Understanding Mash Temps

[UnaBonger]

I'm hoping someone can help me better understand mashing temps...

As I understand it, the mashing temp window is between 150* and 160*. Within that window, the lower I mash at the more fermentables I get out of the grains, the dryer my end product. The higher I mash at the more "mouthfeel" I get...

Am I completely a$$ backwards?


Thanks for any insight you can provide.

 

[kevmoron]

That's about right, though I would put the upper limit more around 158. Beta-amylase is the enzyme that breaks your starches down at the ends, creating simpler and more fermentable sugars. This tends to be most active in the mid 140's. However, Beta-amylase can't really operate all that well on large starch molecules and needs alpha-amylase to go to work first. Alpha-amylase breaks down starches more towards the middle, giving you smaller starch molecules and dextrins. Alpha-amylase tends to work better above 155. Getting these to work together is all about compromise, since the ideal temp for the beta is below where the alpha is most active, and the ideal temp for alpha is above that at which the beta is denatured. So to make a long story short, 150 will give you a very fermentable wort with lighter body (and also the capacity to be a bit drier). 158 will give you more dextrins, providing more body but less fermentables, and thus a lower attenuation. Somewhere along this spectrum is where you want to be, depending on the type of beer you want.

 

[cdburg]

If you haven't already done it, I'd recommend you read Chapter 14 of "How to Brew."

How to Brew - By John Palmer - How the Mash Works

Palmer really explains things well. It helped me to understand what is happening during the mash and how different temperatures affect it.

 

[Edcculus]

Yea, read howtobrew. Also, the Brew Strong episode on Enzymes talks about this extensively.