I'd like to try and step mash my next brew day but I use a 10gal cooler for an MLT. How can this be done?
Step Mash in an cooler MLT
- Thread starter donshizzles
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
Got Trub?
Well-Known Member
FlyGuy
Well-Known Member
You can use any of the techniques used with other types of mash tuns, EXCEPT direct fire:
- multiple boiling water infusions
- decoction
- steam injection (my favourite!)
- HERMS (works great for stovetop brewers if you have a pump)
I am curious -- what is the purpose of the step mash? There are so few reasons to do them now.
- multiple boiling water infusions
- decoction
- steam injection (my favourite!)
- HERMS (works great for stovetop brewers if you have a pump)
I am curious -- what is the purpose of the step mash? There are so few reasons to do them now.
Bernie Brewer
Grouchy Old Fart
If you do that, get a BIG pressure cooker. I built a steam system using an 8 quart cooker, and it sucked. It took FOREVER to get up to temps, and I always ran out of water/steam and had to add more, and then reheat to steam temps, etc.........I saw Cookiebaggs' steam system in action and it works great, and the only thing he did different was he had a huge pressure cooker, something like 16 quarts or more.
Cpt_Kirks
Well-Known Member
I do it with a heatstick. Mash in on the low side, then stir with the heatstick to raise the temp to each step.
If you decide to do the boiling water step mash thing rackers.org has a step mash calculator. Seriously missed my target temperature on saturday when I brewed - so did an inadvertant step mash. 140 for an hour, then 152 (154 was target) for another. Calcualtor worked well - it's my methods that didn't...
Green Bay Rackers--Mash Calculators
TastyBrew.com | Homebrewing Calculators | Infusion Calculator
Green Bay Rackers--Mash Calculators
TastyBrew.com | Homebrewing Calculators | Infusion Calculator
The problem with mashing at 140 is that it's the low end of the beta amylase, extremely low for alpha amylase, at the low end of gelatinization for barley and too low for wheat.
That said, both alpha and beta will work at those temperature, but very slowly. You would have the added benefit of limit dextrinase(140-145F) working in that temperature range, helping produce and extremely fermentable wort. The biggest problem here being that alpha amylase is going to be working very very slowly, and without alpha providing substrate for beta to work on, beta doesn't have much to do as it will be working a bit faster. That said, 140 is a poor choice as it's slowing the 2 main players. 145 would be a better choice for a extremly fermentable wort as the limit dextrinase will still be working and alpha will speed up, and you'll be right in the middle of beta's optimum temperature. Do a 1.5hr mash at 145, and an iodine test at the end of that, if there's still starch left, let it go for another half hour.
As far as stepping to a higher temperature after an hour at 140, well it would be required if you're only doing an hour at 140. Like I said above, the 140F rest will produce very fermentable wort(but not likely not in an hour), then stepping up the temperature will denature the limit dextrinase and allow the beta and alpha to work more quickly. If you're just looking for a very fermentable wort you could just do a single infusion at 149-150 for an hour, and I think you would achieve what you are looking for.
Alternatively, I know there is a mash schedule that employs use of limit dextrinase to make super fermentable worts by mashing low (149-150) and then cooling the mash to 145 and adding some new grain for some limit dextrinase enzyme that has not been denatured.
All that said, here's some numbers on what different temperature will give you according to Briggs et al., 1981; Hind, 1950; Hopkins and Krause, 1947.
Highest extract (mainly starch conversion): 149-154.4
Fastest saccharification: 158
Highest yield of fermentable extract: 149
Highest percentage fermentability: 145.4
Similar threads
