Mash Out

[PavlovsCat]

I understand the process of the mash out - to shut down the enzymes. A recipe called for mash out at 170 for 10 minutes. My first batch sparge was 170. Wouldn't the addition of the 170 sparge water accomplish the same thing? Or would you want to mash out before you drained the 1st runnings, then batch sparge?

 

[Yooper]

Most batch spargers just use hotter water to get the grain bed up to 170-ish to stop the enzymatic activity. A mash out isn't required, since you're adding hotter water right after the run-off.

For fly spargers (also called continuous sparging), it's probably better to do that mash out, since the sparge happens slowly, over 45 minutes to an hour. You don't want to allow the enzymes to keep working during this time, so you do a mash out and start the fly sparge.

I'm still mostly a batch-sparger, dabbling in fly sparging, so I'm no expert. But for batch sparging, I don't do a mash out. For fly sparging, I do.

 

[HangLoose]

Why do we want to stop the enzymes? I have never understood why we would want to.

 

[Malticulous]

It's less about enzymes and more about making the sugars more soluble for a higher yield form the mash. It's only a few points. Enzyme activity is not totally stopped until it's near boiling anyway. At the higher temp more sugars will drain off in the runnings. I try not to exceed 168F to avoid tannins. I stop the enzymes in the brew pot.

 

[the_bird]

Why do we want to stop the enzymes? I have never understood why we would want to.

To keep the mash from becoming TOO fermentable. Longer time at sac rest temps ultimately means a wort that might attenuate more than you want it too. Yoop's got the right answer, for batch sparging it's good to use hot water (I tend to go up at 175°), but more because it results in a less-viscous, easier-to-drain wort than because I'm specifically trying to mash out. I'm up to boil so soon after sparging that a mashout is essentially moot.

 

[Yooper]

To keep the mash from becoming TOO fermentable. Longer time at sac rest temps ultimately means a wort that might attenuate more than you want it too.

I'm up to boil so soon after sparging that a mashout is essentially moot.

Right. But, when I fly sparge, even if I put the first runnings on the heat, I'm looking at an hour more before the second runnings finish. That's why and when I do a mash out. I don't want the wort that's been sitting around to be too fermentable. A mash out stops further denaturing of the enzymes, so that I can preserve my mash profile.

For batch spargers, a mash out is not usually done.

 

[Malticulous]

I think batch spargers tend to use excessively hot sparge watter to make up for no mash-out. If the beer is good who cares? I'm just repeating what I learned from Kia and for the life of me I don't know if he batch or fly sparges. Maybe he could straighten me out?

 

[beerthirty]

Yoop, I fly sparge, but also direct fire my mash tun up to 170 before sparging. this normally takes about 15-20 min. Do you think I would see a difference using a mash out?

 

[Malticulous]

You do. 168=mash out. Even 160 would help. I'm trying to remember where but I read form a respected source 160-168 is the sweet spot for taking the runnings from the mash. Someone help me remember, I think it was in BYO.

 

[Yooper]

Yoop, I fly sparge, but also direct fire my mash tun up to 170 before sparging. this normally takes about 15-20 min. Do you think I would see a difference using a mash out?

You do. 168=mash out.

Yep, that's right. If you're at 170, you've done mashed out.

 

[HangLoose]

To keep the mash from becoming TOO fermentable. Longer time at sac rest temps ultimately means a wort that might attenuate more than you want it too. Yoop's got the right answer, for batch sparging it's good to use hot water (I tend to go up at 175°), but more because it results in a less-viscous, easier-to-drain wort than because I'm specifically trying to mash out. I'm up to boil so soon after sparging that a mashout is essentially moot.

Oh word. Sometimes my brew is a little over attenuated. I think I'll try some hotter water and see how it goes.