websites, research a new PM to try and let you know how it goes.

thanks

 

[lemmiwinks]

Getting ready to do my first PM in the next week or two.
Have a question regarding mash/steeping. Sure it was answered in the thread somewhere but I can't locate it.

Are the specialty grains that are meant for steeping simply added to the grain bag for the full mash or added as it gets closer to the end of the mash time?

 

[Justibone]

Getting ready to do my first PM in the next week or two.
Have a question regarding mash/steeping. Sure it was answered in the thread somewhere but I can't locate it.

Are the specialty grains that are meant for steeping simply added to the grain bag for the full mash or added as it gets closer to the end of the mash time?

If you are both mashing and steeping, you might as well do them all together. I suppose it wouldn't hurt anything if you did them separately, but I don't see the point. Steeping should be done at about the same temperature as mashing, but it requires less time. The extra time won't make the steeping less effective, though, so my personal opinion would be that it is most efficient to just do them all at once.

 

[lemmiwinks]

If you are both mashing and steeping, you might as well do them all together. I suppose it wouldn't hurt anything if you did them separately, but I don't see the point. Steeping should be done at about the same temperature as mashing, but it requires less time. The extra time won't make the steeping less effective, though, so my personal opinion would be that it is most efficient to just do them all at once.

Thanks Justibone.
That's pretty much what I was thinking but then I saw somewhere a few pages back someone mentioned something about the different temps and times and it got me thinking about it. Still kinda noobish so I'm just trying to figure some of the ins and outs before I get knee deep in grains

 

[jwalker1140]

I think I'm ready to give this technique a try but I have a question. I have a 5 gal pot and a 1.5 gal pot, which isn't very useful for mashing more than ~3 lbs of grain. I've read that others use a fermenting/bottling bucket to mash in. Will this really keep the water temp within range for the entire time? I have a brew belt. Should I use that or just wrap the bucket with a blanket or sleeping bag?

Thanks,
Jason

 

[beerman1957]

Do you have a picnic cooler you could use? They work better. If not, you may have to wrap blanket around a bucket.

 

[Justibone]

I think I'm ready to give this technique a try but I have a question. I have a 5 gal pot and a 1.5 gal pot, which isn't very useful for mashing more than ~3 lbs of grain. I've read that others use a fermenting/bottling bucket to mash in. Will this really keep the water temp within range for the entire time? I have a brew belt. Should I use that or just wrap the bucket with a blanket or sleeping bag?

Thanks,
Jason

Others have done it by wrapping the bucket with blankets and setting the bucket on top of an insulating surface (not on a tile floor, for example). They have kept boiling water on hand and added it, little by little, as needed. If you have software you can calculate how much to add, or you can just do the math yourself (vol*temp + vol*temp = net temp in net vol), but either way it's just not going to work that well.

The brew belt may help slightly, but it really doesn't pull that much power and is intended for just changing a few degrees here and there, rather than keeping it about 70F degrees higher for the better part of an hour.

Like someone else mentioned, the picnic cooler thing (like they put Gatorade in at football games) is said to work well. Another option is to only mash/steep as much grain as you can comfortably fit in your pot, making the rest of the fermentables up with extract. Yet another-other option would be to split the mashed grains (like 2-row) from the steeped grains, and mash the mashable grains first, then add the steepable grains after the temperature drops since they are not so temperature dependent.

You just gotta work with whatcha got!

 

[jwalker1140]

Justibone, Beerman1957, thanks so much for the replys. This is super helpful to me. I'm tempted to buy a 2-gal beverage cooler but I'm afraid buying one more piece of gear before we get a bigger house would cause SWMBO to come unhinged.

I like the idea of mashing and steeping in separate pots. I may try that, or I'll tweak my recipes to bring the grains down to a volume I can manage in a single pot.

Thanks again, guys!

 

[jwalker1140]

I just remembered, I do have a 16-quart Coleman picnic cooler, the rectangle kind with a lid that wedges down on top and locks when you lift the handle upright. Would that work? For some reason, my mind was stuck on the round orange type of cooler. Surely my Coleman would be better than my fermentation bucket.

I'll be pretty stoked if this will work! Can't wait to brew a proper wit.

 

[DeathBrewer]

That could work great. Does the bag fit?

You could do probably about 8 lbs of grain in that, max...but hell, you get good enough efficiency and you could do an all-grain wit with that amount.

 

[DeathBrewer]

lol...just for good measure, I'm drinking a Hoegaarden now