Understanding Steeping Grains vs Mashing Grains

[Adk_Mailman]

Hi all. New home brewer here. I have done a few extract batches from recipe kits now and am comfortable with the process. I am not ready to put together my own recipe but I would like to try a recipe posted on one of the various sites just to get the hang of it all.

I am confused about grains. For example I was looking at a Lagunitas clone that was posted here at homebrew talk several years ago. It is an extract recipe. Munich malt and Wheat malt are in the ingredients list. According to Beersmith these grains must be mashed. This is my confusion. If these grains must be mashed how are they used in an extract recipe? Can they actually be steeped? Thanks.

 

[dstockwell]

What you will be doing is a partial mash. Check this link Easy Partial Mash Brewing. Now if you have the capacity you could switch to BIAB and go all grain.

 

[unionrdr]

I've been using biab for partial boil partial mash & it works just fine. I batch- read dunk- sparge for 10 minutes & get good efficiency to boot. Basically, grains like some specialty & caramel/crystal malts are converted already. So you just steep them 20-30 minutes to soak the sugary wort out of them. Others, like base malts, need to be mashed- read converted- from starches to sugars in order to be able to ferment them.

 

[Fezz]

If you are planning on making an extract recipe, any grain the recipe calls for will be for steeping. A good rule of thumb is to steep the grain in 150 to 155F (66 to 68.5C) for 30minutes. I use a ratio of water and grain of 1gal of water for every 1lb of grain. However I'm not sure how important that last heuristic is. Also note to make sure you strain it or use muzzlin (someone check my spelling please).

I'm not familiar with beersmith or any other recipe generator. However it sounds like you understand that using extract is an alternative to mashing a much large quantity of grain. Another process is partial mashing but I am not familiar with it.

 

[GrogNerd]

from what I understand, the difference isn't what YOU are doing, it's what the grain is doing

in both cases, YOU are holding the grain at a set temperature for a few minutes. in steeping, you're extracting flavor and color, while in mashing, you're also extracting sugars

soaking x amount of caramel/crystal for 40 minutes at 150 = steeping, soaking the same amount of Munich for the same time & temp = mashing

 

[unionrdr]

It depends on the grains being used as to whether they're steeped or need mashing, even in partial mash. Munich malt & wheat malt, like those from Schill, Weyermann & Rahr are base malts & must be mashed. But grains like caramel/crystal 20L have no diastatic power left after processing, or converting , so they can be steeped or added to a mash.

 

[AnOldUR]

from what I understand, the difference isn't what YOU are doing, it's what the grain is doing

Exactly this. You can call it whatever you want, but if conversion (enzymes converting starches to sugar) takes place, you mashed.


edit:
And as a side note, you don't want unconverted starches in your wort. Don't use grains that need to be mashed if you're not going to use the proper time and temperature or if you don't have enough diastatic power to convert the starches.

 

[GrogNerd]

yep

use this list... if it says YES under MUST MASH, then... well... it needs to be mashed

 

[Adk_Mailman]

yep

use this list... if it says YES under MUST MASH, then... well... it needs to be mashed

Yeah that's the list I was referencing when checking out the ingredients of the recipe posted. I do follow all this. Thanks for the input. I guess I was thrown off by mashing grains in an extract recipe. I'll seek another recipe that only utilizes steeping grains.

 

[unionrdr]

yep

use this list... if it says YES under MUST MASH, then... well... it needs to be mashed

Wow, I haven't run across that page on Beersmith yet. Thanks for posting this one, cool! Definitely handy!

 

[Bobby_M]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZI5i_zNWwo[/ame]

 

[unionrdr]

Well said!