Mash vs Steeping -_-

[Yooper]

7 lbs Light Malt Extract

1/2 lb Crystal 80 L Malt

1/2 lb Munich Malt

1/2 lb CaraHell Malt

1/2 lb Melanoidin Malt

1/2 lb Caravienne Malt

1 1/2 oz Chinook Hops 20 HBUs(Boiling)

2 oz Cascade Hops(flavor: 2 min)

Wyeast American Ale

Add cracked Crystal, Munich, Carahell, Melanoidin, and Caravienne Malts to 2 gals of cold water and bring to boil. When the boiling starts, remove the grain. Add the Light Malt Extract then bring to a boil again. Add 1 1/2 oz of Chinook hops. Boil for 58 mins. Add 2 oz of Cascade hops and boil for two minutes. Sparge the hops with cold water into the fermenter. Add the wort to the fermenter with cold water to make 5 gals. Add yeast when the temp reaches 70º.

Those instructions are very poor- do NOT follow them!

Thats what I was wondering. Would leaving them in until boil extract tannins from the specialty grains creating some off flavors? Also, should I pay attention to PH levels during steeping?

I usually just go with the montra "if my tap water is good enough to drink, its good enough to brew with"

It's not just tannin extraction- you have Munich malt in there, which must be mashed. By not holding it at under 160 for 45-60 minutes, you won't get conversion.

Put your grains together, in a bag if you have a big grain bag, and keep them in there loosely. Use 1-2 quarts of water per pound of grain. Bring that up to 160-163 (a good thermometer is crucial!) and add the grains and stir well. Check to make sure it's 150-155 and hold there for 1 hour. After 1 hour, lift up the grainbag into a big strainer over your brewpot and pour 170 degree water over it, rinsing the grains well, up to your boil volume. THEN discard the grains and proceed with the boil.

And yes, pH is important but you don't have to worry about it right now. You will get conversion with the technique listed above.

 

[PJoyce85]

Those instructions are very poor- do NOT follow them!

It's not just tannin extraction- you have Munich malt in there, which must be mashed. By not holding it at under 160 for 45-60 minutes, you won't get conversion.

Put your grains together, in a bag if you have a big grain bag, and keep them in there loosely. Use 1-2 quarts of water per pound of grain. Bring that up to 160-163 (a good thermometer is crucial!) and add the grains and stir well. Check to make sure it's 150-155 and hold there for 1 hour. After 1 hour, lift up the grainbag into a big strainer over your brewpot and pour 170 degree water over it, rinsing the grains well, up to your boil volume. THEN discard the grains and proceed with the boil.

And yes, pH is important but you don't have to worry about it right now. You will get conversion with the technique listed above.

I agree that the directions are poor. While Munich does need to be mashed, the rest of the grains do not and adding an extra hour onto brew day for a 1/2 lb of malt in an extract kit is unnecessary IMHO.

No matter how you do it, pulling the grains out before you go over 170° is a good idea.

 

[masterfool101]

I agree that the directions are poor. While Munich does need to be mashed, the rest of the grains do not and adding an extra hour onto brew day for a 1/2 lb of malt in an extract kit is unnecessary IMHO.

No matter how you do it, pulling the grains out before you go over 170° is a good idea.

I disagree with this.

First, if you want the beer to taste right, you mash right. And that means mashing the Munich. I'd mash with everything else on there, in one batch, rather than steep and mash separately.

Second, you won't add an hour. Maybe half an hour over steeping time. Normally, you'd steep 30 minutes . . . now you'll mash for 45. The biggest difference won't be time, it will be CONTROL. You'll have to watch the temperature carefully and keep it between 148 and 153.

 

[Dylan42]

I think I will do the partial mash for 45min and see how it turns out if anything its just a little more effort than steeping. Im sure it will turn out good either way.

 

[PJoyce85]

I disagree with this.

First, if you want the beer to taste right, you mash right. And that means mashing the Munich. I'd mash with everything else on there, in one batch, rather than steep and mash separately.

Second, you won't add an hour. Maybe half an hour over steeping time. Normally, you'd steep 30 minutes . . . now you'll mash for 45. The biggest difference won't be time, it will be CONTROL. You'll have to watch the temperature carefully and keep it between 148 and 153.

First, if you look at what Yooper wrote, she clearly stated letting the Munich sit for 1 hour at temperature.

Second, the original recipe that was posted with the Munich malt does not call for the Munich to be mashed, only steeped. So if you want the beer to taste the way it was intended when the kit was purchased, you steep the Munich. Conducting a mash with the Munich will change the flavor of the beer.

It is an extract recipe with specialty grains and not all grain. If they were going to mash the steeping grain then why not just switch to BIAB.

But I digress. I'm sure whichever way they choose (mentioned above), it will turn out well.

 

[Dylan42]

Those instructions are very poor- do NOT follow them!





It's not just tannin extraction- you have Munich malt in there, which must be mashed. By not holding it at under 160 for 45-60 minutes, you won't get conversion.

Put your grains together, in a bag if you have a big grain bag, and keep them in there loosely. Use 1-2 quarts of water per pound of grain. Bring that up to 160-163 (a good thermometer is crucial!) and add the grains and stir well. Check to make sure it's 150-155 and hold there for 1 hour. After 1 hour, lift up the grainbag into a big strainer over your brewpot and pour 170 degree water over it, rinsing the grains well, up to your boil volume. THEN discard the grains and proceed with the boil.

And yes, pH is important but you don't have to worry about it right now. You will get conversion with the technique listed above.

I ended up doing this with the help of the partial mash sticky and it was fun. I just did the BIAB on the stove and transferred it to my kettle in the garage. I really enjoyed it and, I felt like it was actually doing more for me then just tea bagging the grains for a few min. With the cool brewing fermentation bag and the starter I made the night before (first time using both) I have high hopes for this to be the best batch yet. I think for my next brew I will do a partial mash. Thanks for the tips!

 

[unionrdr]

There are caramunich malts that'd be better suited to steeping available.

 

[freisste]

I ended up doing this with the help of the partial mash sticky and it was fun. I just did the BIAB on the stove and transferred it to my kettle in the garage. I really enjoyed it and, I felt like it was actually doing more for me then just tea bagging the grains for a few min. With the cool brewing fermentation bag and the starter I made the night before (first time using both) I have high hopes for this to be the best batch yet. I think for my next brew I will do a partial mash. Thanks for the tips!

Have a good time! I think PM/AG BIAB is way more fun than extract. Nothing wrong with any method, I just like doing more and I'm not ready to shell out any cash for more equipment now.

Search all grain recipes and replace 5 lbs of two row with 3 lbs light or ultra light DME.