New Guy

Hey folks, I’m relatively new to the game. I’ve brewed a few batches using extracts but no mashing yet. I ordered some supplies to make a rye ale and meant to grab some unmalted steeping grains. Instead I mistakenly ordered malted grain. I don’t know the first thing about mashing but I’m willing to try it for this one. Can anyone give me some pointers on the process, specifically decoction?

Most of the ‘steeping grains’ have been through the malting process, but have been heated beyond to form sugar crystals. So, a little more info.- what exactly did you buy?
If you haven’t yet, order John Palmer’s ‘How to Brew’. There is an older online version that is a good start, but get the hardcopy, read it, study it, love it.
Come back with some more information on what you have and what you are planning to do with it, and we’ll help you.

There’s plenty of free information on the net about mashing, but there are plenty of good books for beginners, too. If you have a good book store nearby, like a Barnes& Noble, they’ll almost certainly have something. As far as decoction mashing goes, though, I strongly recommend that you hold off on trying that process out until you’ve gotten a fair amount of single-temp infusion mashes under your belt. It’s just a more complicated and time-consuming process that’s a little bit much for most beginners, and many here will tell you that it won’t produce a better beer than one made with a simple infusion mash, although I can’t completely agree with them. And besides that, it takes a little more equipment than infusion mashing does, and you may not have everything you need yet. In the meantime, if you’re curious about decoction mashing, or if you just want a good hands-on tutorial on how to mash, you should just look up videos on the subject on YouTube, or on our handy-dandy host site. Just start looking around.

read more know more if you are want to make a new batch and you can tell use little more about yourself. thanks