Mash enzyme question w descending mash temp

[CascadesBrewer]

Overall I find it much easier to do single infusion, and I'm willing to bet a 6-pack that no one can taste a difference, and the FGs would be within a point of one another anyway, as long as the total mash TIMES are the same... also assuming all reasonable temperatures in standard ranges with enzymes doing what we expect them to do, not doing something wonky where we kill off the beta too early.

That is about where I am. If I had one of the electric recirculating systems I would give step mashing a try. But for now I am very happy with the quality of my beers and I feel like I have enough control over mash temps and attenuation with single infusion mashing and wrapping my kettle in a sleeping bag.

Since then I have always shot for 149.

152F is my generic mash target. I guess I like to lean on the side of a little less attenuation and a little less alcohol. I do vary my mash temps, but I am generally in the camp that mash temps don't have a huge impact on the overall character of the final product.

 

[ScrewyBrewer]

As a visual learner, I find graphics like this one help me understand the basic idea of a process.

 

[HighVoltageMan!]

The charts could be helpful, but I believe mash pH will have an effect on the denaturing of the enzymes. So it's temperature, time and pH that denature individual enzymes. Long mashes at lower temperatures 145-150F allow the alpha enzyme enough time to work. The closer the enzyme gets to it's denaturing temperature the faster it works. Since alpha breaks up the starch molecule in the middle and beta works on the end, it's helpful that alpha has more time at lower temperatures, since it's slower at lower temps, to produce a starch molecule that beta can work on.

This breakdown occurs fairly quickly and then the amount conversion slows as time goes on. The old saying that the mash was done converting in 20 minutes is kind of true, it's the last 45 minutes that squeezes the last of the fermentable sugars out of the mash. So mashing for 60-90 minutes is a good way to insure you got everything of the grain that you can and what you got was very fermentable.

 

[Dland]

Reporting back, the brew that was mashed in at 154F had a FG of 1.012, from a SG of 1.060. This comes in a little higher than three previous batches in same cone to cone series. All were S-04 fermented at 67-68F. Other batches were; SG 1.054,-FG 1.010, SG 1.059, - FG 1.011, SG 1.060,- FG 1.009. These were all mashed in at between 150 and 151F.

Two of the grain bills probably had somewhat less diastic potential than the batch in question, being made of 50% Pilsner malt and 25% Golden Promiss, as opposed to 75% Pilsner in 154F batch. The batch with FG of 1.009 was also 75% Plisner. All the grain bills contained mostly fermentable malts, with exception being 5% Melodian in one of the other batches. All had some rye malt, in 12.5-25% of bill, not sure how diastic that is, but I think it is mostly fermentable.

This leads me to semi-scientiflcly conclude that the higher mash temp was likely responsible for .002-3 gravity points of unfermented sugars over similar mashes in the 150-151F range.