Boiled Mash

[Leon103]

I am in the process of brewing a porter and I have started to boil the mash by mistake.

I had left the power on and only noticed when I went to stir after 30 mins, a bit of a mess but so pissed off.

What to do with it? Throw it?

 

[An Ankoù]

If it has boiled for any length of time, the enzymes responsible for saccharification will have been denatured and the mash won't convert. If it just got a bit warmer than you had intended then it might be ok. In the unlikely event you've got any amyloglucosidase or a similar enzyme knocking about, you could wait till the mash temp falls to a bit over 60C and add some of that, or you could rescue something by mixing half the mash with double the quantity of base malt and mashing again at the proper temperature.
Unless it has been physically boiling, I'd cool it down with cold water to 65C-ish give it a good stir and leave it for a couple of hours before doing a starch test.

 

[Leon103]

If it has boiled for any length of time, the enzymes responsible for saccharification will have been denatured and the mash won't convert. If it just got a bit warmer than you had intended then it might be ok. In the unlikely event you've got any amyloglucosidase or a similar enzyme knocking about, you could wait till the mash temp falls to a bit over 60C and add some of that, or you could rescue something by mixing half the mash with double the quantity of base malt and mashing again at the proper temperature.
Unless it has been physically boiling, I'd cool it down with cold water to 65C-ish give it a good stir and leave it for a couple of hours before doing a starch test.

It was boiling, with lid on and wrapped up. Would have thought it was boiling for at least 10/15 minutes. I had left it at 66c. I think it is destined for the bin. I don't have anything you listed above and not enough pale malt.

 

[An Ankoù]

It was boiling, with lid on and wrapped up. Would have thought it was boiling for at least 10/15 minutes. I had left it at 66c. I think it is destined for the bin. I don't have anything you listed above and not enough pale malt.

That's a great shame.

 

[smcc]

if the whole mash boiled for that length of time as mentioned the enzymes are denatured, it might depend on how long you had it at the right temp to start the process but safer to bin it than to wait 2 weeks and invest hops and yeast in it. Decoction mashing involves removing some of the mash and boiling it but not the whole mash.

 

[Sadfield]

Late to this particular party, to be of any use. However, a gravity reading and taste would have given a good indication of whether or not the wort was serviceable to any degree. Its unlikely that the mash hit the boil, or all enzymes were denatured instantly, if at all for alpha amylase, so the OP may still have managed to get a small beer out of this catastrophe.

 

[smcc]

I forgot to add, an iodine test will show whether you have enough fermentable sugars and is anyway a good test to do to ensure you have proper conversion

 

[Leon103]

Thanks all. In the end I dumped it. I couldn't face trying to rescue whilst trying to clean up the mess it caused. I think I need an all in one system.

 

[smcc]

Thanks all. In the end I dumped it. I couldn't face trying to rescue whilst trying to clean up the mess it caused. I think I need an all in one system.

i bought one of these

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Klarstein-...2889335&sprefix=klarstrin+brew,aps,179&sr=8-2
its way cheaper than Grainfather and does pretty much everything except the cooling. Had it 4 years now never any issues with it except the odd pump blockage.

 

[LesTom]

I am in the process of brewing a porter and I have started to boil the mash by mistake.

I had left the power on and only noticed when I went to stir after 30 mins, a bit of a mess but so ****** off.

What to do with it? Throw it?

Wow Leon, I can't believe that someone else has done the same as me!! I brewed my stout on Sunday and accidentally let the mash boil for 10 minutes, I cooled it down to 68 degrees left it for 10 or so minutes and then added my chocolate malt and roasted barley. After boiling my original gravity was 1086 so I've decided to carry on with it. Fingers crossed it's a passable stout!!

 

[BeerCat]

I found it was very bitter like over stewed tea and thats without any hops.