Steeping Specialty Grains

[an123]

I am going to be brewing an amber ale this weekend. In the past I didn't steep the specialty grains, I just mixed them together with the base grains and mashed. Until the first time I used chocolate malt. It made an off flavor and I wasn't satisfied with the color. Now I understand the importance of steeping the specialty grains. From everything I gathered it sounds like I need to add the bag of specialty grains to 160 water for roughly 30 minutes. Remove the bag of grains... This is the part where I get lost. Do I add the wort to grains that are in the mashtun? Or do I dump it into the boil kettle during the boil? I want to get this one right. Any help would be appreciated...

Thanks

 

[kh54s10]

IMO chocolate is not dark enough of a grain to require this step. I would try this with black malts though. I have never steeped any grain when doing all grain. But, take the wort from the steep and add it to the BK, with the runnings from the mash.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Which kit are you making?

I have the instructions for Brewer's Best American Pale Ale, and the they spell it out pretty well under Step 3 of "Recommended Procedures." Here is the link to the instructions:

http://www.brewersbestkits.com/pdf/1013 2016 American Pale Ale.pdf

Even of your kit is different, the same idea should apply.

 

[kh54s10]

Which kit are you making?

I have the instructions for Brewer's Best American Pale Ale, and the they spell it out pretty well under Step 3 of "Recommended Procedures." Here is the link to the instructions:

http://www.brewersbestkits.com/pdf/1013 2016 American Pale Ale.pdf

Even of your kit is different, the same idea should apply.

The kit you linked was for an extract kit. Yes the steeping would be the same but the OP is doing all grain.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Whoops, I see that now...thanks!

 

[an123]

Any suggestions?

 

[chickypad]

Most people do not separately steep specialty grains but rather include them all in the mash. I would suggest addressing pH though, do you know your water source and are you following pH? That would be the only reason I could see to steep specialty grains separately, especially roasted grains, i.e. that they are bringing the pH too low. If anything most folks have a problem with pH being too high, and there are other ways to address pH without going through the hassle of separating your specialty grains.

 

[Chanoc]

This was a piece of information that I never thought...
I have never steeped grains separate from the mash...
Am I doing it wrong??

 

[helibrewer]

Gordon Strong is a big fan of steeping crystal and darker malts separately, even for all grain brewing. I don't bother for pale ales but with dupels, quads, and stouts I steep separately. easiset way: 1) preheat you oven at the lowest setting 2)heat a pot of water to 160F, add your grain bag, cover 3) turn off oven and place pot in the oven with a lid for 30 minutes. No hassle, real easy.

Drain the grain and add to the BK. You will need to pay attention to your mash pH since you won't have the darker grain to help keep the pH down.

 

[mattdee1]

Based on my own personal experimentation so far, I find steeping grains in all-grain brewing to be effort-without-benefit. I understand there is a school of thought that says mashing roasted grains can result in harsh flavors and whatnot, but I’m quite happy with the roasty notes in my stouts. Mash pH on my last stout was measured and checked out. If it ain’t broke, and all that…

Another thing to consider: if you’re trying to follow an all-grain recipe, it probably assumes that all grains are mashed. If you steep the dark grains then the result will be different from the recipe, because the extraction of color and flavor is usually lower with steeping. How much lower depends on which specialty grain(s) you’re dealing with.

Obviously, extract brewers can see benefits from steeping.

One use case I can see for steeping grains in all-grain brewing is when doing split batches, i.e., brewing up a base beer, splitting into two fermentors, and adding some steeped grains to one of the fermentors to get two very different results. I’ve got a split batch currently in the fridge where I used this method to roughly approximate a koelsch and an altbier from a single 5-hour brew day. The recipe needs some tweaks, but the results are very drinkable and promising.

Earlier this year I used this method to make a pale ale and a dark mild from a single batch, which turned out very well.

 

[kh54s10]

Hadn't thought about making a mash then using steeping to make the one mash into two different beers. That would certainly shorten a double brew day!!!

I'll have to work out a recipe for about 10 gallons. Split that into 2 five gallons each one I can boil on my BK burner, the other I can boil on my HLT burner. Add 2 different two gallon steeps to the pots and voila!, 2 different 5 gallon beers from one mash!!!

Might give this a go on my next brew day......

 

[DrinksWellWithOthers]

One use case I can see for steeping grains in all-grain brewing is when doing split batches, i.e., brewing up a base beer, splitting into two fermentors, and adding some steeped grains to one of the fermentors to get two very different results. I’ve got a split batch currently in the fridge where I used this method to roughly approximate a koelsch and an altbier from a single 5-hour brew day. The recipe needs some tweaks, but the results are very drinkable and promising.

Earlier this year I used this method to make a pale ale and a dark mild from a single batch, which turned out very well.

I've done something similar a few times with a porter and a brown ale, an amber and a brown ale, and amber and a stout.

I'd create 1 mash with the common base grains and drain into 1 kettle to thoroughly mix up my runnings and then pump half of that voume into another kettle. Then steep the remaining specialty grains for 15 min, pull out the grain bag and bring both beers to a boil.

