Step mash with biab?

[ColoradoRain]

I want to brew an octoberfest but every recipe Ive seen calls for a 3 step mash. How could I replicate that? Is it even necessary? Thanks in advance for any input!

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

About a third of my brews involve more than one step. I recently did a BIAB Oktoberfest with steps at 133, 148 and 156. I actually did mine with infusion steps (used my old 5 gal BK for infusion water). First step was tight at just 1 qt/lb mash water. Then I added boiling water to meet successive steps.

After the first step it becomes increasingly difficult to correctly estimate the temp and amount of water for the next infusion. I just made a rough estimate of how much boiling water it would take for each step. I added the water until I was close to the amount and then monitored the mash temp until it was right. Whatever infusion water was left over became sparge water to get my boil volume.

All that being said, I think most BIABers just fire up the burner to ramp the mash up to each step. The risk there is in burning the bag and also possibly overshooting your temp. For me the infusion was faster and easier.

 

[hawktrio]

I brew on my kitchen's gas stovetop and using 2 of the burners at full heat while constantly stirring gets the job done without burning the bag. I use the same technique to do 10min mash out rests at 168℉. What is your heat source?

 

[GCPHomebrew]

My bag is in a metal basket now. But before I bought that awesome biab upgrade I used a upside down pizza pan that has holes in it. You will melt the bag, you won't admit it, so just prevent it. I also step mash. Just fire up the burners each time. Not full blast though.


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[hawktrio]

It really depends on the power of the heat source. 28 batches with the same bag suggests my heat with stirring keeps it below the scorch threshold.

 

[hawktrio]

If it's necessary is a good question as with modern malts I think a lot of these mashing techniques including decoctions are falling by the wayside. Has anyone compared multistep to single infusion with any style?

 

[DurtyChemist]

If it's necessary is a good question as with modern malts I think a lot of these mashing techniques including decoctions are falling by the wayside. Has anyone compared multistep to single infusion with any style?

This. I think the step mashes were more for the unmodified or poorly modified malts in past.


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[GCPHomebrew]

Modified malts have been around for 100 years. They are not new. Single infusion is more difficult of a technique than people claim it to be. To hit a perfect temp takes time and a very good thermometer. If your ten dollar the emoter from the brew arrow tell you it's at 154 , wait ten minutes and fun out it's really 160. Junk thermometer. If you have a therms pen single infusion will save time but look into why each temp is does what it does and why not have best of both worlds with just an extra 30 minutes time. Step is usually 90 minutes.Step mash is still a great technique to get a fully converted mash. Especially if you want to thin it out. It also increases efficiency.


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[hawktrio]

Spot on GCP. I had a cheap thermometer which was reading 2℉ low meaning all my single infusion mashes were actually higher and it took me a while to figure out why then my attenuation was never as low as I was hoping. Enter the thermapen and that solved my problem. I also aim a little on the low side of my mash temp and carefully add heat as required.

 

[GCPHomebrew]

Residual heat is what it's called. After killing the heat the temp still rises. And being we are all heating 5-10 gal of liquid there is a lot of heat being given to the vessel. I ruined half of my first ten all grain batches finding this out. If you want to do single infusion do a modifies version. All the grain at 100 degrees and slowly take it up to 140s. That would be faster Stoping at 110, 135, 145 with similar efficiency.


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[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

The residual heat issue is why I just do infusion steps. With heating it was too easy to overshoot. With infusion I get pretty close with my initial estimate then slowly add more until I hit my temp. No residual heat to deal with. I play with the Beersmith infusion calculator to figure out my infusion volumes at 212F.