Steeping Specialty Grains

[Reindeer]

Most of the first several batches I brewed were either from Northern Brewer or Midwest Brewing kits. Now that I've started venturing out, either recipes on here or other sources, I've noticed several different methods for steeping the specialty grains.

I generally bring about 3 gallons of water in my boil pot to about 140 deg, add the specialty grains in a bag for about 20 min, trying to keep the temp around 150-155, then remove the bag, pour a little spring water over the bag letting it run into the pot, and then bring it to a boil and continue the process.

I've seen other recipes that steep the grains in 1/2 gallon of water for as much as 45 minutes.

Does it really make a difference?

 

[flars]

A typical steep is 20 to 30 minutes. The steep can be started in cold or warm water. The grain temperature should not exceed 170°. The high pH of water and temperatures exceeding 170° can extract tannins from the grain hulls.

Volume of the water is fairly variable. In one half gallon volume I would expect the grains would need to be rinsed with warm water to be sure the color and flavor will be in the liquor. I regularly use 2.5 to 3 gallons of water for steeping.

I would be cautious of a recipe which specifies one half gallon of water if they also mention a temperature in the range of 146° to 156°. They may intend the grains to be mashed. The 45 minute steep time may be to compensate for the small volume of water, if it is a true steep.

 

[eadavis80]

I don't THINK the amount of water that you use to steep the grains makes a difference. At least I have not noticed any. I started with partial-boils on my stove and have since got a bigger kettle so I now do full boils. In both cases, I steep once the temp of the water is around 155 and leave it there for 20-30, depending on what the recipe calls for and am careful not to let the water get above 170. That being said, the last extract kit I did was N. Brewer's Smashing Pumpkin ale and I added canned pumpkin, per their video instruction. With that kit, it was really a partial mash so I added the steeping grains to 2 pounds of 6-row malt and stirred them up in a big mesh bag at 151 for an hour before bringing that wort to a boil and then eventually adding the extract and hops.

 

[ChelisHubby]

A typical steep is 20 to 30 minutes. The steep can be started in cold or warm water. The grain temperature should not exceed 170°. The high pH of water and temperatures exceeding 170° can extract tannins from the grain hulls.

Volume of the water is fairly variable. In one half gallon volume I would expect the grains would need to be rinsed with warm water to be sure the color and flavor will be in the liquor. I regularly use 2.5 to 3 gallons of water for steeping.

I would be cautious of a recipe which specifies one half gallon of water if they also mention a temperature in the range of 146° to 156°. They may intend the grains to be mashed. The 45 minute steep time may be to compensate for the small volume of water, if it is a true steep.

What are the differences between Steeping and Mashing . Both temp and time wise and conversion and flavor>

 

[RM-MN]

What are the differences between Steeping and Mashing . Both temp and time wise and conversion and flavor>

Steeping is just to extract color and flavor and can occur at a wide range of temperatures, from probably less than 100 F. to boiling (not recommended but sometimes mentioned in kits). Mashing is done to convert starches in the malted grain to fermentable sugars and it requires enzyme action that only occurs within a narrow temperature range, usually mentioned as about 145 to 160 F. If you go much over the 160 degrees the enzymes are quickly destroyed. Steeping is done with the specialty grains, mashing is done with base grains. If the grains are kilned too hot, that will destroy the enzymes too.

 

[CrookedTail]

Most of the first several batches I brewed were either from Northern Brewer or Midwest Brewing kits. Now that I've started venturing out, either recipes on here or other sources, I've noticed several different methods for steeping the specialty grains.

I generally bring about 3 gallons of water in my boil pot to about 140 deg, add the specialty grains in a bag for about 20 min, trying to keep the temp around 150-155, then remove the bag, pour a little spring water over the bag letting it run into the pot, and then bring it to a boil and continue the process.

I've seen other recipes that steep the grains in 1/2 gallon of water for as much as 45 minutes.

Does it really make a difference?

The 1/2 gallon 45 minute steep recipes probably have a little base malt in them, often around half a pound. With the base malt, steeping at that volume at ~150 degrees, you're essentially doing a mini-mash. The 45 minute steeping time is to ensure you get conversion from the base malt.

If you are just working with specialty grains (caramel and roasted malts), the method you are using is perfectly fine.

 

[Reindeer]

The 1/2 gallon 45 minute steep recipes probably have a little base malt in them, often around half a pound. With the base malt, steeping at that volume at ~150 degrees, you're essentially doing a mini-mash. The 45 minute steeping time is to ensure you get conversion from the base malt.

That makes sense.

 

[khillian]

“Tips: For best flavor results, the ratio of steeping water to grain should be less than 1 gallon (3.8 liters) per pound. This will help keep the pH below 6 and minimize tannin extraction in alkaline water. If you are steeping very dark malts such as roasted barley or black patent malt, you may want to steep them in cooler water for longer periods of time, or even overnight in cold water, to reduce the acridness that can result from steeping a lot of dark malt in soft water”

Excerpt From: Jamil Zainasheff & John Palmer. “Brewing Classic Styles.” Brewers Publications

 

[Yooper]

One thing that may help with future batches (at least it helped me) is to treat all the batches the same.

Whether it's a bigger batch, a smaller batch, uses specialty grains only, or is a partial mash, it's easiest to just do the same technique all the time. That way, you don't have to think, "Hmm. I've got Munich malt here. Is that a steeping grain? What about roasted barley?"

If you always plan on 1.5 (or so, guestimating is fine) quarts of water per pound of grain, and holding at 150-155 for 45 minutes, you are ALWAYS right.

Say you have two pounds of mixed crushed grains. It doesn't matter what they are- use 3 quarts of water, hold at 150-155 for 45 minutes, lift the grainbag up out of the liquid, and pour hot (up to 170 degrees) water up to your boil volume over it.

That's it- done! It can be a partial mash, extract with steeping grains, or all grain. It doesn't matter. It's so much easier than trying to figure out which grains can be treated with a 20 minute steep and which ones can't that I started doing that about 8 years ago. It works each and every time perfectly.

 

[beekeeperman]

On my 6th batch and steeped all my specialty grains in full 6 gals of water .
Damn extract kit instructions !
Wouldn't have known the difference if i hadn't read this thread.
Squeezed the crap out of the grain bag too, dumb noob. Ahaha.

edit: seriously though haven't noticed any puckering from astringency or
unusual tastes. The beer was all good from my viewpoint . Maybe I'm not fussy enough.

 

[number40fan]

My Oktoberfest extract kit had me heat the water to a boil and shut off heat and add the grains in a bag for 30 minutes. First kit turned out great, so I stuck with those instructions this time around.