mash-out in BIAB

[beerisyummy]

I ran across the following instruction on the Brewer's Friend site, which is not mentioned in Palmer's discussion of BIAB in How to Brew:

"After the mash is complete you heat the mash to mash-out temperature, which is crucial to achieving good efficiency with BIAB since you are NOT rinsing the grains."

Thoughts?

 

[Oginme]

The statement is made on the premise that the hotter temperature will decrease the viscosity of the wort and allow more to flow out of the grain. Personally, I get around 82 to 84% mash/lauter efficiency without needing to do a mash out. I can get much higher if I grind just a little bit finer (I was up to 86% to 91% before consciously dropping it to improve the consistency of my process). IMO, squeezing the bag to free up more of the wort will do just as much as a mash out in most cases.

The other reason for doing a mash out is to denature the enzymes to stop further conversion of dextrins into simpler sugars. Personally, I start the heat under the kettle when I raise the bag of grains which does pretty much the same thing in pretty controlled time line.

 

[PADave]

No need to mash out with BIAB. Your mash out is pulling the bag out of the kettle.

 

[SteveH aka shetc]

I do a 15 minute mashout at 170° F

 

[RM-MN]

A mash out is only useful if you do not have nor want complete enzymatic activity. If you have full conversion of the starches to sugars the mash out does nothing. As you raise the temperature toward mash out the enzymes do work faster but the downside is that it really increases the alpha amylase activity while destroying the beta amylase.

If your grain is milled coarse, such as many LHBS might do so those with conventional mash tuns won't get a stuck mash, you may benefit with a mash out. If you own your mill and mill the grain fine the conversion will be so quick and so complete that the mash out will occur after all conversion is complete, making it just a waste of time.

 

[beerisyummy]

If your grain is milled coarse, such as many LHBS might do so those with conventional mash tuns won't get a stuck mash, you may benefit with a mash out. If you own your mill and mill the grain fine the conversion will be so quick and so complete that the mash out will occur after all conversion is complete, making it just a waste of time.

I do not have my own mill; I double-crush at my LHBS.

 

[RM-MN]

I do not have my own mill; I double-crush at my LHBS.

That might be a great crush doing a double crush...or it might be still a poor crush....and next time you visit someone may have readjusted the mill without your knowledge. The only way to know for sure is to use some tools and compare what is possible compared to what amount of sugars you have extracted. Then the only way to ensure consistency is to have your own mill that is adjusted for the best results and verified with occasional testing.

 

[user 30639]

I do not have my own mill; I double-crush at my LHBS.

I do the same.

While I realize having my own mill would be the best for consistency, my beer tends to taste just fine. I can live with rolling the dice and letting the LHBS do it.

 

[LittleRiver]

I get about 83% efficiency with a .025" crush. No mashout, no sparge, no squeeze. It's so easy it almost feels like cheating. The beer tastes great and I consistently hit or exceed the ABV target of recipes, so I feel no need to add any unnecessary steps to my process. If I want a bigger beer I always have the option of sparging, but normally I don't bother.

When the mash is complete I hoist the bag and immediately fire the burner for the boil. I let the bag drip over the kettle during the boil. Letting gravity do the work is way more enjoyable than squeezing a hot sticky bag. If you let it fully drain there's very little liquid left in the grains at the end, certainly not enough to mess with.