Mashing by Infusion

[Old Fat Biker Bloke]

Bought an old book by C.J.J. Berry at a boot fair for 10p - 'Home Brewed Beers and Stouts' - In it he describes mashing 'by infusion' and says a 50W immersion heater in just under 2 gallons of water at 65C with 2lbs of malt will infuse over 8 hours.

Has anyone tired this? I've found seemingly good fully submersible 50W aquarium heaters with thermostats that look perfect for the job?!

Thoughts please - I'm yet to attempt my first AG brew so all advice gratefully received!!

 

[RobWalker]

8 hours? jesus! most of it happens in the first 15 minutes. most people mash for an hour to 90 minutes these days, the exception being wrapping it up and leaving it to mash overnight.

there is plenty of info on here about all grain brewing in many ways, BIAB is very cheap, there are great stove top methods and some effective self builds too...other people will link you to good resources. i'm not sure where they are.

 

[orlando]

Bought an old book by C.J.J. Berry at a boot fair for 10p - 'Home Brewed Beers and Stouts' - In it he describes mashing 'by infusion' and says a 50W immersion heater in just under 2 gallons of water at 65C with 2lbs of malt will infuse over 8 hours.

Has anyone tired this? I've found seemingly good fully submersible 50W aquarium heaters with thermostats that look perfect for the job?!

Thoughts please - I'm yet to attempt my first AG brew so all advice gratefully received!!

I had that book back in the 70's but to be honest he was really a wine maker and most of what he talks about in there is bollo.... well you know. AG brewing at home is a distant galaxy away from those days so keep it as a museum piece but don't do anything it says :nono: .

 

[Old Fat Biker Bloke]

Hummm, I see - Thanks - Nothing to be gained from such a long mash then.... Some interesting recipes but I'm not sure I'll try 'Cock Ale'.....

 

[RobWalker]

Hummm, I see - Thanks - Nothing to be gained from such a long mash then.... Some interesting recipes but I'm not sure I'll try 'Cock Ale'.....

there is a little - when brewers do overnight mashes (put the mash on at say 9pm, well insulated so it'll only lose 10c tops overnight) then it gets more time to act, further breaking down the sugars resulting in better efficiency and drier beer. it's pretty trivial in some ways though, really just a side effect of the convenience of mashing overnight (which is the main advantage!)

but that's all elementary...really what you want to concentrate on at your stage is just doing things in a good way that makes decent beer. :thumb:

 

[Duncs]

Hummm, I see - Thanks - Nothing to be gained from such a long mash then.... Some interesting recipes but I'm not sure I'll try 'Cock Ale'.....

Cock Ale has been done :lol:

 

[Aleman]

8 hours? jesus! most of it happens in the first 15 minutes.

I'm sorry but that simply is not correct, it does apply to beer factories where they use large quantities of enzymes to assist the mash . . . but in a standard UK infusion mash . . .45 minutes minimum . . . 60 to 90 should be the norm . . . depending on how chewy or dry you like your beer.

 

[RobWalker]

interesting, had read on american forums before that that's a thing...plenty to read about tonight then...but yea, 8 hours is still excessive :whistle:

 

[oldjiver]

Hummm, I see - Thanks - Nothing to be gained from such a long mash then.... Some interesting recipes but I'm not sure I'll try 'Cock Ale'.....

It sucks! :sick:

 

[Old Fat Biker Bloke]

Hummm, I see - Thanks - Nothing to be gained from such a long mash then.... Some interesting recipes but I'm not sure I'll try 'Cock Ale'.....

It sucks! :sick:

Read the thread above and it seemed to be a success?? The (100 year old+) recipe in the 'Berry' book, for those who haven't seen it, calls for

"10 gallons of ale and a large cock, the older the better; parboil the cock, flay him, and stamp him in a stone mortar until his bones are broken(you must draw and gut him when you flay him), then put the cock into two quarts of sack, and put to it five pounds of raisins of the sun, stoned; some blades of mace, and a few cloves; put all these into a canvas bag, and a little before you find the ale has been working, put the bag and the ale together into a vessel. In a week or nine days bottle it up; fill the bottle but just above the neck, and give it the same time to ripen as other ale"

Hummmmm...... Different era I guess. I remember my grandad used to love sheeps brains on toast - I recall seeing them floating in a saucepan before he cooked them - spread it like pate....

 

[orlando]

The (100 year old+) recipe in the 'Berry' book, for those who haven't seen it, calls for

10 gallons of ale and a large cock, the older the better;

Well that describes the way I brew, what's the recipe? :whistle:

 

[graysalchemy]

I mash overnight for about 16 Hrs :whistle: :whistle:

Though that is for convenience :hmm: more than anything but you do get an increased efficiency though :whistle: :whistle: