dave lines book brewing beers like those you buy

[Mark1964]

In the above book by Dave Line on the replica stella recipie it says to add grains at 45 deg c then raise temp to 60 deg c then after 30 mins raise temp again to 66 deg c. How is this possible if your using an insulated mash tun With no form of heating. Or would it be ok just to start mashing at 66 deg c and leave for 90 mins??

 

[tubthumper]

now your getting into decoction ( think thats how its spelt)
you need more equipment
siplest way to do it is to draw of some wort and heat it in a saucepan and return it and keep doing it till its the right temp

otherwise you will need to build a herms sytem that allows you to do it much easier

 

[Mark1964]

Thanks ill try that one next in a couple of weeks ill have some help though i hope :

 

[cwrw]

I'd be inclined to start off with a stiff mix at 45c then add small amounts of hotter water (as 80+c) until you reach your target, and repeat the process till you reach your final stage temperature - worth a thought :thumb:

 

[Mark1964]

I could put some water in boiler keep at 80 deg c just for that purpose and then turn off boiler then when mash time is up put boiler on and use water for sparging :)

 

[Sean_Mc]

Thought DL used an electrim boiler to mash in

 

[hairybiker]

You can "theoretically" use an EL to decoction mash.

Using a grain bag to hold the malt off the element (at least 2") you can heat and stir the mash using the element to reach the desired temp.
For me too much hassle :nono: I prefer simple beers anyway, a nice IPA if my favorite tipple. Never been into the Belgian Trappist Beers, or even Wheat ones :?

 

[Mark1964]

It is alot of messing with the electrim bin the element doesnt hold temp very well ill just put grains in me mash tun and add some hot water at the right times thanks. :

 

[Sean_Mc]

Only done two lagers myself, but both turned out well. Only difference in recipes was the yeast used, s-33 and 189. Both fermented at 14c.

 

[Dunfie]

Personally speaking, I would just do for a normal single infusion mash. Unless you have gone out of your way to get barley with high nitrogen content then you don't need to do all the different steps. Almost all brewing barley has been modified so that it has a low nitrogen content which reduces the hazes that might otherwise occur without all the various rests on the way up.

Most of the continental breweries have now converted to a single infusion mash - so if its good enough for them....

 

[markp]

Personally speaking, I would just do for a normal single infusion mash. Unless you have gone out of your way to get barley with high nitrogen content then you don't need to do all the different steps. Almost all brewing barley has been modified so that it has a low nitrogen content which reduces the hazes that might otherwise occur without all the various rests on the way up.

Most of the continental breweries have now converted to a single infusion mash - so if its good enough for them....

:thumb:
I'd just add that you may want to look in to some good finings like Polyclar to protect from chill haze when serving cold.

 

[evanvine]

Go with Tubthumper, he's got the right idea!

 

[tubthumper]

found these if you Really want to brew wife beater

US stella thread

another one

 

[Mark1964]

Thanks for that everyone i will try it what can happen really it can only go wrong :

 

[markp]

Go with Tubthumper, he's got the right idea!

Why would you want or need to do a decoction with well modified lager malt??

 

[tubthumper]

Go with Tubthumper, he's got the right idea!

Why would you want or need to do a decoction with well modified lager malt??

reason to is if the recipie call for any cooked cereals as these benifit from the low temp 40-50C

also the guys that use herms and rims swear by them .
if you like the results surley you would repeat wheather or not it was scientific or not.

 

[evanvine]

if you like the results surley you would repeat wheather or not it was scientific or not.

Hear hear, in my book brewing is an art!!

 

[Aleman]

Why would you want or need to do a decoction with well modified lager malt??

reason to is if the recipe call for any cooked cereals as these benefit from the low temp 40-50C

Actually if using uncooked cereals you (corn meal , grits, rice) then you need to do a cereal mash which is not a decoction mash . . . Cooked cereals like flaked maize, and Flaked Rice do not need the cereal mash as the starch in them has already been gelatinised.

The reason I would do a decoction mash with well modified malt is to develop the flavour profiles that you get from decoction mashing. The period of boiling at the end of the decoction mash . . . apart from making more starch available also encourages the formation of melanoidins from a reaction between carbohydrates and proteins . . . this leads to a darkening of the wort, plus the development of a really nice malty profile. However, with well modified malt I would only go with a single 'thin' decoction, from whatever mash temp I was using (probably 66C) up to 72C for a mash out. . . . A thin decoction takes mostly liquid which is required at the end of the boil, for intermediate decoctions you take a thick decoction which is mostly grain.

also the guys that use HERMS and rims swear by them .

I tend to swear at mine at the moment , but step mashing is also not the same as decoction, and does not encourage the same flavours to develop, as there is no boiling phase

if you like the results surely you would repeat whether or not it was scientific or not.

Blindly following commercial practice of 40 years ago without regard to the modern ingredients could very well lead down a dark path where it's better not to go. :) Decoction Mashing is very much more of an art that a scientific process . . . although there are very valid scientific reasons for each of the steps involved, once you understand the reasons for the steps then you can adapt the science through the craft of brewing to create art . . .


















Beer :lol:

 

[evanvine]

Just recently I commented on a couple of Forum members "waxing lyrical" in their posts.
I've just realised that Aleman's been doing it forever! :lol:

 

[Mark1964]

maybe ill just do a nice bitter instead LOL :