Let’s Mash: Introduction to All Grain Homebrewing.

[Guest]

Hold you horses. Not so fast, buster, and you, too, toots. I want to remind you of a few things.

Don’t for get that you are a homebrewer and that the reason you are one is that you enjoy good beer and somehow have grown to enjoy the process of making beer. Some will even profess that since you are now going to mash your own grains, it is time to get serious!
Give yourself a break, allow yourself to get concerned, but please, not serious. Being concerned will allow you to creatively work out the problems you may encounter. Being concerned will allow attention to quality. Being concerned will allow you to improve your skills with every batch of beer.
Becoming serious will muddle your mind and mislead you from the real reason you are a homebrewer or a home grower for that matter.

Introduction:

There are three mashing procedures worth mentioning, two of which are practical to the homebrewer. Briefly they are:

The Infusion Mash

Infusion mashing is often referred to as a “one step”, One temperature mash, in which the grist and water are maintained at one temperature for a period of time allowing complete conversion. The infusion-mashing procedure should only be used with fully modified malts. If undermodified malts are used in this system, complete conversion of starches to dextrins and sugars will result, but necessary yeast nutrients will not be developed.

The Temperature-controlled (step) Mash

Sometimes referred to as “step-infusion,” this mashing procedure involves maintaining the combination of grist and water at various temperatures for specific periods of time. This procedure is particularly suited for use with undermodified malted barley and adjuncts. It allows the degradation of proteins when held at temperatures lower than those that are necessary for starch conversion.

The Decoction Mash

This method of mashing achieves the same end as temperature-controlled mash. The distinction of this method is that portions of water and grist are brought to a boil and added to the mash in order to raise temperatures through steps similar to the temperature-controlled mashing system. This system seems to have been developed in the days pre-dating the thermometer, when there was no accurate means of measuring temperature. Brewmasters devised this system in order to achieve more consistency in their mashing process. This system still is widely used in Germany to get maximum extraction and perpetuate an age-old tradition. In the rest of the brewing world it is rarely used.
For those interested in learning more about the art and science of Decoction Mashing:
Gregory Noonan’s Brewing Lager Beer, published by brewer’s publications, PO Box 1679, Boulder, CO 80306, USA. This is the most comprehensive resource on the subject written in the English language.

The infusion and temperature-controlled mashing procedures are the most practical to the homebrewer. The time involved in mashing with either is about the same. If you organize your brewing session, you can figure that from mashing to boiling to sparging to cleaning will involve 4-5 hours of your time. Remember that cleaning before and afterwards is an unavoidable part of the brewing process and will take a considerable amount of your brew time.

The Infusion Mash:

If the malt you are using is highly modified, then this mash is for you. It is the simpler of the two main mashing systems and requires less attention. Once you have primed yourself with the proceeding background information, you’ll be surprised at how simple this process can be.

The situation you want to achieve during the infusion mash is stabilizing the grist and water mash at a temperature between 150-158 degrees F (66-70 C) for 30-60 minutes. The higher temperatures will convert the starches more quickly but at the same time will be more dextrinous, resulting in a more full-bodied beer. The lower the temperatures will convert starches more slowly, resulting in a higher fermentable sugar content and less full-bodied beer. (Higher in Alcohol)
Desired temperatures are achieved by adding a measured amount of grain to water that is at a predetermined temperature.
The following information will help you determine changes in temperature that will occur when room-temperature grain is added to hot water.

Here are some facts that will help make Infusion mashing easy.

1) The amount of water needed for every pound of grain is 1 quart.

2) There will be a temperature drop of 16-18 degrees F ( -9 to –7 C) when a measured amount of water and grain are combined. For example: If 4 quarts of water at a temperature of 168 degrees F (76 C) is added to 4 pounds of grain the temperature of the mash will stabilize at 150-152 degrees F (66-67 C). If adjustments are necessary, then small amounts of hot water can be added to raise the temperature or a small amount of cold water can be added to lower the temperature.

3) One gallon of sparge water is (ideally) needed to sparge each 1 pound of grain. You will lose water along the way from mash to finished beer.

4) Each 1 pound of grain will retain approximately .1 (one tenth) of a gallon of water.

5) Boiling will evaporate approximately ½ -1 gallon of water in 60 minutes. This depends on the vigor of the boil.

