longer mashes

[MikeFlynn74]

The 12hr mash thread got me thinking about longer than the standard 60min mash that I have been doing. Few questions-

Are there any advantages to long mashes?
What are the true differences?
Do you mash at the same temps?

I was thinking about trying it on a larger beer like a La Fin Du Monde clone-

Any thoughts?

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Greater than 60 minutes has often been deemed a waste of time. Many claim full conversion at 20 minutes. If you're brewing a medium to full-bodied beer with an average grain bill (i.e., OG of 1.080 or less), a long mash may be counterproductive, resulting in a wort that is too fermentable.

However, for a big beer, a longer mash may be desirable. I doubt you'll see much difference between a 12 hour mash and a 90 minute mash, but if you want to "sleep on it," the longer mash shouldn't be harmful as long as your mash tun is well insulated.

 

[Judd]

I thnk it also related to how high you're mashing. Last night I brewed a Saison. We mashed at 145, so we let it mash nearly two hours, because after 30 mins we didn't have good conversion. But for higher temperatures, conversion seems to happen a lot faster.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I have only considered a longer time when mashing at low temps, say 140*f ti 145*f to favor beta amylase. From what I understand, the betas work much slower than do the alpha's. So if you want a thick beer you give it more time.

 

[Kai]

I thnk it also related to how high you're mashing. Last night I brewed a Saison. We mashed at 145, so we let it mash nearly two hours, because after 30 mins we didn't have good conversion. But for higher temperatures, conversion seems to happen a lot faster.

At about 70 minutes we added boiling water to push the temperature up to about 69˚. Er, 156˚F. That finished it up.