Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Mash Schedule help please  (Read 3731 times)

Offline duboman

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1578
Mash Schedule help please
« on: January 14, 2013, 08:10:35 am »
Planning to brew up this Belgian IPA this coming Saturday and had a question regarding Mash schedule as this is the most Pilsner malt I've used in a recipe. The recipe is below and I am not sure if I should do a single infusion at 152 or a step infusion like 122 for 30 minutes and then raise to 152 for 30 minutes and then mash out. I batch sparge as well. Appreciate the input!

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 9.25 gal
Post Boil Volume: 7.00 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 6.25 gal   
Bottling Volume: 5.75 gal
Estimated OG: 1.074 SG
Estimated Color: 8.0 SRM
Estimated IBU: 67.8 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 81.2 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU         
6.25 gal              Chicago, IL                              Water         1        -             
11 lbs 8.0 oz         Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM)            Grain         2        63.4 %       
3 lbs                 Pale Malt (2 Row) Bel (3.0 SRM)          Grain         3        16.5 %       
1 lbs 8.0 oz          Caravienne Malt (22.0 SRM)               Grain         4        8.3 %         
1 lbs 8.0 oz          Wheat, Torrified (1.7 SRM)               Grain         5        8.3 %         
10.1 oz               Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM)                 Grain         6        3.5 %         
0.75 oz               Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Boil 60. Hop           7        25.6 IBUs     
1.00 oz               Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Boil 30.0 min   Hop           8        15.9 IBUs     
1.00 oz               Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min     Hop           9        12.1 IBUs     
0.31 tsp              Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins)              Fining        10       -             
1.00 oz               Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min   Hop           11       7.5 IBUs     
1.00 oz               Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min      Hop           12       4.9 IBUs     
1.50 oz               Orange Peel, Sweet (Boil 5.0 mins)       Spice         13       -             
1.00 oz               Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Boil 2.0 min    Hop           14       1.8 IBUs     
1.0 pkg               Belgian Ardennes (Wyeast Labs #3522) [12 Yeast         15       -             
1.25 tsp              Yeast Nutrient (Primary 3.0 days)        Other         16       -             


Peace....Love......Beer......

The Commune Brewing Company-Perfecting the craft of beer since 2010

Offline davidgzach

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1698
Re: Mash Schedule help please
« Reply #1 on: January 14, 2013, 08:18:50 am »
No need for a protein rest with today's modified malts.....

Dave
Dave Zach

Offline duboman

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1578
Re: Mash Schedule help please
« Reply #2 on: January 14, 2013, 08:35:22 am »
No need for a protein rest with today's modified malts.....

Dave

That's kind of what I thought but I have seen a lot of recipes using large amounts of Pilsner employ one, hence the question. Anyone with other thoughts please chime in...............
Peace....Love......Beer......

The Commune Brewing Company-Perfecting the craft of beer since 2010

Offline davidgzach

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1698
Re: Mash Schedule help please
« Reply #3 on: January 14, 2013, 09:02:41 am »
There is no need, but IMHO there is also nothing wrong with doing a protein rest when using that much Pilsner.  I would keep it closer to 130-131 and for only 10-15 minutes to help and not hurt head retention.

Dave
Dave Zach

Offline dmtaylor

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4716
  • Lord Idiot the Lazy
    • YEAST MASTER Perma-Living
Re: Mash Schedule help please
« Reply #4 on: January 14, 2013, 12:07:46 pm »
I would agree with Dave that you don't need to do a protein rest but in this case it really won't hurt either.  Personally I would skip it, but if you were to do a protein rest, personally I would limit it to 5 minutes or no more than 10 minutes for sure, as a longer protein rest will indeed hurt your head retention.   In my experience, 5 minutes should be all you really need to notice an effect, whereas 30 minutes would basically kill all the body and head retention characteristics of the beer.  In a Belgian, not such a terrible thing necessarily, as they like their beers "digestible", but since this is more of a Belgo-American thing being an IPA, you probably wouldn't want to do it.
Dave

The world will become a much more pleasant place to live when each and every one of us realizes that we are all idiots.

Offline duboman

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1578
Re: Mash Schedule help please
« Reply #5 on: January 14, 2013, 02:50:45 pm »
Thanks for the replies, I'll probably just skip it since it really doesn't appear to be necessary.
Peace....Love......Beer......

The Commune Brewing Company-Perfecting the craft of beer since 2010

Offline jamminbrew

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 820
  • theAntipunk
Re: Mash Schedule help please
« Reply #6 on: January 14, 2013, 08:17:08 pm »
For a Belgian style beer, with Pilsner malt, mash low and slow. ~148* and for 90 mins. Don't worry about the protein rest, but like the above posters said, it wouldn't hurt if you want to try it. just keep it short.
In caelo cerivisiae nil, hic igitur bibimus.

Offline snowtiger87

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 443
Re: Mash Schedule help please
« Reply #7 on: January 16, 2013, 02:38:09 pm »
I always do a rest at 130F for 10 minutes when brewing a Belgian-style beer, then ramp up to whatever sacch temp I am shooting for - usually 150F or less. I feel it helps my efficiency.
Brewing since 1989 - BJCP National Rank
Member of KROC and Foam on the Range

Fermenting: Double IPA
Conditioning: Saison du Potiron
On tap: Cider, Cream Ale, Bock, Rye Dunkel Doppelbock, Celebration Clone, Imperial Stout

Offline ca_mouse

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 13
Re: Mash Schedule help please
« Reply #8 on: February 17, 2013, 01:04:41 am »
I, too, am doing a Pilsner heavy Belgian Specialty Ale and I was wondering the same thing. Using 5oz of Columbus @ 17.5% AA, so it will be borderline IPA.

12 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 85.7 %
1 lbs Abbey malt (Castle Malting) (22.8 SRM) Grain 4 7.1 %
1 lbs Rye Malt (4.7 SRM) Grain 5 7.1 %

So I think just mashing @ 148F for 90 minutes seems to be where I'll get my best efficiency? This is the largest grain bill I've tackled yet, but I'm pretty confident that it will be fine.

Any suggestions?

Mouse

Offline malzig

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 466
Re: Mash Schedule help please
« Reply #9 on: February 17, 2013, 10:03:49 am »
So I think just mashing @ 148F for 90 minutes seems to be where I'll get my best efficiency?
148F is often chosen to maximize fermentability, but it isn't optimum for efficiency, since it can hinder conversion (depending on other variables).  When I mash at 148F, which I often do, I infuse hot water part way through the mash to get the temperature up over 155F, but below 162F, to maximize my chance at getting efficient conversion and a good overall mash efficiency.