Mash Thickness and wort flavor

[NAVET]

Like many brewers I get info from as many sources as possible and take them all with a grain of salt.
I read a lot about mash thickness, grain crush and it's affect on efficiency of the mash.
My question is, since I can't find any information about it, how does mash thickness affect flavor? Do sparge methods impact flavor? If so, does no sparge make a better tasting wort?

 

[malkore]

i'll take a stab

mash thickness should only affect flavor as it pertains to getting sugars out of the grain. if that thickness yields better efficiency, the beer has a higher gravity, and that affects flavor, especially when you think about sweet versus dry, malty vs hoppy, and hop utilization changing as gravity increases.

sparge methods can affect flavor the same way...rinsing the sugars from the grain, and also from the standpoint of 'bad sparging' yielding astringent off flavors from tannin extraction.

i've never no sparged though...so no comment there.

 

[david_42]

In theory, a thick mash will convert more slowly and you'll be left with a maltier, sweeter beer. In practice, with fully-modified grains, not much.