Protein rest temps

[Jhedrick83]

I’m planning on my first brew with a stepped mash in the recipe for Saturday. I BIAB and it’s a Belgian Dubbel if it matters. The recipe calls for a protein rest at 121 F. My question is twofold.

1. do you treat temps for a protein rest like a normal mash where you have a strike temp ~10degrees higher than the mash temp?

2. I’m sure a more polarizing question. Is it even worth it? Recipe below for reference.

 

[Miraculix]

Why 4g chalk?!

 

[RM-MN]

A recipe is a record of what someone else did. I don't see a great reason for a protein rest in your grain bill. JMHO

 

[Protos]

Is it even worth it?

Not at all.
Protein mash is needed for protein-rich malts. I see no such malts here.

 

[Jhedrick83]

Why 4g chalk?!

According to BeerSmith. Those additions get me to m target profile:

 

[Miraculix]

First of all, chalk is not good, use baking soda if you need to up alkalinity.

Second, you don't need to adjust alkalinity here, so just skip it.

 

[Jhedrick83]

A recipe is a record of what someone else did. I don't see a great reason for a protein rest in your grain bill. JMHO

Not at all.
Protein mash is needed for protein-rich malts. I see no such malts here.

Thanks. I’ll just do a normal mash then.

 

[Jhedrick83]

First of all, chalk is not good, use baking soda if you need to up alkalinity.

Second, you don't need to adjust alkalinity here, so just skip it.

What about the chalk is the issue? Not being a smartass, genuinely curious.

 

[Miraculix]

What about the chalk is the issue? Not being a smartass, genuinely curious.

I'm not 100% sure, something like problems with dissolving it and unpredictable outcomes. My takeaway was, don't use it, use baking soda. Easily available and does the job.

 

[Qhrumphf]

If you're gonna chase a "classic" water profile, chase the sulfate, chloride, and sodium. Those are what drive the character in the beer. Aim for 100ppm calcium if you can get there, but at least 50ppm (yeast health and beerstone mitigation), and then from there ONLY add alkalinity (use baking soda not chalk, as said above) if you need to raise your pH. It's quite rare you'll ever need to do that. Never ever ever add alkalinity you don't need just to match some profile. Most "classic city" breweries have always been treating their water to remove that alkalinity anyway.

Protein rest I like to use 130. Any brewing software should be able to calculate the strike temp for you. You'll probably need a little less of a differential than you would to mash in at a saccharification temp. But as others have said, you won't need it unless you've got some small maltster's Pils malt and its really badly modified, so you could probably just skip it.

Though I would do a beta and alpha rest if you were gonna step mash anyway...

 

[Jhedrick83]

How does this look to you. Originally, I was shooting for the “Brew Like a Monk” Chimay profile of Ca 70 Mg 7 Na 7 sulfate 21 chloride 21. As I mess with BeerSmith manually rather than giving it the target profile, it Looks like the chalk was there as a way to raise the Calcium while keeping the Sulfate and Chloride low. What I did for this is to just keep them as low as I can, while balanced while hitting 50 for Calcium minimum.

I appreciate all the advice.

 

[Miraculix]

I would go for

How does this look to you. Originally, I was shooting for the “Brew Like a Monk” Chimay profile of Ca 70 Mg 7 Na 7 sulfate 21 chloride 21. As I mess with BeerSmith manually rather than giving it the target profile, it Looks like the chalk was there as a way to raise the Calcium while keeping the Sulfate and Chloride low. What I did for this is to just keep them as low as I can, while balanced while hitting 50 for Calcium minimum.

I appreciate all the advice.

you do not need to boost the alkilinity. This is counter productive. SKIP IT. No baking soda, no chalk.

You basically do not need anything here, but you can add some CACl2 and Gypsum. Try to keep a ratio of aproximately 2/1 Chloride/Sulfate and you are good. Do not overdo it.

basically, what you posted looks ok, just remove the baking soda and the epsom salt.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

Wouldn't this all be dependent as to what the starting water would be?

@LBussy kinda pointed this out to me in another thread.

 

[Jhedrick83]

Starting with Distilled to make it easy

 

[Miraculix]

IF you want to add Mg, do not go above 5 ppm.

 

[Qhrumphf]

I'd cut that baking soda for sure. Epsom salt not really needed either, but that won't burt anything.

Looks good otherwise.

 

[Deadalus]

I’m planning on my first brew with a stepped mash in the recipe for Saturday. I BIAB and it’s a Belgian Dubbel if it matters. The recipe calls for a protein rest at 121 F. My question is twofold.

1. do you treat temps for a protein rest like a normal mash where you have a strike temp ~10degrees higher than the mash temp?

2. I’m sure a more polarizing question. Is it even worth it? Recipe below for reference.

View attachment 738605

As far as considering the protein rest suggestion, the percentage of the pilsner malt was 64%. But that includes the sugar, which doesn't need to be converted in the mash so probably should just be ignored. The Munich is 20L, slightly under the suggested rating of 25L or so. It's close and the pilsner would more than likely make up the difference. Not counting the sugar, there are 3 lbs out of 11 to be considered, which is 27%, but again the Munich is pretty close on its own and general recommendation is if 25% of it is unmodified. If you also ignored the Munich, then there is 1 out of 9 lbs which is 11% or looked at it as 1 lb out of the 11 which is only 9%.

Not sure about strike temperature question but it would involve how you raise to your next temperature, adding water, direct heat, and the water to grain ratio. A very long time ago I calculated manually but I let the program calculate now.