Effects of grist to water ratio

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rico567

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When I started to brew AG, I studies up a bit on how thick / thin to mash, and I couldn't really learn anything definitive about it, so I'm in the habit of mashing rather thin (1.75 qt. / lb or so in the batch I brewed today) because it seemed easier. Obviously, if mashing is done too thin, there could be conversion problems, and if it's too thick, lautering could be a problem.

So- I'm looking for more information on determining the effect of more or less water in the mash.
 
I mash my British pale ales using M.O. at 1 qt / lb (based on statements by Greg Noonan and Ray Daniels, that this is traditional). If I mash thinner, then I don't get the flavour that I want. For other beers, I mash at 1.25 to 1.5 qts per lb, and that seems to work fine.

-a.
 
So just to make sure that I understood that correctly. That guy is saying that the thinner the mash the better efficiency youll get?
 
jhorgan1 said:
So just to make sure that I understood that correctly. That guy is saying that the thinner the mash the better efficiency youll get?

Thin = less body, more fermantables
 
Basically his findings were it didn't make much of a difference.

He got a tad smidge greater efficiency with a thin mash, and FG was the same in both.
 
Basically his findings were it didn't make much of a difference.

He got a tad smidge greater efficiency with a thin mash, and FG was the same in both.

This is the way I understood "Brewkaiser"'s article. I can now quit worrying about it, since I don't chase numbers, as a rule. And since I don't make any English bitter, mashing thick isn't an imperative for me.
 
So mashing in the 1.0 area is what you need to do on an English Bitter?

I love English Bitters and I'm getting ready to start AG....so should my mashes be on the thick side....less than 1.2 qt/lb and be more like 1.0 qt/lb?
 
I've read & heard from numerous academic & professional sources that it really makes little difference. Mash temp & pH both have much greater effect on the outcomes you're looking at.
 
Ask the people who do BIAB, or other no-sparge variations. Makes little to no difference in the final product. Body and FG are much more a result of mash temps (and ph), as other people have noted.

If a thinner mash makes things easier, then by all means go for it.
 
So mashing in the 1.0 area is what you need to do on an English Bitter?

I love English Bitters and I'm getting ready to start AG....so should my mashes be on the thick side....less than 1.2 qt/lb and be more like 1.0 qt/lb?

I do a 90 minute mash at 150F and 1 qt / lb for my bitters. Thinning the mash out to 1.25 completely changes the character of the beer (in my opinion). However, I haven't noticed any difference in OG or FG, so there is obviously something going on that I don't understand. I also haven't tried a thick mash with anything other than M.O.

-a.
 

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