For most partial mash procedures, anywhere within this range will work. Thinner mashes are often used when the mash needs to be stirred, or for decoction mashing. A mash thickness of 1.25 qts/lb is frequently used in homebrewing as it is fairly thick and therefore you can mash a lot of grains in a relatively small volume. Generally, the mash thickness varies between 1.0 and 2.5 quarts of water per pound of grain. In a mash, the volume of water is limited so that the grains make something similar to a porridge. Almost all partial mash recipes call for a single infusion mash.). A "mash out" is a step in which the grains are heated, by direct heat or by adding hot water, to 168-170F after the mash. For most mashes with a ratio of 1.5 - 2 quarts of water per pound of grain, the mash out is not needed. (There are more complex mash programs, such as step mashing and decoction, but partial mash recipes rarely call for these. Higher temperatures within this range and shorter mash times, followed by a mash out, make worts with a lower degree of fermentability. Lower temperatures within this range and longer mash times (60–90 minutes) produce wort with a high degree of fermentability. When base grains, or a mixture of base grains and specialty grains, are mashed, the temperature is usually held between 148 F and 165 F. If the roasted flavor additions are just as important as the color addition, you will need to increase the amount of steeping addition by at least half, if not more. This method works well with black IPA's (also known as Cascadian Dark Ales) that want the color, and to a lesser degree the flavor additions, without the burnt acrid flavors that some of the darker roast malts can impart. This allows the extraction of color and some flavor, but it reduces some of the harsher flavors that may not be appropriate such as tannins, which can create an undesirable astringent or bitter taste in your beer. Roasted grains such as Black Patent or chocolate malt are crushed and then steeped in cold water overnight. Cold SteepingĪnother method that is gaining traction for some styles of beer is cold steeping. If a grain has a starchy interior, it should be mashed rather than steeped (see list below). Likewise, any sugars from the interior of the grains are also dissolved. When specialty grains are steeped, the color and flavors from their husks are dissolved into the water. This may extract excess tannins and give your beer a slight iced-tea-like character.
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To be safe, it's probably best not to let your steeping temperature climb above 170 F, especially when you're steeping a small amount of grain in a relatively large volume of water. You can steep specialty grains at almost any temperature, from the temperature of your water right out of the tap to nearly boiling. But when mashing, you have a more narrow range of temperatures and grain-to-water ratios to work within. From a procedural standpoint, steeping and mashing both involve soaking crushed grains in water. If you've been using grains for awhile, perhaps you'll still find some helpful tips here.
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If you're just getting into using grains, this should help you out. Here's a short primer on how grains are used in what's known as "partial mash" brewing.
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You will also have more creative control of your recipes which will truly make them your own. Are you looking to step up your brewing game with some grains? It's not too difficult and extra grains will add a lot more dimension and complexity to your brews.