6) Sediments will account for ¼ - ½ gallon of losses of volume.

The temperature-controlled Mash “Step-Mashing”

A temperature-controlled mash is the most desirable method of mashing when undermodified malted barley is used. A temperature-controlled mash allows the homebrewer to more closely control the temperature of the mash. It promotes the development of yeast nutrients, more poetically referred to as “Free Amino Nitrogens.” Also, the controlled temperatures can aid in giving beer more stability, less of a haze problem and a more controllable balance of dextrins and fermentable sugars with starch conversion.

The practical method described here is easy to follow and also has the advantage of having a desirably thicker mash during the protein rest a 122 Degrees F (50 C) –a condition that proteolytic enzymes enjoy. The conversion of starch to dextrin and sugars occurs in a diluted mash, more appropriate for diastatic enzyme activity.

The temperature-controlled method of mashing will take the grist and water combination to a temperature of 122 Degrees F (50 C) and maintain it for 30 minutes, while stirring it at intervals of 5 minutes. The temperature is then raised to 150-158 degrees F (66-70 C) by adding a measured amount of boiling water. This temperature is held for 20-30 minutes. The temperature that is chosen for starch conversion will determine the dextrin-sugar balance of the wort.

Higher temperatures produce beers with higher body. Lower temperatures will produce beers with more alcohol and less body. A temperature rest at 150 Degrees F (66 C) for 10 minutes followed by a boost in temperature 158 Degrees F (70 C) held for a additional 10-15 minutes (or until conversion) will produce a more medium-bodied beer.

For every pound of grains and adjuncts used, 1 quart of water at a temperature of 130 Degrees F (54 C) is necessary to decrease and stabilize the temperature of the mash to 120-124 Degrees F (49-51 C). If adjuncts that you are mashing need to be cooked, the water that is used to cook them should be figured into the total volume of water. The cooked adjunct and water should be allowed to cool to 130 Degrees F (54 C) and then added to the grist with the water.

Stirring of the mash is helpful during each phase of the temperature-controlled procedure.
In order to initiate starch conversion, the temperature of the mash needs to be raised to at least 150 Degrees F (66 C). For every pound of grain (and adjuncts) that is in the mash ½ quart of water at 200 Degrees F (93 C) (water at higher elevations boil at lower temperatures) to raise the temperature of the mash 18 degrees F (10 C) For example: if the temperature of the mash at the end of the protein rest is raised to 132 degrees F (56 C), the 200 degree F (66 C). After the temperature is held at 150 degrees F (66 C) for 10-15 minutes a simple addition of heat (turn on the stove and stir) can raise the temperature to 158 degrees F (70 C) in a short time.

Most homebrewers will brew in 5 gallons increments. You will use between 6-10 pounds of grain (including adjuncts) for each 5 gallon batch of beer.
You may have thought that you missed something, but the essentials are here.
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Just a few more things to know, then some Basic Recipes will follow.

 

[Guest]

Iodine test for starch conversion

After you have finished your mashing procedures you may wonder whether or not you have completed the starch-to-sugar/dextrin conversion. You can do a simple test for starch by using tincture of iodine as an indicator. The test is based on the fact that that tincture of iodine (available at any pharmacy) will turn a starch solution purple or black in color. If all of the starches in your mash have been converted to sugars or dextrins, the iodine will not display any color change.

To perform this test remove 1 tablespoon of the liquid mash and place it on a cool white saucer. Drip a drop of iodine into the puddle and observe. If there is a change in color say to black of purple, then you should continue the mash until you can perform the test again with no color change.


Lautering
Wort separation and sparging
Now that you’ve successfully converted your grains to the better things in life, it is necessary to stop the conversion process and separate the sweet liquor from the particulate matter: the spent grain and husk material. You accomplish this by raising the temperature of the mash to 170 degrees F (77 C) in order to deactivate enzymes, and then contain the spent grains in an oversized strainer while allowing the liquid to drain from the bottom. A measured amount of “rinse” (sparging) water is added to the surface of the grains to trickle through and carry the remaining sugars away.

