So I am thinking about the upcoming 10-10-10 brew, and to do a 5 gal batch is a little out of the scope of my equipment... traditionally. I was wondering what you guys think about doing the mash a little differently to accommodate my smaller MLT. As it stands, my MLT can only hold about 12 lbs of grain @ 1.25 qt/lbs. What if I mash for 30 mins on the low side, maybe 148, drain/vorlauf and then refill with fresh water up a few degrees, maybe 152-ish, and let it go another 30-60 mins. Then batch sparge as normal and finish the beer. Anyone see a reason that wouldn't work? I'd have to figure out the right grain to water ratio to make sure I had a good amount of water in the of the mash steps.
Strange mash schedule, would it work?
- Thread starter Gremlyn
- Start date
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It will work, but I can't see what you'd gain from it.
SpanishCastleAle
Well-Known Member
Other potential solutions might be to just make it using as much grain as you can and then add a pound or so (whatever it takes) of DME.
Or you could just scale the recipe back to 4.75 gal. (or whatever it takes)...these Belgian top-cropping yeasts can create quite a krausen so having a little extra headspace in your fermenter might not be such a bad thing not to mention you'll be adding a lot of sugar along the way. Even 4.75 gal. in a 5 gal. carboy would prob blow-off unless it was really cool or you used Fermcap. Since these are top-croppers I try not to let them blowoff...too much yeast gets lost.
Another idea would be this: If you are brewing a 5 gal. 'yeast starter' batch (like many of us will be doing) then make it stronger-than-normal and collect some of the first-runnings (seperately) and freeze it for a couple of weeks while you wait for the 'starter' batch to finish. Then you'll have a head start on hitting your OG.
Or you could just scale the recipe back to 4.75 gal. (or whatever it takes)...these Belgian top-cropping yeasts can create quite a krausen so having a little extra headspace in your fermenter might not be such a bad thing not to mention you'll be adding a lot of sugar along the way. Even 4.75 gal. in a 5 gal. carboy would prob blow-off unless it was really cool or you used Fermcap. Since these are top-croppers I try not to let them blowoff...too much yeast gets lost.
Another idea would be this: If you are brewing a 5 gal. 'yeast starter' batch (like many of us will be doing) then make it stronger-than-normal and collect some of the first-runnings (seperately) and freeze it for a couple of weeks while you wait for the 'starter' batch to finish. Then you'll have a head start on hitting your OG.
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Gremlyn
Well-Known Member
Denny, I gain not having to buy and build a larger MLT when I don't have the space nor the need at the moment. I don't plan on doing many higher gravity batches, this may be the only one I do in the next year. I think I can get up to about 1.060 at max capacity with my current MLT.
SpanishCastleAle, good idea with making it ahead of time, though being in an apartment I am short on storage space in the freezer. I might be able to make it work for a few days. I want to avoid using extract because of colour issues, if need be I will scale it back, though I might try my idea just to see how it turns out. As for the fermentor, I'll be starting with my 6.5 gal bucket and then move it to a carboy for aging, so I hope not to have issues there.
I'll figure out exactly what the mash schedule would entail volume wise. I might be able to just cut down to 1.1 qt/lbs, but I would be afraid of sacrificing efficiency.
SpanishCastleAle, good idea with making it ahead of time, though being in an apartment I am short on storage space in the freezer. I might be able to make it work for a few days. I want to avoid using extract because of colour issues, if need be I will scale it back, though I might try my idea just to see how it turns out. As for the fermentor, I'll be starting with my 6.5 gal bucket and then move it to a carboy for aging, so I hope not to have issues there.
I'll figure out exactly what the mash schedule would entail volume wise. I might be able to just cut down to 1.1 qt/lbs, but I would be afraid of sacrificing efficiency.
broadbill
Well-Known Member
I think your best best is to do what you can in your MT and make up the gravity with DME.
That way, you'll be able to mash/sparge at a scale you are familiar with. Going with an unfamiliar/unconventional mash and sparge schedule might give you some surprises on brew day and may make your idea more trouble than its worth.
My 0.02.
That way, you'll be able to mash/sparge at a scale you are familiar with. Going with an unfamiliar/unconventional mash and sparge schedule might give you some surprises on brew day and may make your idea more trouble than its worth.
My 0.02.
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Gremlyn
Well-Known Member
Well the other choice would be to do two separate brews and combine at the end, which wouldn't be too bad, an extra hour and a half onto the brew schedule. I'm really against using DME on this, even at a late addition, just for the darkening of the wort.
I could always do it decoction-like and just use enough of the first runnings combined with fresh water to make up enough volume of liquid for the whole grain bed. I can imagine a lot of the enzymes would solubilised and taken out with the first runnings. Say I needed 4 gallons of water total to mash, but can't fit it all then do a higher temp protein rest with say 2.5 gal, mash out, combine the last 1.5 gallon of water with 1.5 gal of the mash out, and go for 60 mins. Of course, those numbers are just made up, I haven't got BeerSmith at work to see actual numbers.
giligson
Well-Known Member
make a smaller volume of beer.
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Gremlyn
Well-Known Member
That's just preposterous! Blasphemy! Heresy!
Got it. I thought that you were doing it to manipulate the dextrin profile.
What is the 10-10-10 recipe anyway?
SpanishCastleAle
Well-Known Member
What a waste of malt. 
SpanishCastleAle
Well-Known Member
A mind is a terrible thing to close.What a waste of malt.
I can get a 8% beer with just over half that much grain. 2% ABV more just for some magic 10% is a waste to me. I see 3 batches of German lagers with that pils malt. Maybe I am closed minded. I'd rather have three great beers than one. You guys have your fun without me.
SpanishCastleAle
Well-Known Member
Just messin' with ya...to me a 1.040 OG mowlawner is a waste of malt...but to each their own.
Normally I drink because I like beer. Right now I feel more like getting drunk.
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Gremlyn
Well-Known Member
Another idea would be to take the full mash strike volume at 1.25 qt/lbs and add as much as possible to the MLT, and every 15 mins drain 1 gallon or so and replace. The first replacement would be fresh water, after that you'd mix back in the runnings taken mixed with whatever water hasn't made in in the MLT yet. Keep the runnings heated to the appropriate strike temp and just cycle the through the MLT. Should keep a good majority of the required proteins that go into solution cycling through the MLT often enough to get good efficiency. Sure it's a lot of work, but could be worth it if it lets me brew bigger beers without having to upgrade all the equipment and then store it somewhere.
Catfish
Art by David Shrigley
Either reduce the pils malt and replace with LME. Or build a bigger mash tun. With that high gravity a beer you will get crappy efficiency anyhow, (50-60%) you will want the LME on hand regardless.
