Short Mash Success!

[BigJoeBrew]

Just wanted to extend a thanks to all those that have written a little about shortening mash times. I was a bit skeptical, but willing to try. I brewed a fairly basic Brown Ale 2 weeks back and tried a 30 minute mash time to which I got really close to my pre-boil gravity.

I am a pretty simple brewer and don't get much into the science behind stuff, although I read about it a bit. Would the most inexpensive way to test for conversion be test strips? Or as long as I am getting the gravity readings I am shooting for, conversion is happening?

 

[Double_D]

Iodine test is usually the cheapest. You can get tincture of iodine at the drug store or I've heard Iodophor sanitizer works as well. Iodine turns black when there is starch in solution and people usually have one of the two listed around the house.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Or as long as I am getting the gravity readings I am shooting for, conversion is happening?

Obtaining close to your desired gravity is the most important thing, if you are doing that and happy with a simple process you're fine IMO. I rarely check efficiency, when I rarely do I realize that without accurate volume measurements, I'm just ball parking anyway. I get good gravities from reasonable grain bills, I'm happy with that, I don't live by the numbers by any means.

 

[dmtaylor]

Conversion is pretty quick with 21st century malts. If conversion of all the starches is not done in 30 minutes, it's pretty darn close. I have been mashing for 40 minutes for many many years, but the reason is NOT for conversion of starches to sugars, but rather the continued breakdown of slightly more complex sugars into simpler ones, i.e., for fermentability or attenuation, not efficiency. Efficiency doesn't change much at all for mash times between 30 and 40 minutes, but fermentability does big time. But after about 40 minutes, in my experiments & experience, the fermentability isn't affected much anymore either. So, who cares about conversion, that's not the issue. Mash for as long as you need so that you end up with the final gravity you want. Mashing for just 30 minutes might give you a higher final gravity, more body, and less alcohol, so be on the lookout for that, and adjust your mash time up from there on future batches until that stops hurting. For me and my process, 40 is the magic number.

:rockin:

 

[KeninMN]

For me and my process, 40 is the magic number.

:rockin:

And here I thought that the answer to life, the universe, proper mash time and everything was 42...

 

[Build]

Both 30 min vs 60 min mash times make very similar beers. The longer mash will add some complexity, especially with more complicated grain bills. I once did a well stirred 30 min to test and it came out great. Congrats!

 

[Setsumi]

Both 30 min vs 60 min mash times make very similar beers. The longer mash will add some complexity, especially with more complicated grain bills. I once did a well stirred 30 min to test and it came out great. Congrats!

If a longer mash renders a more fermentable wort it will lead to less complexity, I think. But then temp will play a part in complexity as well???

 

[Build]

If a longer mash renders a more fermentable wort it will lead to less complexity, I think. But then temp will play a part in complexity as well???

I was thinking with less fermentable specialty grains that would be in the mash. The longer time can add more of their complexity.

 

[RM-MN]

Iodine test is usually the cheapest. You can get tincture of iodine at the drug store or I've heard Iodophor sanitizer works as well. Iodine turns black when there is starch in solution and people usually have one of the two listed around the house.

Iodine is the quick way to test for conversion but to really tell if you have mashed long enough you need to have some grain particles in the sample. The wort should have just sugar in it but if the grain particles turn the iodine purple or black there is still starch to be converted. If you have a refractometer you can use it's results to tell if your conversion is complete too. Make sure to stir the mash well before taking a reading with that. If the reading goes up between successive readings starch is still being converted. When the reading becomes stable all conversion is done.

 

[LBussy]

Longer mash times leave more time to drink beer. You guys are messing with the balance of the universe!!!

 

[mongoose33]

Longer mash times leave more time to drink beer. You guys are messing with the balance of the universe!!!

Shorter mash times save time so you can brew two in a day!

 

[RM-MN]

Shorter mash times save time so you can brew two in a day!

Only 2? There's 24 hours in a day, I would think you might be able to do 3 or 4.....if you don't sample previous batches too often.

 

[dmtaylor]

Only 2? There's 24 hours in a day, I would think you might be able to do 3 or 4.....if you don't sample previous batches too often.

My average brew session is down to 3.5 hours. However, I have not yet attempted to brew more than 2 in one day... yet.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Simultaneous batches, that's "plates in the air" brewing lol

Take advantage of the mash rest by mashing another batch....I think I did it once.

I have also done a Texas Two Step, brewed two consecutive days, was ready to pitch the second batch as batch 1 was starting to kreusen, the lazy light bulb went off and combined them to one large batch.

Worked well....

 

[Double_D]

Longer mash times leave more time to drink beer. You guys are messing with the balance of the universe!!!

Yeah, until you get so drunk that you can't remember how you got wort in the fermenter. I did that.

 

[BigJoeBrew]

@RM-MN - that makes total sense about taking refractometer readings. Never even thought of using it to test mash.


@Double_D - I have been there. Come out to piled up dirty equipment and a bubbling airlock in the basement. Has taught me to not have one until part way through the boil.

@wilserbrewer - I plan to do simultaneous batches soon.


My next question of those of you that do shorter mash times. Any of you do no-chill? Thoughts?

 

[BigJoeBrew]

I would be no-chilling in my brew kettle with lid on.

 

[RM-MN]

@RM-MN - that makes total sense about taking refractometer readings. Never even thought of using it to test mash.


@Double_D - I have been there. Come out to piled up dirty equipment and a bubbling airlock in the basement. Has taught me to not have one until part way through the boil.

@wilserbrewer - I plan to do simultaneous batches soon.


My next question of those of you that do shorter mash times. Any of you do no-chill? Thoughts?

Sure I've done no-chill or slow chill. Sometimes I will pour boiling wort into my bucket fermenter, put the lid on and when it finally gets cool enough I open it and drop in some dry yeast. Sometimes I put the lid on my pot and just set it on my deck in the winter and let it cool that way. Either works but you have to either cool the wort quickly to maintain the hop profile or adjust your hopping to account for the extra bittering you get as the wort cools slowly.

 

[BigJoeBrew]

Can you give an example of the change in amounts of hops? I know each style might be different.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Big Joe,

I actually take it a step further, I no chill in the kettle, then pitch yeast and ferment in the kettle. Rack to keg after 7-10 days.

I typically do a bittering add at the beginning of boil, flame out, and hop stand b/w 170-150.

 

[doug293cz]

Iodine is the quick way to test for conversion but to really tell if you have mashed long enough you need to have some grain particles in the sample. The wort should have just sugar in it but if the grain particles turn the iodine purple or black there is still starch to be converted. If you have a refractometer you can use it's results to tell if your conversion is complete too. Make sure to stir the mash well before taking a reading with that. If the reading goes up between successive readings starch is still being converted. When the reading becomes stable all conversion is done.

+1 on having grits in your iodine test sample, as that's where the last unconverted starch will be.

When monitoring mash wort gravity, you don't have to wait for successive unchanged readings to know you are done. It turns out the maximum wort SG depends simply on the water to grain ratio in the mash (unless you have out of the ordinary grain potentials.) By comparing your mash wort SG to this table, you know you're done when you hit the number for your mash thickness, and there is no need to continue (unless you want to increase your wort fermentability.) If for some reason (temps too high, etc.) you manage to denature all the amylase before you reach max SG, your SG will stop increasing over time, in which case continuing will not result in any more conversion.

Brew on

 

[Double_D]

That table and article makes for interesting reading. Thanks for sharing.