Whitehouse beer recipe
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Yes, but if you "steep" Munich, it can self convert and so it's simply a mash.
Hmmm not sure I get it correctly.
According to all grain list I've read Munich is required to be mashed. I understand what you say (Or so I think) but why isn't it also listed as Steep grain?
Would it be possible with a simple 2row malt?
John Palmer says Dextrin malt must be mashed because if steeped it will contribute a lot of unconverted starch and cause starch haze. So what's the big difference between the steep and the mash. When I steep it's at 155f for 30 minutes. If is a question of duration, temperature, sparge?
Also I guess that my effiency will be much lower because I don't do a sparge after the steep.
If you hold a "steep" at 150-155 degrees, base malts like Munich malt will convert. That makes it a mash.
The technique is just like steeping, but the enzymatic activity is active with malts like Munich. Some malts, like crystal malt, are "premashed" so to speak so the colors, flavors, and sugars are available just by steeping (no enzyme activity). But base malts, the conversion from starches to sugars takes place when held at the proper temperature. The temperature is a wide range- from like 145-160 degrees- so you would have had conversion.
The efficiency may be lower due to not sparging since some of the sugars cling to the grain, but it's not necessary to sparge to use Munich malt.
The technique is just like steeping, but the enzymatic activity is active with malts like Munich. Some malts, like crystal malt, are "premashed" so to speak so the colors, flavors, and sugars are available just by steeping (no enzyme activity). But base malts, the conversion from starches to sugars takes place when held at the proper temperature. The temperature is a wide range- from like 145-160 degrees- so you would have had conversion.
The efficiency may be lower due to not sparging since some of the sugars cling to the grain, but it's not necessary to sparge to use Munich malt.
Munich is a base malt. It must be mashed. Holding it in water at 150-155 or so will enable conversion. That is called "Mashing".
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With only grains that cannot convert the temperature of the steep isn't very critical and some kits will have instructions to put the grain in cold water and take them out when the water boils. Obviously this isn't a mash because the grains don't stay at the proper temperature long enough to convert but it will steep the color and flavor out of the grain. Your instructions have you "steep" at mashing temperature so it converts any base grain as well as extraction the color and flavor from other grains. They probably don't mention mashing because that term may be scary to new brewers. I mean, have you read the threads in the all grain section?
Then what is the difference between mashing and steeping if they are both done at same temperature. I understand munich cam self convert and some other grain need to be mashed with base malts so theu can convert but this is all leading to "why isnt munich listed as steep also if it can self convert."
Because it must be mashed. Holding it at 150-155 for at least 20 minutes (preferably longer) is MASHING. That's why it's not a steeping grain- it must be mashed.
Steeping is for grains that have no ability left to convert the starches to sugars because they have been heated too high for the enzymes to have survived. Crystal (also called cara because Crystal is trademarked) is one of these. The nice part about steeping is that it isn't as temperature dependent. I can get out all the flavor and color at 135 if that is where I steeped the grain or I could do the same at 168. Mashing only occurs in a narrow range of temperatures, usually 145 to 160. (somebody correct me if I'm wrong on that range)
I read somewhere that mashing is also very water volume dependent. When I steep my grains it's in my 4GAL partial boil. So I guess I couldn't steep munich in such water volume because the concentration of starch is too low to get a good conversion (or any conversion).
If I would like to use munic in my extract recipe I would need to use a good water volume, mash at same temperature and time I use for steeping and then add the water, do other steep and add extract etc etc.
So if I finally understand correctly, mashing require a good water volume and a constant temperature and the right temperature. Steeping can be done using higher variation of these variables.
Do I get this right now?
If I would like to use munic in my extract recipe I would need to use a good water volume, mash at same temperature and time I use for steeping and then add the water, do other steep and add extract etc etc.
So if I finally understand correctly, mashing require a good water volume and a constant temperature and the right temperature. Steeping can be done using higher variation of these variables.
Do I get this right now?
Pretty much. Any time you are using grains that require mashing and you are "steeping" them in the right amount of water at the right temperature you are doing a partial mash. Usually you could steep your other grains at the same time as you are mashing and not have to add another step. Once you start partial mashing (which replaces some of the extract sugars with ones you converted during that partial mash) it's pretty easy to use more base grains and less extract. If you put the crushed grains in a bag to partial mash, you are close to doing a BIAB mash.
I myself had difficulty with that concept for quite a while. It wasn't until I got active here that I finally came to understand it (mostly). One other concept that I finally figured out was how mash temperature affects the fermentability of the wort and that there were a number of different enzymes that work in different temperature ranges to get you a specific results. Things like alpha amylase, beta amylase, and proteinase if you would like to look them up.
This is a simple explanation of the different enzymes and the temperatures were they are active: http://howtobrew.com/section3/chapter14-1.html
the chart is especially helpful for me.
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