Multi-step Mash with a water cooler

[rubyroo]

Hi guys,

This is my first post. But I have gleaned much information from this forum over the past few months that I have been homebrewing. I decided it was high time that I join these forums to not only read other people's questions and the informative responses therein but to ask my own! But, I digress.

So, I have a water cooler based setup. Therefore the 'only' way I can perform multi-step mashes is via infusion. This obviously requires a precise measurement of water to grain ratio and temperature differentials to bring the mash to saccharification temp.

What I'm wondering is if anyone has mashed high protein grains such as Wheat, Oates and Rye separately. Not just by itself in the mash tun but entirely removed. My idea is to mash my wheat in a soup pot on the stove at the proper beta glucanase rest and then raise it to mash temp and add it to the rest of the grains. Has anyone done this? And would it work as I imagine it would? If so should I add it at the beginning of the main mash or at the end?

Sorry for the wall of text!

 

[madscientist451]

Sure you can make a side mash and add it to the main mash. But that seems like a hassle to me. The soup pot isn't going to hold a steady temperature and then you'll have one more thing to clean. And you'll still need to measure the grain and water to hit the right strike temperature for the wheat mash, so that just sounds like extra effort.
I'm a pretty lazy brewer and like to keep things simple, but have done step mashes lots of times by adding boiling water to the cooler and stirring it in.
Four Simple Steps:
1. Get weight of grains. This isn't really doing anything, because you should already know how much grain you are using.
2. Mash in at initial temperature using a somewhat thick mash, like 1 Qt/lb, or 1.25 Qt/Lb
3. Use step mash calculator on the GreenBayRackers web site to determine how much boiling water to use, measure that and get it boiling and stir it in at the proper time.
4. Take the temperature, Put the lid on the cooler and forget about it until its done. If you are careful, you'll hit your numbers on a consistent basis, but I usually have a smaller pot of boiling water on the stove to add in in case I screwed up.
Everyone has their own way that suits them, there's nothing wrong with trying different things and see what works best for you. Good Luck!

 

[laredo7mm]

You can get yourself a heat stick and put it right in the cooler mash tun to raise the temp. Just be careful not to scorch the grains. I have only done this once or twice (with grains present) when I undershot my mash in temp by a bunch. I kept the heat stick moving so I was pretty much gently stirring the mash with it.

I use the same heat stick to heat the mash water right in the 10 gallon cooler, heat the batch sparge water in a separate pot while the mash is going, and then use it for my main boil. I brew in my kitchen and don't use a propane burner. Now since I upgraded from a 2000W element to a 5500W element, I don't need any help from the natty gas stove to maintain a boil on 7 gallons of wort. After boil is reached, I can turn down the controller to about 60% and have a nice rolling boil.

 

[rubyroo]

Awesome! Thanks for the help guys. I will try this GreenBayRackers website. And look into a heat stick. Sounds handy. The other thing I was thinking for holding temp with my seperate mash was putting it in the oven. But infusion might actually be easier in this instance.

 

[jjeffers09]

I don't recommend a heat stick. I have seen it in action and have tasted its short comings. You are better off having cold and boiling water at the ready. It will not be a "tannic" mess if you have to high a temp and add some cold water to shock it back. Likewise, a little more boiling water to bring it to temp, add it slowly, and use a good thermocouple with a perfect condition probe. Once you add the water give the mash a gentle stir, work the water through and let the temp stabilize for at least 30 secs, then take a temp reading.

what recipe are you doing this with?

 

[IslandLizard]

Using a (large) soup pot is not totally off the wall, and a great way to perform step mashes!

If you can insulate the pot while the mash is resting, and safely apply some heat from time to time to keep the temps in your intended range, you're golden. You could use a larger kettle and do your whole mash that way.

If your oven is large enough you can put your soup pot inside it to keep its temps better. Most oven thermostats don't go low enough and are not that precise, so preheat the oven until the right mash temp, or a few (3-5) degrees higher, then turn it off.

Similarly to what BIAB brewers do, I have resorted to performing step mashes in a direct fired kettle now. I use induction, but any heat source should work. You'll need to stir well (scrape the bottom with your paddle) to prevent local overheating and scorching while heat is applied. A triple ply bottomed kettle helps disperse the heat. Heat slow and steady, keep stirring. When the mash is finished, I do a 10' mashout at 168F, scoop the whole lot into the awaiting cooler tun for lautering, clean my kettle well and start the boil. Works like a charm.

I've done multiple infusion mashes in a cooler mash tun and actually hate the process. During the time it takes to stir the boiling water addition into the mash the lid is off and you'll easily lose 4-8 degrees. Now you could compensate for that by adding more boiling water from the get go, but too often it was like chasing one's own tail.

Same for taking part of the mash out, by using a 3/4 - 1 gallon pot with handle as your scoop, and heating it separately as your infusions, similarly as you would do decoctions. It takes multiple times to get the mash temp up enough, and each time you'll add it back, you lose that precious heat while you're stirring while the lid is off.

 

[rubyroo]

Actually, I could see the heat stick causing off flavours due to uneven heating. It could be useful for water though? Not a specific recipe, I usually make my own after researching what is typical for the style. It would be for a wit beer though. The last one I made tasted fairly bland with a weird protein kind of taste I'm not sure if it was from the lack of a protein rest, or coriander in the fermenter. I neglected to use a hop sac.

IslandLizard I was thinking about using a large well insulated kettle to do an entire mash. I feel like it would lose heat at a faster rate than the cooler without constant application and you have to be careful of scorching. I wonder how much of an effect the protein rest really had on the final product anyways. I have heard a number of opinions on the subject. I also hate raising temp via infusion as you said for the same reasons. You have to over shoot a little and then you could over do it.

Also what is the purpose of a mash out? I have heard it isn't necessary if your fly sparging at 168-170.