Partial grain

[IBrewthere4Iam]

I am still an extract/partial grain brewer and my question is surrounding the grain steeping portion of it.

Some recipes I see say to add grain and steep for 20 minutes or until water reaches 170 degrees. Others say to get the water to 150-170 then add the grain and steep for 20/30 minutes.

Both ways seem to accomplish the same goal from a novice point of view. Is there one that is better than the other. Or do they in fact get you to the same point.

I hope I asked that the right way?

Thanks
Steve

 

[RM-MN]

Brewing grains are complicated as you start brewing as there is so much to learn. With time it will make more sense. Here's my explanation. If your recipe has base malts in it, you need to control the temperature very closely because that triggers the enzymes to convert starches to sugars. Base malts would be Pilsner, brewers malt, 2-row, pale malt, pale ale malt, Munich malt, Vienna malt, as well as some special ones like Maris Otter. The rest of the grains are for color and flavor since they have been kilned hot enough to destroy the enzymes. For those you are steeping and the temperature isn't very critical because you can extract the color and flavor with water anywhere between 100 and 212. However, it is my opinion that you should steep between 148 and 158 because with that temperature range, if you got some base malt in there, it will convert anyway. It's an "always safe" temperature to steep at.

 

[CA_Mouse]

When I was doing extract with specialty grains, I started off with the water heated to 170*F and then added the grain for about 30 minutes like most recipes said. My brother had a recipe that said to add the grain and then bring it to 170*F and hold for 10 minutes. These were basically the same recipe from different HBS, so the next time I decided to just put the grains in a sack, pour cold water on them and heat to 170*F, pull the grain and start the process. I found almost no difference between the three techniques as far as taste or color were concerned. The last few that I did before switching to all grain, I did just like the third batch. As RM-MN said, the higher kilned malts don't need the temperature rest, so adding them to the water while heating should extract all the color and flavor, just like cold steeping coffee.

 

[IBrewthere4Iam]

Thanks, ill try to add my recipe later and get some opinion.

 

[IBrewthere4Iam]

Here is what I am doing. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1417377891.365549.jpg