How Long Can I Mash?

I am a partial mash brewer and I am having trouble finding a block of time to dedicate to brewing over the next few weeks. If I could I’d wait out this tough schedule and brew after all of my scheduling issues are in the past, but I’d run out of homebrew before that happens. Poor planning, I know.

So I can brew during this time frame, I’d like to know if I can start the partial mash and let it sit for up to two hours before I can sparge and complete my brew day? If I proceed under that scenario, what should I change from my normal process with regard to mash temperatures. Say I want to mash at 150 degrees. Do I start higher and then assume it will drop and average about 150? Or do I start at my normal temperature and let it go where it goes?

Anything else I need to consider? Thanks.

2 hours isn’t much at all. A cooler mash tun won’t drop much heat in that amount of time, so you shouldn’t have to change anything. some people even mash overnight, so you’re good.

Are there any negative effects to a long mash?

Like today, I am going to brew right after work. But I did have the time at lunch to mash my grains. If I mashed at noon, and got home at 4pm, and started the sparge. Would there be any negative results?

If there isn’t, I think I would do this from now on. Would be great to have the first hour & half of brewing done before I even got home.

The major “side effect” is you will end up with a more fermentable wort. I’ve been considering trying something similar to help me squeeze in more brewing days. I think I probably would increase my intial mash temp a couple degrees and/or add a bit more dextrin/crystal malt to help compensate for the temp drop and added mash time.

I think I would be ok on the over fermentability if I did a mash in the 153-156 range. especially now. Living in charleston south carolina, I doubt I will see that much of a drop in three to four hours.

I hate I didn’t read this thread before I went home to lunch. Because I would have totally done this today.