The major problem that you want to avoid is a “stuck runoff.” A stuck runoff results from compaction of a bed of grains in your lauter-tun and /or the clogging of the holes in the strainer section of your lauter-tun. In any case, the flow of liquid through the grains is hindered when stuck runoff occurs. The possibility of a stuck or restricted runoff can be minimized by providing a “foundation water” to the lauter-tun. Foundation water will provide a means of gently floating the grains onto the false bottom, avoiding the compaction of the grain and clogging of the false bottom strainer.
A lauter-tun can be made by using 2 food grade buckets. One to fit into another.

The inside bucket will have a bunch of little holds drilled into the bottom and half way up the sides. The second or outside bucket should have a tap installed at the bottom inch so as to drain off the liquid into your brew pot.

The main points to remember are: 1) the sparge water should be 170-180 degrees F (77-82 C)

2) The level of the liquid (sparge/foundation water and mash) should always be maintained above the surface of the grains that are gradually being added.

To begin, add enough hot water (170 degrees F [77 C]) so that the surface level exceeds the level of the false bottom by a good 3-4 inches. Then alternately add the mash (grains and sweet liquor) and reservoir of sparging water while maintaining a level of liquid is visibly above the surface of the grain bed. After all the mash has been added to the lauter-tun, draining can commence.

If the mash were added to a dry lauter-tun, it would be more than likely that the weight of the unsuspended grains would compact and clog the draining system. When you begin, slowly drain the sweet wort and continue to gently add hot sparge water until the supply of sparge water is depleted. Avoid pouring the sparging water onto the surface of the grains with abandonment; rather, gently spray or sprinkle the hot water over the top of the surface. As the water gently flows through the “filter bad” of grains it carries with it the desired sugars and dextrins.

As you direct your sweet runoff into your brewpot, avoid aeration of the hot liquid as this can lead to the development of oxidized flavors later in the brewing process.

Boiling the Wort

One thing to remember, you are boiling a much greater volume of liquid because your wort is not concentrated. You will be able to boil your wort more vigorously, allowing for more or less evaporation, as required. The more vigorous the boil will facilitate protein coagulation (the Hot Break) and more precipitation of sediment. The removal of this precipitate can be dealt with later.


Cooling your Wort

From 212 degrees F (100 C) to 70 degrees F (21 C) in 15 minutes!
In order to ensure healthy and contaminant-free fermentation (and Beer), it is desirable to cool your hot wort as quickly as possible so that the yeast can be pitched.

The cooling system can be made by having a 15-20 foot coil of copper that can be fitted into a bucket. Once the coil of tubing is in the bucket, put in enough ice to fill the bucket (there should be a hole in the bucket so that this end of the coil fits out of the bottom. Siphon the hot wort through this coil. As the ice melts add cold water so as to keep your temperatures down. This wort goes strait into the fermentation vessel. When all the wort is into the fermenter, it should around 60 degrees F (17 C) …. If it doesn’t reach 60 F degrees don’t panic… Yeast can live in temperatures of up to 100 degrees F… the temperature in practice should be around 75-80..
Also a second use for your lauter-tun can be for straining the hops from your wort.
The spigot from the lauter-tun can be attached to the cooling coil and them a small piece of plastic hose to the fermentation vessel.

Make sure that your fermentation vessel is sanitized. ….

These are the important things you need to know, if you so choose to brew all grain beer.

Now for some All-Grain Beer Recipes

Let’s Start out with Light American standard.
Light American standard beer is your normal everyday, pick it up at the store Budwieser, coors ECT.
This beer uses rice as an adjunct to raise the alcohol % just a little.

This beer should be cold fermented, if you have an extra refrigerator handy, but its not necessary, this beer can be fermented at ale temperatures.

AMERICAN LIGHT STANDARD. (Bud)

Ingredients for 5 gallons:
5 pounds malted barley (6 row, high enzyme)
1 pound cooked rice (weight is dry weight before cooked)
½ pound crystal malted Barley
1 teaspoon of gypsum
1 ounce Cascade hops (boiling)
¼ ounce Cascade hops (aroma)
¼ teaspoon Irish moss powder
1-2 packages Lager yeast
¾ cup corn sugar or 1 ¼ cup dried malt extract (for bottleing)

