Overnight Mashing ?

[BridgeBrew]

Hi all. Anyone mash overnight ? Done it a few times year's ago, and it seemed to work fine. It's a big time saver on a brew day. Anyone a fan of it ?

 

[Rodcx500z]

I think Pilgrimhud does it sometimes

 

[The Baron]

I do it a lot and do like it for time saving

 

[peebee]

I posted an slightly different approach (but effectively the same) here:

Very Very long Mashing time?

They were for 20L batches, but I'm planning some 60L batches shortly. 20L batches turn out indistinguishable, but the 60L batches will involve sparging before I pack up for the night which may prove to be a disadvantage?

I don't split making across two days to save time, but spreading "brew day" across two days certainly takes the pressure off.

 

[UKSkydiver]

A (possibly obvious) question:

I use a Brewzilla; when mashing overnight, are we talking about keeping the same temp, 66c or whatever, for 7/8/9 hours?

Or something else?

Ta

 

[DavidDetroit]

I do it a lot and do like it for time saving

Since I only steep grains (extract), would that method be good? Some of my recipes use mashing grains in the steep phase.

 

[BridgeBrew]

A (possibly obvious) question:

I use a Brewzilla; when mashing overnight, are we talking about keeping the same temp, 66c or whatever, for 7/8/9 hours?

Or something else?

Ta

I use a Cygnet boiler with a mesh bag. So basically getting the mash to temperature, then insulating, and leaving overnight.

 

[The Baron]

I usually let the mash finish and do a mash out @ 78c then turn off and wrap insulate to keep the temp in

 

[The Baron]

Hi Dave I would think the steep of grains is not a long time but you could mash grains but you must make sure they do not drop below 50c as Lactobacillus can then start to present itself which will ruin your beer

 

[pilgrimhudd]

I think Pilgrimhud does it sometimes

Yes I do! Though only for 20l brews nowadays as like someone already said, it's a massive timesaver! I would also say that I do tend to get higher efficiencies by doing it. Bonus!

 

[Scrattajack]

I would also say that I do tend to get higher efficiencies by doing it.

Do you mean stronger but thinner beer?

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Do you mean stronger but thinner beer?

No just that I tend to get more sugar out of the grain, ie my brewhouse efficiency goes up by 5-10%.

What Is Efficiency? - Grainfather Community

 

[DavidDetroit]

Hi Dave I would think the steep of grains is not a long time but you could mash grains but you must make sure they do not drop below 50c as Lactobacillus can then start to present itself which will ruin your beer

There's the rub, then, with the Lactobacillus. I don't have the means to insulate and all that that entails. My initial thought was "Oh, get all you can get out of the grains by doing it overnight."
Appreciate it.

 

[chrisb8]

I always do overnight mashes using my insulated mash tun. Mash in at the intended temperature, insulate the mash tun with extra towels and an old sleeping bag and then leave overnight. I find the temperature has dropped by 10 degrees every time I uncover it in the morning, so it's a repeatable and predictable process. I put my kettle on a timer to heat the sparge water so it's all ready to go when I get up on brew day. It saves time, I get a better efficiency and find that because of the longer mash time with reducing temperature I get a more fermentable wort than I used to get with a 1 hour mash. So my FG is a predictable 1.008 with my usual yeasts which I can manipulate higher if required with a bit of lactose in the recipe. Works for me

 

[BridgeBrew]

Will the boil kill Lactobacillus ?

 

[UKSkydiver]

Will the boil kill Lactobacillus ?

Great question. . . .

 

[BridgeBrew]

Achieved a starting gravity of 1058 ! Normally for this grain bill it's around 1054, and I diluted the brew slightly to achieve 25L, normally 24L, and it's going like a train in the brew fridge this morning. Could be the future. ,

 

[Rodcx500z]

I might give this ago on my next brew, would i be able to leave the heater on with my brewzilla, i was thinking of mashing in and recirculating say for 30 minutes then turning the pump off and leaving it overnight set at 65c

 

[phildo79]

I use a Cygnet boiler with a mesh bag. So basically getting the mash to temperature, then insulating, and leaving overnight.

I have a digiboiler with a neoprene jacket around it. Would that suffice or do I need to get creative with tinfoil?

 

[UKSkydiver]

Will the boil kill Lactobacillus ?

From: Lactobacilli Basics, Testing & Identification (sigmaaldrich.com) - "Lactobacilli have a generation time ranging from 25 to several hundred minutes. The optimal growth temperature ranges from 30 to 40 °C, although some thermophilic strains grow well and have highly activated metabolism at temperatures around 45 °C. "

and from

Lactobacillus - Milk The Funk Wiki - "Assuming the heat penetrates all surfaces, exposure to water heated to 72-80°C for 1 minute should be more than adequate for eliminating heat tolerant strains of Lactobacillus, as well as any other beer contaminate species, from the brewing environment. "

What I can't find is whether their presence in the first place would cause unwanted outcomes.