Partial Decoction Effects?

[cactusgarrett]

To those who've got experience with decocting:

Brewed up a pumpkin ale a few weeks ago, and being the first time on a different system (as well as a weight/volume mixup) i was having trouble hitting temps. To get the proper mash temp of 156F (from 148-150F) I boiled about 3qts of the mash (about 1.6qt/lb) and threw it back in the main mash.

As i've never done a true decoction mash, i haven't learned myself up on the process yet. How does what i did differ from a typical decoction mash - volume? time boiled? Also, how would what i did noticably affect the batch, as opposed to me hitting my target temp from the beginning and not partially decocting at all?

Sorry for the ignorance.

 

[Soulive]

What you did was the mini-decoction that Evan! got me into. See Kaiser's video(s) on true decocting. I can't find it at the moment...

 

[portlandbeergeek]

hey Cactus that's what I did last night too! Didn't realize i was decocting (is that a word?) until after the fact. Just couldn't hold temp.

 

[cactusgarrett]

Is only decocting 3qts of mash going to make a noticeable amount of difference, though?

 

[Evan!]

Question: how long after the initial strike water addition did you take out those 3 quarts, and at what temp were they sitting? My concern is that, if you didn't wait for at least 25 minutes, the stuff that you took out and boiled would not have undergone starch conversion, and so you'd end up boiling starches and get a pretty low efficiency or even low fermentability. I know 3 quarts isn't much, and I'd doubt that you'll see much of a flavor difference from it, but still...whenever you decoct, make sure that it had enough time to convert most of the starches before you pull out that portion to boil.

 

[cactusgarrett]

I mashed it and targetted 156F. It was at 150F after 10min in, so that's when i removed the portion and boiled. I brought it to just boiling, then added it back to the mash and continued to rest around 156F for 60min. My numbers calculated out to have my efficiency around 70% (seems in line with my system).

Evan!, you're suggesting that what i did wouldn't have added anything along the lines of decoction to the batch, and that possibly i could have "hurt" it? When you boil the starches, you're making them inaccessable to conversion, right? In the grand scheme, i wasn't trying to decoct or gain any of the benefits/effects from it, i just wanted to hit my temp.

What would you suggest i do differently next time?

 

[zoebisch01]

Either way, I feel decoction or mini-decoction does some serious 'malt' flavor improvement that you cannot get any other way. I really feel it is the signature in a lot of German imports where that edge is present. You'll know it when you taste it.

 

[AnOldUR]

What would you suggest i do differently next time?

Bring the decoction to your step temperature (156 dgrs) and hold it there for 15 minutes before bringing it to a boil.