This recipe calls for using a “temperature controlled” procedure for mashing 6.5 pounds of grains and adjuncts.
Cook the rice in 6 ½ quarts of water for ½ hour. Let the temperature drop to 130 degrees F (54 C) and then combine crushed grains and gypsum and proceed with the protein rest. Raise the temperature by adding 3 ½ quarts of 200 Degree F (93 C) water and continue with starch conversion at about 150 degrees F (66 C) for 15-20 minutes. Complete the conversion by raising the temperature to 158 degrees F (70 C) and holding for 10-20 minutes or until an iodine test indicates complete conversion.
Sparge with 3 ½ gallons of 170 degree F (77 C) water.
Add 2 ½ more3 quarts of water to the brewpot and bring the wort to a boil.
Add boiling hops and continue to boil for 1 hour.
Add the Irish Moss power during the final 10 minutes of the boil.
Add the aroma hops during the final 1-2 minutes of the boil.
Remove spent hops and sparge. Cool the wort as quickly as possible.
Final yield should be 5-5 ½ gallons of wort.
Pitch the yeast, ferment to completion and bottle.


Red Marzen

A blend of home-toasted malted barley serves to accent this wonderfully balanced bittersweet brew. One rejoices in the character of a true continental lager. Saaz, a true Czechoslovakian hop, serves to uniquely compliment the reddish glow of this homebrewed marzen.

5 pounds malted barley (6-row or high enzyme)
2 pounds Munich malted barley
1 pound of toasted malted barley (toast it by spreading it on a cookie sheet and place in a 350 Degree F oven for 30 minutes)
1 teaspoon of gypsum
2 ounces of Saaz hops ( boiling)
½ ounce Saaz hops (aroma)
¼ teaspoon Irish Moss Powder
1-2 pakgs lager yeast
¾ cup corn sugar or 1 ¼ cups dried malt extract (for bottling)

This recipe calls for using a “temperature controlled” procedure for 8 pounds of grains.
Combine the crushed grains and gypsum with 2 gallons of 130 Degree F (54 C) water and proceed with a protein rest.
Raise the temperature by adding 4 quarts of 200 degree F (93 C) water and continue with starch conversion at 150 Degrees F (66 C) for 10-15 minutes.
Complete conversion by raising the temperature to 158 Degrees F (70 C) and holding fir 10-20 minutes or until an iodine test indicates complete conversion.
Sparge with 4 gallons of 170 Degree F (77 C) water.
Bring the wort to boil, and add boiling hops and continue to boil for 1 hour.
Add the Irish Moss Powder during the last 10 minutes of the boil.
Add the aroma hops during the final 1-2 minutes of the boil.
Remove the spent hops and sparge.
Cool wort as quickly as possible
Final yield should be 5-5 ½ gallons of wort.
Pitch the yeast and ferment to completion. Bottle with corn sugar or dry malt extract.

Side note:
If at all possible ferment this under refrigeration… But it doesn’t have to be done that way.
True Lager Beer is fermented with temperatures from 38 Degrees F and 50 degrees F.
Fermentation at room temperatures with Lager yeast makes Steam Beer. There is very little difference in the flavor, cold temperatures tend to make the flavor just a little crisper.

Monkey’s Paw English Brown Ale

A rich chocolaty brown ale. A pleasing sweetness that is cleaned by a crisp finish of English hops. Monkey’s Paw will make you wish you had another, but that won’t be necessary because of this recipe, Like all others, this is for 5 gallons. Five gallons of medium bodied brown ale in the English tradition.

Ingredients for 5 gallons:

7 pounds malted barley (English highly modified malt)
¼ pound of Chocolate Malt (not the chocolate malt for the store, This is a grain from the Homebrewing store.)
¼ pound of black patent malt
½ pound of crystal malt
1 tsp. Gypsum
1 ounce Fuggles hops (boiling)
½ ounce Northern Brewer hops (boiling)
½ ounce Fuggles hops (aroma)
¼ tsp. Irish moss powder
1-2 pakgs. Ale yeast.
¾ cup corn sugar or 1 ¼ cups dry malt extract (for bottling)

This recipe calls for using an “infusion” procedure for mashing 8 pounds of grains.
Combine crushed grains and gypsum with 1.75 gallons of 168 degree F (76 C) water.
The mash will stabilize at 150-155 degree F (66-67 C). Hold this temperature for 30-60 minutes.
Sparge with 4 gallons of 170 Degree (77 C) water.
Add 3 additional quarts of water to the brewpot and bring the wort to boil.
Add boiling hops and continue to boil for 1 hour.
Add Irish Moss Powder during the final 10 minutes of the boil.
Add aroma hops during the final 1-2 minutes of the boil.
Remove spent hops and sparge.
Cool as soon as possible.
Pitch the yeast and ferment to completion.
Bottle with corn sugar or dry malt extract. .


