Before the big step next year. Wondering can i mash my grains. During extract brewing. Or do i need to steep. Right now adding more grains to the steep process
If using a base malt such as pale malt, pilsner malt, Vienna malt, then you can successfully do a mini-mash even with your extract. It’s basically just a glorified steep process, where you try to hold the temperature close to 150 F for at least a half hour before bringing the temperature higher. This is how a lot of people start out with mashing – I think it’s what I tried before anything else.
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Will try this saturday
That is exactly what I did when using partial extract kit for White House Honey Porter. It turned out very well and was a good introduction to lead to full grain. I just did my first all grain 5 gal recipe this past weekend. Good luck.
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I have used those terms as meaning the same when I first started. But, farther down the road I split that thinking into steeping dark malt, which brings color and flavor, not much if any sugar to the party. Sneezles61
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So its a nice intro to all grain brew. But for extract does it help. Ok it might change the beer a bit colour wise and more sugar. Leads to a higher abv. Am i right?
Dark malt really won’t change ABV, but as I understand brown malts and lower will. Mashing, or keeping the malt in a pan with water at 150* for, well an hour does convert starch into sugar, which brings up ABV. You can convert the starch from rice into sugar also. If you use a refractometer, just check as you mash, steep before and well into it. Sneezles61
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Think about ading 1 lbs 2 row malt. To the extra grains that will come with the recipy
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In a separate pan, do yer mini mash, you’ll taste the sweetness if you don’t have a refractometer. Barely cover the grains in water stir well, don’t scorch… You’ll see its simple… Sneezles61
For the last 8 beers been steeping the grains separate. Use 1 5 gallon water. Yeah do have refractometer. And hydrometer. Never used it during the steep. Will do tomorow see what it does say
Yes, do use yer reflectometer to check for sugar, and don’t be afraid to let it go a long time. Sneezles61
So. Did took the ice cooler of my wife. Did a partial mash. Of 50 min. Start temp 160. Did at grain bag. Made sure temp stayed at 150. After 50 min took a refrectometer. Reading. A grav of 1.040. And went on to the regular brew session. Maybe should had mashed longer. But they did say it would rain. Wanted to be done before it started to rain
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How much grain did you mash? I use about 1.035 per pound and its TO the gallon. Sneezles61
Four pounds
And the amount of wort you collected? Sneezles61
A 1.5 gallon wort
In this case, there are some variables that will help you determine what yer potential could be, but I didn’t help you elaborate that. But, you did do a mini mash, and congrats for doing a step that you’ll use when going all grain. When I figure what ABV I would shoot for, I will use 1.035 per pound of pale malt. I want to get to a gravity of, say 1.050, for a 5 gallon IN the fermentor. So, not being too good at math I have to narrow down search. I will use 35, the last 2 numbers of the grain potential, and multiply by 9, and you get 315. Now divide that by 5, the gallons you want, and you get 63. My system is very close to 80% efficient, so multiply by .8 and you get 50.4. You will use more water than the 5 I show, so, absorption in the mash, and boiling will reduce yer volume, so I will start at 2.5 gallons over my target. This is how I figure ABV and its not the only way nor the best, but simply works for me! Sneezles61
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Easy way to do. Let me do next time this method
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After you even just practice, pretend, what ever, it becomes easy. I just haven’t found a way to amortize hops to ABV/malt. Thats gonna take some deciphering. Sneezles61
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Next week will practice more. Damm the art of brewing beer. Wish i was easy thinking. But still in search of the holy grail of beer
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