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Author Topic: Long Mash Time - Problem?  (Read 3848 times)

Offline gmac

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Long Mash Time - Problem?
« on: March 05, 2012, 10:28:40 am »
I want to brew tomorrow but I have a 3 hour conference call I have to be on.  Is there any danger if I get everything ready and dough in right before the call and then leave the mash for the 3 hours before I sparge?  Should I dough in a couple degrees warmer to compensate for temp drop over the time?  Or, will my beer just end up too thin regardless of anything I do over this length of time?
Thanks.

Offline morticaixavier

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Re: Long Mash Time - Problem?
« Reply #1 on: March 05, 2012, 10:41:37 am »
what's the beer style? a really big barley wine good actually benefit from a really long mash. If you are trying to maintain some body I would mash pretty high, like 162ish. but it should be okay
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Offline bo

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Re: Long Mash Time - Problem?
« Reply #2 on: March 05, 2012, 10:46:27 am »
Mash in as normal, but maybe throw some towels over your tun. Three hours is nothing. I've read that some people go overnight.

Offline gmac

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Re: Long Mash Time - Problem?
« Reply #3 on: March 05, 2012, 10:59:50 am »
Style is AIPA.  Shooting for 6.5% ABV.  About 13-14 lbs of various malts.

Online dmtaylor

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Re: Long Mash Time - Problem?
« Reply #4 on: March 05, 2012, 02:14:06 pm »
Personally I would mash about 4 degrees higher than normal and call it good.
Dave

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Offline davidgzach

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Re: Long Mash Time - Problem?
« Reply #5 on: March 06, 2012, 02:55:54 pm »
Not sure if it's too late to add my 2 cents.  But I would mash 2-4 degrees higher and RDWAHAHB as soon as the call was done.....

Dave
Dave Zach

Offline gmac

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Re: Long Mash Time - Problem?
« Reply #6 on: March 06, 2012, 03:57:14 pm »
I mashed in at 154 and the temperature in the mash read about 151 three hours later so I'm sure it will be just fine.  I was shooting for about 150 - 152 (I never seem to hit it perfectly and my thermometer takes FOREVER to get stabilized so if I hit the range, I'm happy).

I am sure that this will turn out just fine but thanks for helping put my mind at ease.

Offline theoman

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Re: Long Mash Time - Problem?
« Reply #7 on: March 07, 2012, 11:53:18 am »
...my thermometer takes FOREVER to get stabilized...

Is this going to be another Thermapen thread?

Offline paul

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Re: Long Mash Time - Problem?
« Reply #8 on: March 07, 2012, 08:11:48 pm »
I frequently mash for 3 or 4 hours.  But sometimes I'll just go for 1 to 1.5.  I haven't noticed a huge difference in fermentability between the two times for a given mash temp.  (I do see maybe a 1-2% improvement in efficiency though.)  If you want some added insurance against over attenuation, you could bump it a degree, maybe two tops. 

My observation fits with a graph I saw in a brewing book someplace.  It showed beta amylase activity versus time at various temperatures.  IIRC, at 150 F and higher, it is virtually gone after 45 minutes, so there's not much hanging around in your mash in hours 2 and 3 anyway.

Offline ccfoo242

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Re: Long Mash Time - Problem?
« Reply #9 on: March 07, 2012, 09:19:54 pm »
So are tannins not really a problem with longer mashes then?
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Offline morticaixavier

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Re: Long Mash Time - Problem?
« Reply #10 on: March 07, 2012, 09:36:53 pm »
So are tannins not really a problem with longer mashes then?

Tannins are really only a problem if your mash pH get's out of line and the temp gets to high.
"Creativity is the residue of wasted time"
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