They each need a couple of tweaks if I do it again so OG's and grain %'s are closer to the original recipes but it's a great way to bang out 2 brew days with only an extra hours work.

 

[mattdee1]

I've done something similar a few times with a porter and a brown ale, an amber and a brown ale, and amber and a stout.

I'd create 1 mash with the common base grains and drain into 1 kettle to thoroughly mix up my runnings and then pump half of that voume into another kettle. Then steep the remaining specialty grains for 15 min, pull out the grain bag and bring both beers to a boil.

They each need a couple of tweaks if I do it again so OG's and grain %'s are closer to the original recipes but it's a great way to bang out 2 brew days with only an extra hours work.

Yeah, I love getting 10gal from a single brew day, but sometimes I get pretty “bored” of drinking that beer by the time it’s done. Enlisting the help of friends and families works in some cases; of all the beers I make, the only ones that guests suck up in large enough quantities to make a big dent are the basic blond ales and the like. So anything beyond that, and I’m mostly on my own drinking the beer, aside from one other friend… but he also brews beer, so it’s not like he has a shortage of the stuff.

Having two kettles and burners would be nice, but I’ve been able to do it with just one. I steep the grains in a small pot on the kitchen stove while the brew day is going on, boil the resulting “tea”, let it cool, and add it to one of the fermentors before pitching the yeast. Kind of a PITA, but I do end up with two different beers after a single brew day.

 

[AntonioMartins]

Any suggestions?

Talking specifically about roasted grains, some guys here in Brazil use to add it on the mash tun when they start to rise the temperature for the mash out.

They do it to avoid roast over-flavor on Stouts.

 

[Bossbrew]

Talking specifically about roasted grains, some guys here in Brazil use to add it on the mash tun when they start to rise the temperature for the mash out.

They do it to avoid roast over-flavor on Stouts.

I've used this technique as well with good results. Or just stir it in before sparging if you don't mash out. You'll get good color + flavor without the harshness.

 

[CObrewLefor]

When I brew Stouts and Porters I also don't like the astrigency from a full mash with dark grains, I usually mash at a higher pH around 5.4-5.5 and then throw in the dark malts for the last 20-30 mins of the mash, when I am 10 mins or so from raising my temp for mash out, which has left me with the flavor and color of the malt but not the overbrewed coffee aspect I get otherwise. This is just my experience and is not an overarching truth, I like my beers better this way with Denver water.

 

[_Dan_]

From a presentation I attended by Gordon Strong...

Keep your grains under a pH of 6.0.
(My edit: This is the most important)

Keep your grains under 160F.
(My edit: This is the next most important)

Add darker specialty malts in the last 20 minutes of your mash (or even later, like when sparging).
(My edit: This is the least most important)

You can get a pH meter on Amazon for $10 shipped. Or you can get your water report (or have it tested) and use this free tool.

 

[rick11]

I find that beers that have allot of dark grains can get the PH too low. Steeping some of the darker grains is what I do, and then pour the lot on top of my mash just as I start sparging. It works for me and my HERMS.

 

[specharka]

You don't need to mash specialty grains separately. In fact this will diminish your efficiency.

It isn't the roasted grains or excess amounts thereof that results in astringency. It's the reduction of base mash pH below acceptable thresholds that results in excessively bitter beer. If you moderate your mash with sufficiently hard water, you can boost the residual alkalinity of the water to absorb larger quantities of roasted malt additions. I always shoot for a mash pH of 5.4-5.6 in malty brews to arrest any astringency issues -- usually means a teaspoon or two of chalk added to the mash.

Made an imperial stout over the winter with almost 12% roasted malts, and there's no perceptible astringency.

 

[_Dan_]

I agree with parts of the above post. But I don't agree with the absolute statement: "It's the reduction of base mash pH below acceptable thresholds that results in excessively bitter beer."

Although it has been studied and shown that astringency will increase with a lower pH (ex. 3.5 vs. 7.0), the opposite is commonly true in homebrewing settings, especially in lighter and medium colored beers.

Remember, the original poster was talking about brewing an amber ale. The specialty grains in an amber ale alone are not enough to drop the pH down to levels where astringency is going to be increased. More than likely, without water modifications, unless the homebrewer is from Pilzen, Germany, the grist alone in an amber ale recipe are going to leave the beer at a pH that is higher than optimal, in terms of it's affect on astringency.

Often, astringency is increased when the pH is not low enough.

 

[BrewmasterBrad]

Astringency can come from more than one source as illustrated in the previous post. Dark roasted grains can cause your mash pH to get too low resulting in a harsh flavor from the dark grains. Astringency can also come from your sparge runoff pH getting too high. This results in tannin extraction from the grain resulting in astringency. It all goes back to knowing your water and making the proper pH adjustments according to your grain bill. If you put the effort into making the proper pH calculations, there is no need to steep specialty grains separate from your mash.