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Author Topic: getting the most out of roasted grains in the batch sparge  (Read 3088 times)

Offline ynotbrusum

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Re: getting the most out of roasted grains in the batch sparge
« Reply #15 on: February 12, 2014, 05:32:21 am »
I use about the same amount of roast grains as the recipe calls for and steep them for a day or two in a French press, then add to the boil.  I've never increased to the 4 pound level.  I try to minimize roastiness, though and look mainly to extract color and a touch of roastiness....YMMV, of course.
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Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: getting the most out of roasted grains in the batch sparge
« Reply #16 on: February 12, 2014, 06:09:54 am »
There is a section in Gordon Strongs book on cold steeping. Mary Ann Gruber of Briess wrote a Zymurgy article on it back in 2002 IIRC. I have been doing it for years, and the results are less acrid. The wife used to call the dark beers "ashtray" beers. I use RO water for the steeping, might try to adjust the pH of the steep next time. It is less efficient at extracting the color/flavor so more is used. Here is what George Fix had to say.

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Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: getting the most out of roasted grains in the batch sparge
« Reply #17 on: February 12, 2014, 07:57:34 am »
There is a section in Gordon Strongs book on cold steeping. Mary Ann Gruber of Briess wrote a Zymurgy article on it back in 2002 IIRC. I have been doing it for years, and the results are less acrid. The wife used to call the dark beers "ashtray" beers. I use RO water for the steeping, might try to adjust the pH of the steep next time. It is less efficient at extracting the color/flavor so more is used. Here is what George Fix had to say.

http://hbd.org/clubs/cascade/public_html/brewing/

great article. i don't really do many really dark roasted beers because of some of the "ashtray" or harshness. i'm going to give the cold steep a try with my next brew and try 1.5 to 2x my normal hot mash/steep recipe grain bill for the roasted malts for a cold steep and see how it goes.
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Offline fmader

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Re: getting the most out of roasted grains in the batch sparge
« Reply #18 on: February 12, 2014, 08:23:08 am »
There is a section in Gordon Strongs book on cold steeping. Mary Ann Gruber of Briess wrote a Zymurgy article on it back in 2002 IIRC. I have been doing it for years, and the results are less acrid. The wife used to call the dark beers "ashtray" beers. I use RO water for the steeping, might try to adjust the pH of the steep next time. It is less efficient at extracting the color/flavor so more is used. Here is what George Fix had to say.

http://hbd.org/clubs/cascade/public_html/brewing/

great article. i don't really do many really dark roasted beers because of some of the "ashtray" or harshness. i'm going to give the cold steep a try with my next brew and try 1.5 to 2x my normal hot mash/steep recipe grain bill for the roasted malts for a cold steep and see how it goes.

I think that you'll be happy with the results. The only issue that I have with this process is that my mash ends up thicker, because I lose water to the cold steep. I suppose you could stretch out the boil.
Frank

Offline erockrph

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Re: getting the most out of roasted grains in the batch sparge
« Reply #19 on: February 12, 2014, 12:33:00 pm »

I think that you'll be happy with the results. The only issue that I have with this process is that my mash ends up thicker, because I lose water to the cold steep. I suppose you could stretch out the boil.

Ever think of adding the steep liquid to your sparge water? That would eliminate your volume issue and has the bonus side effect of acidifying your sparge water. Never tried it, but I just had the thought that it might work.
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Offline morticaixavier

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Re: getting the most out of roasted grains in the batch sparge
« Reply #20 on: February 12, 2014, 01:49:25 pm »

I think that you'll be happy with the results. The only issue that I have with this process is that my mash ends up thicker, because I lose water to the cold steep. I suppose you could stretch out the boil.

Ever think of adding the steep liquid to your sparge water? That would eliminate your volume issue and has the bonus side effect of acidifying your sparge water. Never tried it, but I just had the thought that it might work.

that's fairly clever. I might try that on my next stout.
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Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: getting the most out of roasted grains in the batch sparge
« Reply #21 on: February 12, 2014, 02:22:42 pm »
That's essentially what is done when I hot steep in the sparge water- just in this case it's cold steep volume separated and added at same time to the batch sparge water. I like the way it sounds.....


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Ken- Chagrin Falls, OH
CPT, U.S.Army
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harveys-Brewhaus/405092862905115

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Science_of_Mashing

Serving:        In Process:
Vienna IPA          O'Fest
Dort
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Cider                         
Ger'merican Blonde
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Next:
Ger Pils
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