Steeping

[KMart104]

I am doing a partial grain DME Chocolate Stout. The recipe has me putting grain in muslin bag and putting in 2 gallons of water in my brew pot, then once the temp gets close to 170 but not above to take out the grains.

Now the past few recipes I have done I have steeped the grain in 160 degree water for about 30 min in a thermos.

Now does anything change the outcome of either step?

 

[h22lude]

I have seen the same and would like to know as well. One extract recipe says put in grains at room temp and once it gets to 160 take them out and bring to boil. Others say bring water to 160 and steep at 160 for 15 to 30 minutes and then take out and bring water to boil.

OT, where in RI are you? Have you been to Blackstone Brewing Company in Woonsocket?

 

[D_Struct]

With steeping grains, I normally shoot for around 155F (if it goes a little over, I'm not worried about cutting it before the temp reaches 170).

I steep at 155 for about 30-40 minutes, remove the steeping grains, then bring the wort to a boil.

 

[JasonInBTR]

Probably depends on what the recipe designer had in mind. From what I know if you steep in the 150 range (154 is supposed to be the sweet spot) you will extract mostly fermentable sugars. In the 160-170 range you will get mostly unfermentables. In most extract plus specialty grain recipes they are probably shooting for color/flavor/body/head retention from the grains rather than fermentable sugars.

The key I believe is to keep it from going over 170 as to not extract tannins from the grain hulls.

HTH,

Jason

 

[JasonInBTR]

Here is a good guide that tjpfeister posted in another thread on the same subject.

http://www.brewsupplies.com/mashing_temperatures.htm

Jason

 

[KMart104]

I live in Woonsocket so i'm about two mintues away from Blackstone Valley Brewing Co. I was there for a few hours last night talking with Steve. Great guy and an awsome place. Can help you out in anyway.

 

[h22lude]

Oh no kidding. I love about 10 minutes away right across from the Lincoln Mall (well it is more the Target/Stop and Shop plaza now lol) The guys at Blackstone are awesome. I bought my equipment kit from them and I was in there for an hour just talking about everything with him. Very nice guy. My dad just went in to get some of my Xmas presents and he said the same thing. Great guy and very good person to know regarding brewing.

 

[KMart104]

Ok so I have looked a few more places and also at that link. But my question is does anything change by using the two different steps. I have brewed 8 times so far. I have tried each one and a few different ways. Is there an experienced brewer that would know any of hte changes from one to the other?

 

[Docjowles]

What grains is it having you add? There's a tricky distinction between "steeped grains" and "partial mash" recipes. If it's a steeped grain recipe both methods should work equally well. You're just heating up the grain so the sugars come out along with some color and flavor. The sugar is already accessible due to how the malt was produced. An example of this would be a recipe that is mostly extract but also has some dark grains like chocolate malt, roasted barley, black malt, crystal/caramel etc. The stuff about very specific temperatures and enzymes doesn't apply here.

Partial mash recipes are the ones where temperature and time actually matter a lot. Just like all-grain, you are adding a "base malt" like 2 row, munich, vienna, or pilsner where the sugars are NOT all ready to come out. You have to mash the grain (hold it at a specific temperature in a certain amount of water) so the enzymes in the grain can extract the sugars.

Here's an older thread about this same thing: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/mini-mash-partial-mash-steeping-specialty-grains-163202/

 

[JonK331]

what grains is it having you add? There's a tricky distinction between "steeped grains" and "partial mash" recipes. If it's a steeped grain recipe both methods should work equally well. You're just heating up the grain so the sugars come out along with some color and flavor. The sugar is already accessible due to how the malt was produced. An example of this would be a recipe that is mostly extract but also has some dark grains like chocolate malt, roasted barley, black malt, crystal/caramel etc. The stuff about very specific temperatures and enzymes doesn't apply here.

Partial mash recipes are the ones where temperature and time actually matter a lot. Just like all-grain, you are adding a "base malt" like 2 row, munich, vienna, or pilsner where the sugars are not all ready to come out. You have to mash the grain (hold it at a specific temperature in a certain amount of water) so the enzymes in the grain can extract the sugars.

Here's an older thread about this same thing: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/mini-mash-partial-mash-steeping-specialty-grains-163202/

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