Irish Stout

The real thing—the real recipe. The only difference is that you made it my friend
A wonderful experience for a stout aficionado. A rich brown head tops off a deep black liquid that is bittersweet and satisfying to the palate.

Ingredients for 5 gallons:

7 pounds of malted barley (British 2-row)
1 pound of flaked or cooked pearl barley
1 pound of roasted barley
1 tsp gypsum
2 ½ ounces Goldings Hops (boiling)
¼ tsp Irish moss powder
1-2 pkgs ale yeast, or a good liquid yeast culture
(trust me the yeast culture is well worth it)
¾ cup corn sugar or 1 ¼ cups dry malt extract.(for Bottling)

This recipe calls for using an “infusion” procedure for mashing 9 pounds of grains.
Combine crushed grains and gypsum with 2.25 gallons of 168 degree F (76 C) water.
The mash will stabilize at 150-155 degrees F (66-67 C). Hold this temperature for 30-60 minutes.
Sparge with 4.5 gallons of 170 degree F (77 C) water.
Add one additional quart of water to the brewpot and bring wort to boil.
Add boiling hops and continue to boil for 1 hour.
Add the Irish Moss powder during the last 10 minutes of the boil.
Remove the spent hops and sparge.
Cool the wort ASAP
Final yield should be 5-5 ½ gallons
Pitch the yeast, and ferment to completion and bottle.


Porter

A full bodied, sharply bittersweet version of black heaven.
Bout the best shot I can get to duplicating Anchor Porter of SF’s fame.
It comes real close.

8 pounds Malted barley (American 2 row or 6-row)
1 pound Munich malt
½ pound crystal malt
½ pound black patent malt
½ pound chocolate malt
1 tsp gypsum
1 ounce Northern Brewer or Perle hops (boiling)
½ ounce of cascade hops (boiling)
½ ounce of cascade hops (aroma)
¼ tsp Irish moss powder
1-2 pkgs. Ale yeast
¾ cup corn sugar or 1 ¼ cups dried malt extract (for bottling)

This recipe calls for using a “temperature controlled” procedure for mashing 10 pounds of grains.
Combine the crushed grains and gypsum with 2 ½ gallons of 130-degree (54 C) water and proceed with a protein rest.
Raise the temperature by adding 5 quarts of 200-degree F (93 C) water and continue with starch conversion at about 150-degrees F (66 C) for 10-15 minutes.
Complete conversion by raising the temperature to 158-degrees F (70 C) and hold for 10-20 minutes or until an iodine test indicates complete conversion.
Sparge with 5 gallons of 170-Degree (77 C) water.
Bring the wort to a boil, add boiling hops and boil for one hour.
Add the Irish Moss powder during the last 10 minutes of the boil.
Add the aroma hops during the last 1-2 minutes of the boil.
Cool the wort ASAP.
Final yield should be 5-5 ½ gallons of wort.
Pitch the yeast, ferment to completion and bottle.


Barley Wine
Recipe for 5 gallons

O.G. 1.100
T.G. 1.035

Fermentable, weight (lbs.)
Pale Ale Malt,10
Light Crystal, 0.5
Cara Munich, 1
Dextrin, 1
Aromatic, 2
Victory, 1
Briess Amber Syrup, 3.3
Briess Weizen Syrup, 3.3

Grains mashed at 152 to 155 deg F for 90 minutes.

Hops, ounces, boil time
Perle, 4, 135 minutes
Perle, 3, 45 minutes
Perle, 2, 30 minutes
Cascade, 3, 30 minutes
Perle, 2, 5 minutes
Cascade, 3, 5 minutes
Cascade, 2, steep 15 minutes
Perle, 1, steep 15 minutes
Cascade, 1, dry hop 2 weeks

Other Ingredients:
Gypsum 3 tsp - in boil
Citrid Acid 1 tsp - in boil
Salt 1/4 tsp - in boil
Epsom Salts 1/8 tsp - in boil

Yeast: Wyeast 1056 (American Ale Yeast)