How should I steep these ingredients?

[bulleitb]

I have a recipe that requires me to add

1 lb. of roasted barley
1/2 lb Chocolate Malt
1/2 lb Black Malt

I have only ever brewed with extract so this is a bit above my head I think. Should I steep this at 150 degrees for 45 minutes? Is there an effective easy schedule I can use to properly use these grains?

 

[Professor Frink]

That's pretty much it. Heat the water to 150-155 degrees, put the grains in a grain bag, put them in the water and let them steep for 30-45 minutes. Than give the grain bag a rinse, add some water and boil away!

 

[Revvy]

+1 on what the prof said...but DON'T squeeze bag when you remove it after steeping...Just hold it above the pot and let it drain out. Some people also pour a couple cups of warm water over the bag while it is draining.

The tendency is to want to "squeeze every last bit of juice" from the grain bag...but don't, that will release tannins that will make your beer bitter.

 

[bulleitb]

how much water should I have in the pot for this? I am making a 5 gallon batch of stout

 

[malkore]

1.5 - 2 gallons is a good water volume for steeping grains.

if you have the ability to boil a full volume, you can definitely do all the water so you're able to go from 150 up to boiling after removing the grains.

pH and worries of tannin extraction aren't of real concern at temperatures like 150F with grains that aren't being converted/mashed.