Decoction method

Thank you!! Now I’ll be dreaming about this whole process…
I enjoyed how you did this and was explained whats happening… This is the Bock you have fermenting? Do you think you added much, if any more color to the brew…
Again, I applaud yer taking the time to preform and post this… Way cool! :sunglasses:
Sneezles61

It is the bock i just made. It probably adding a bit more color because i boiled the decoction a little longer and harder than i did for my Pilsner and Kolsch.

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I don’t know the ‘history’ of decoction…. Hell, I don’t know much. But, most of brewing was probably happy coincidence. They didn’t have thermometers and one time they were making two batches, one mash accidentally boiled, they added it to the other mash and noticed that this mash got warmer, and the beer turned out better. So it contained.
In fact- rule of thumb? What does it mean? For some reason some crazies started a myth that a ‘man wasn’t allowed to beat his woman with a switch thicker than his thumb or it was illegal.’ Reality is that Brewers would dip their thumb into their mashes/boils and if not too hot or too hot would know what to do. So, dip it in, not too hot, bring some mash to boil, add it, and…. You get the point. I’ve rambled too much. :joy:

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Never heard about the switch stuff… :hushed: Although… I’ve been “corrected” by a few…
It would be so interesting to be able to read an old manuscript about the brewing process… I wonder how much digging the internet will have…
Sneezles61

Actually thermometers were around a long time readable one at least since the 1600s before that they had devices that they could mark and then match the mark when their liquid was an equal temperature. Yeah the Germans did it of course. Alchemists did it for sure

Maybe irrelevant… have you checked yer pH during this process?
Sneezles61

If you watch my latest post in the science video about making moonshine out of toilet paper, you can see the logic behind decoctions as part of the mashing process. Paper, specifically cellulose, are giant chains of carbohydrates which could be fermentable if enzymes can unlock the carbohydrates into fermentable bite sizes. By decoction these dense chains are further unraveled a bit allow the enzyme to bite off an end piece, if you will, since it cannot eat the whole chain.
The main focus of old style decoction is old fashioned temperature control IMO. You have boiling wort set aside to add to raise the temperature without diluting the mash/wort with more/excess plain water.
I never thought about this but in decoction you are using water to pull out desired materials, whether it be a mash or a coffee bloom, and in concoction you use the water to gather materials and bind them together.

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I had the same thought. Maybe originally they were just trying to keep the temperature up. Now i dont know if any of you guys remember my stienbeir post but if i get in a crazy mood maybe a way to boil the decoction.

Actually i didn’t check the pH after adding the decoction back didn’t think about it since never read anything about adjusting pH during the decotion

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Now that you test my memory… Yes, I call the rock heated in a fire… How much more can you get creative in the name of brewing? :sunglasses:
Sneezles61