[brewray]

when steering grain, what is the proper procedure. can you put the grain bag in the cold water and bring it up to 155 deg f. or do you need to have your water at the proscribed temp then drop the grain?

[Hokerer]

when steering grain, what is the proper procedure. can you put the grain bag in the cold water and bring it up to 155 deg f. or do you need to have your water at the proscribed temp then drop the grain?

either way is fine, having it in the whole time is probably easier

[denny]

The other thing to keep in mind when steeping grain is how much water you use.  Like mashing grain, steeping grain affects the pH of the water you use.  If you use too much water, the grain can't lower the pH enough and you may be at risk of tannin extraction.  While it may not be a huge risk, it's easy enough to avoid if you don't use more than say 2 qt. of water per lb. of steeping grain.

[brewray]

thanks y'all for the advice. just brewed a kolsh and it turned out well, and closely matches the style guide. what denny says makes you go duh! i'm just starting to read about AGB and all chem that goes along with it. being new it this i'm finding it's not as scary to make good drinkable beer, but it's the little things that makes a great beer. again thanks 

[craigg]

Interesting,  I regularly steep 2-3 lbs of grain in 2-3 gallons of water, and don't think I've ever suffered from tannin extraction - but I guess I'm not really sure either?  Can't recall having any off flavors I would attribute to that - how can you tell?

[denny]

Tannins produce a dry mouthfeel, kind of like chewing on a grape skin.  Like I said, there's no guarantee you'll get tannins by using a lot of water for steeping, but to be safe you should limit it to no more than about 2 qt./lb.

[craigg]

So do you use a false bottom in the brew pot? I once made the mistake of putting heat on the kettle with the grain bag in it and it started to scorch it (luckily I was there to catch it). So generally, I will take my steeping water up to just over 160, drop the grain bag and turn the heat off. Over the course of a 30 minute steep, the temp will drop to about 150. This seems to add good color and flavor to my beers, but am I missing out on extraction?

[captnjohnny1618]

Tannins produce a dry mouthfeel, kind of like chewing on a grape skin.  Like I said, there's no guarantee you'll get tannins by using a lot of water for steeping, but to be safe you should limit it to no more than about 2 qt./lb.

That's interesting... I've been throwing 2 gallons of water into the brew pot bringing it up to 150-160 and THEN steeping for 30 mins. but it's usually only with about a pound of grains.  Waaay above what you suggest.  I haven't detected any tannic mouthfeel...

[euge]

Doesn't tannins in beer also have a "tingly" effect on the tongue as well as the dryness?

I think a couple quarts per pound plus what would be absorbed/retained by the grain is a decent ratio. I've gone as much as a gallon per pound with no ill effects early on in my brewing career.

I didn't steep in batches all that long before jumping into grain brewing.

[gail]

Quote from Euge:
Doesn't tannins in beer also have a "tingly" effect on the tongue as well as the dryness?

Like Denny said, tannin in the mouthfeel is sort of like chewing on grape skins.  "Tingly" effects are more likely from CO2 (often excessive amounts are noted), acids (like carbonic acid or acids as found in sour beers), or higher bitterness from hops.  High levels of hoppiness (like in an IPA or DIPA) will also "dry out" your tongue.  I've personally not perceived tannins as "tingly" though.
Gail