Mash Schedules question

[lurker18]

I am going to do my first all grain batch once I get my mill set up. Looking through recipies to see what I want to do, I am coming across different mash schedules. Saw one this morning and the whole thing was rest at 149 for 60 min. Is there an assumed higher temp rinse at the end? Or is that the whole sparge? I always thought there was a 180 or so rinse after the rest.

BTW I will be batch sparging.

 

[Yooper]

The mash schedules are set up to get a certain "profile". A mash at 149 degrees will give you a more fermentable wort, with a lower FG in the end. A mash at a higher temperature, like 156 degrees, will yield a less fermentable wort and a higher FG in the end. I'd mash a cream ale at 149, but I'd mash a sweet stout at 156.

That's just the mash schedule. You'll still sparge with your chosen method. That's just always assumed in a recipe. You'll want to sparge to get to your boil volume, with whatever temperature water you need to get your grainbed to 168. For me, when I batch sparge, my first round of sparge water is near 200 degrees because I'll drain my first runnings (say the mash is at 154) and then add half of the sparge water to get my grain bed up to 168. I stir like crazy, vorlauf, and drain. Then add the second round of sparge water, which is usually 170 degrees since my grainbed is already at 168. Stir well, vorlauf, and drain.

 

[DrawTap88]

There is usually a mash out volume of water at or around 168-170 degrees that you add at the end of the 60+ minute mash, stir, and let that sit for 10 minutes. Then there is the volume of sparge water that is normally 180+ degrees, depending on your system, to rinse all those sugars out of the grains.

Some brewers skip the mash out addition and just go straight to the sparge addition without any negative effects (which is also what I do).

Do your mash as you said you're going to (149 degrees for 60 minutes), then start the mash out and sparge.

 

[pjj2ba]

As the others have said. You can do a mash out or you can skip it.

I always like to advise people to do what feels comfortable to them - which will depend on your personal equipment, space, time, etc. Other people will do it differently. That's fine. If something just seems like a pain and you are worrying about it, then do it another way, or skip it all together. Obviously there are some limits as to what can be skipped. If one is not sure about skipping something then ask the folks here (or do a search of this website)

 

[Ludovico]

For me, when I batch sparge, my first round of sparge water is near 200 degrees because I'll drain my first runnings (say the mash is at 154) and then add half of the sparge water to get my grain bed up to 168. I stir like crazy, vorlauf, and drain...

I'm always worried that adding 200F water and stirring vigorously is going to extract tannins... isn't this a concern with such hot liquor?

 

[maida7]

I'm always worried that adding 200F water and stirring vigorously is going to extract tannins... isn't this a concern with such hot liquor?

The grain will be cooler and when they mix it should even out at 170F. If you fear 200F is too hot try 190 or 180F. It may take some trial and error to find what temp works for your system. But the goal is to get the grain bed as close to 170F or just under. As long as it's 170 or under the heat will not effect tannin extraction.

Some other factors that effect tannin extraction are pH and gravity of the mash during the sparge.

 

[pjj2ba]

I'm always worried that adding 200F water and stirring vigorously is going to extract tannins... isn't this a concern with such hot liquor?

If your pH is in the proper range (Ideally in the mid 5's, or at least under 6.5 or so) then tannin extraction is a non-issue. Decoctions are boiled and there are no tannin issues.