Mash time for 11.5L brew

[davidgrace]

Some recipes that I have tell me to mash for 90 minutes others only 60 minutes. I only brew 11.5 batches using brew in a bag. If the recipe for a 23L batch requires a 90 minute mash should I mash for that long with a 11.5L batch?

 

[MyQul]

I do 10L (well their actually 12L maxi-biab). There's no "ratio". It doesn't follow that if your doing a smaller batch you do a shorter mash. I do anywhere from 2 hours min to 30 min depending on what outcome I'm trying to acheive. So just follow the mash schedule for your recipe even though you may have scaled down the ingredients

 

[samale]

I do 10L (well their actually 12L maxi-biab). There's no "ratio". It doesn't follow that if your doing a smaller batch you do a shorter mash. I do anywhere from 2 hours min to 30 min depending on what outcome I'm trying to acheive. So just follow the mash schedule for your recipe even though you may have scaled down the ingredients

I have seen that you have said before that mash times can have an effect on the body of the beer. Is this just from your own experience. I can mash from anything from an hour up to 4. Depending if I am busy doing other things. I know some people mash overnight

 

[MyQul]

I have seen that you have said before that mash times can have an effect on the body of the beer. Is this just from your own experience. I can mash from anything from an hour up to 4. Depending if I am busy doing other things. I know some people mash overnight

Yes, this is from my own experience (but I think the science backs it up too). I will combine mash length with mash temp to achieve an affect. e.g. If you look in my brewday thread you will see I am currently making a beer which has little to no body (OG 1.027 target FG 1.000). I mashed at 64C for 90 mins. The gravity is currently 1.004. It curently tastes super light. Even at this stage it tastes like/mouth feels like lager , which is what I'm aiming for.
Conversely, I sometimes make a mild with a OG of 1.036 (iirc). To pack as much body in as possible I mash at 70C for 30 - 40 mins. The resulting beer, mouth feels a bigger than it actually is more like a beer in the 1.040's OG

 

[samale]

I thought the main difference would be your temp not your time. High temp produces more unfermented sugars resulting in more body. Lower temp results in a thinner beer and more dry.

 

[samale]

http://beersmith.com/blog/2012/12/20/mash-temperature-and-beer-body-in-all-grain-brewing/

 

[MyQul]

I thought the main difference would be your temp not your time. High temp produces more unfermented sugars resulting in more body. Lower temp results in a thinner beer and more dry.

Your right the MAIN difference would be temp but time does have it's part to play.

 

[Gerryjo]

I thought the main difference would be your temp not your time. High temp produces more unfermented sugars resulting in more body. Lower temp results in a thinner beer and more dry.

What you'll find is by trial and error of your own experience and preference as you also need to take into account grain types added to your recipes and types of fermentables they release plus the yeast type/variant you are using never mind what temps you are fermenting at