Melanoidin Mash

Bottoms_Up · 2025-09-24T17:20:52-0400

Is anyone familiar with a "Melanoidin Mash"? It's the same as a Protein Rest, but much longer (about 30 minutes). Apparently this prepares the mash so that more melanoidins are created during the later boil, simulating the taste of a decocted beer.

rmr9 · 2025-09-24T17:40:29-0400

I’ve never heard of this but a 30 minute protein rest with highly modified malts probably isn’t a great idea

day_trippr · 2025-09-24T17:51:07-0400

The only references I find for "Melanoidin Mash" actually uses Melanoidin Malt in a conventional mash

Cheers!

HM-2 · 2025-09-24T18:10:11-0400

Given what melanoidins actually are, I struggle to see how a low temperature long rest could possibly produce them or even their precursors.

Bottoms_Up · 2025-09-24T18:34:38-0400

HM-2 said:
Given what melanoidins actually are, I struggle to see how a low temperature long rest could possibly produce them or even their precursors.

According to Gemini AI:

How It Works

A melanoidin mash is a type of step mash that extends the time the wort spends in the protein rest range, typically around 50–55°C (122–131°F). While this temperature isn't high enough for caramelization or intense Maillard reactions, it is the perfect temperature range for peptidase enzymes to be highly active.

Amino Acids and Sugars: Peptidases break down large proteins into smaller amino acids, while amylase enzymes (activated at higher temperatures) convert starches into simple sugars.
Melanoidin Formation: The key to this process is that the enzymes create a high concentration of amino acids and reducing sugars, the two essential building blocks for Maillard reactions.
The "Slow Cooker" Effect: By holding the mash at this temperature for an extended period, you're essentially preparing the wort for melanoidin formation by building up the precursors. While the actual high-temperature Maillard reactions don't happen in the mash itself, you're creating a wort that is primed for them to occur more readily during the boil.

This is why a melanoidin mash is often described as a primer for flavor development, rather than the primary driver. The high concentration of Maillard precursors in the wort will lead to a more intense melanoidin development during the final wort boil, giving you that rich, bready, and malty character you desire, similar to a decoction.

BrewnWKopperKat · 2025-09-24T19:04:36-0400

Bottoms_Up said:
According to Gemini AI:

feel free to use LLMs (Gemini AI, Grok, ChatGPT, ..., ..., ...) to sift through the information on the interwebs, but ...
... respect that many of us here correctly see LLMs as "statistical word generators", so ...
... anything emitted by an LLM powered web site needs to be verified in the real world
... before sharing it in forum discussion.

eta: "emitted" - chose the right words. It's not a discussion - it's statistical word generation based on words typed in some in-determinate context. Change my mind.