[denny]

I just love when people give their mash times, or anything else, and when you ask why they do what they do, they say, "because it just works for me and I like it that way."  Love that.

 

What other criteria matters, Dave?  I've tried mash lengths from 30 min. to 2 hours and I simply prefer the way the beers turn out when I use a longer mash.  Should I ignore my own tastes and do a shorter mash because a book or another person says that you can?

[denny]

After experimenting with different mash lengths, I now do 90 for almost everything.  I simply prefer the results.

Hi Denny! What type of characteristics are you seeing from a 90 minute mash? Or - simply - what are the benefits that you see in your beers? I ask because prior to having this conversation about a 15 minute mash, I was actually thinking of going to 90. I've been averaging 75. Thanks!

I get a more "digestible", less dextrinous beer.  It's more about body than anything, although the effect on body interacts with other factors like hopping.

[HoosierBrew]

What other criteria matters, Dave?  I've tried mash lengths from 30 min. to 2 hours and I simply prefer the way the beers turn out when I use a longer mash.  Should I ignore my own tastes and do a shorter mash because a book or another person says that you can?

Yup.

[dmtaylor]

I just love when people give their mash times, or anything else, and when you ask why they do what they do, they say, "because it just works for me and I like it that way."  Love that.

 

What other criteria matters, Dave?  I've tried mash lengths from 30 min. to 2 hours and I simply prefer the way the beers turn out when I use a longer mash.  Should I ignore my own tastes and do a shorter mash because a book or another person says that you can?

I agree that taste is what matters, that's the bottom line.  What I truly meant to say is, don't be afraid to experiment outside of your norm.  Don't get stuck in a mentality of "I've always done it that way and it works so I'm not going to try anything different."  That's what I meant to say.  Sorry for not being more clear.

[S. cerevisiae]

I started out doing 60 minute rests and moved to doing 90 minute rests after I read that it was a common practice in British breweries. British breweries have traditionally used well modified barley.  The rationale behind the 90 minute rest is that there are flavor-oriented chemical reactions occurring in the mash in addition to hydrolysis, and it takes longer for these reactions to occur than it takes for conversion to occur.  Whether or not that claim is true is debatable.  However, if one examines how distillers mash, one discovers that there  must be more than a grain of salt to this claim.

[hopfenundmalz]

Listen to the Feb 10, 2011 Basic Brewing Radio for a tasting of beers done with short, medium, and long mash times. I listened to it some time back, but there are some conclusions they draw.

http://www.basicbrewing.com/index.php?page=basic-brewing-radio-2011

[denny]

I agree that taste is what matters, that's the bottom line.  What I truly meant to say is, don't be afraid to experiment outside of your norm.  Don't get stuck in a mentality of "I've always done it that way and it works so I'm not going to try anything different."  That's what I meant to say.  Sorry for not being more clear.

And THAT I completely agree with,  That's how I reached my own conclusion.

[erockrph]

Thinness or thickness of the mash makes virtually zero difference and should not impact mash time at all.  Experiment and see for yourself.

For the typical range of mash thicknesses that may be true, but you do reach a point in really thin mashes (~4 qt/lb) where you will see a difference. I had to increase my mash length for session beers to be able to reach the same efficiency that I get on bigger beers. This should not be an issue for most fly- or batch-sparge brewers, but it is something no-sparge/BIAB brewers may need to keep an eye out for.

[dmtaylor]

Well sure, throw 10 pounds of malt into Lake Michigan and see how long it takes for that low concentration of enzymes to convert your starches.  I'm talking about ratios "within reason" which I suppose it never hurts to specify.  3 qt/lb is probably a good limit applicable to most brewers except maybe some of them crazy BIAB brewers.  I love BIAB and use it most of the time but I still mash at 1.75 qt/lb and add the rest of the water later.

[klickitat jim]

Well sure, throw 10 pounds of malt into Lake Michigan and see how long it takes for that low concentration of enzymes to convert your starches.  I'm talking about ratios "within reason" which I suppose it never hurts to specify.  3 qt/lb is probably a good limit applicable to most brewers except maybe some of them crazy BIAB brewers.  I love BIAB and use it most of the time but I still mash at 1.75 qt/lb and add the rest of the water later.

The problem I see is getting Lake Michgan up to 140º without the proper permits.

[Wort-H.O.G.]

Well sure, throw 10 pounds of malt into Lake Michigan and see how long it takes for that low concentration of enzymes to convert your starches.  I'm talking about ratios "within reason" which I suppose it never hurts to specify.  3 qt/lb is probably a good limit applicable to most brewers except maybe some of them crazy BIAB brewers.  I love BIAB and use it most of the time but I still mash at 1.75 qt/lb and add the rest of the water later.

The problem I see is getting Lake Michgan up to 140º without the proper permits.

Happens all the time by the nuclear plant Im sure.


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[hopfenundmalz]

In the Malt book by Mallett, he talks of some malts converting almost instantaneously. Maybe a short mash works with a "hot" malt at the right temperature. If you stir in adjust the temp and take a pH reading the party is over by then, how do you adjust to hit the optimums? I can see this working if you do the same beer over and over and have the mash in temp and water chemistry dialed in so it works every time (well not colt 45 that I am talking about).

[dmtaylor]

The problem I see is getting Lake Michgan up to 140º without the proper permits.

Happens all the time by the nuclear plant Im sure.

Well that's what a nuclear power plant really is, don't you know... a heater for the Lake.  In Pennsylvania where there is no lake, they have the big fancy cooling towers and they call it a "cloud generator".

[Jimmy K]

What other criteria matters, Dave?  I've tried mash lengths from 30 min. to 2 hours and I simply prefer the way the beers turn out when I use a longer mash.  Should I ignore my own tastes and do a shorter mash because a book or another person says that you can?

I agree that taste is what matters, that's the bottom line.  What I truly meant to say is, don't be afraid to experiment outside of your norm.  Don't get stuck in a mentality of "I've always done it that way and it works so I'm not going to try anything different."  That's what I meant to say.  Sorry for not being more clear.

You guys are playing Battleship from the same side.

[Stevie]

The problem I see is getting Lake Michgan up to 140º without the proper permits.

Happens all the time by the nuclear plant Im sure.

Well that's what a nuclear power plant really is, don't you know... a heater for the Lake.  In Pennsylvania where there is no lake, they have the big fancy cooling towers and they call it a "cloud generator".

Feast your eyes on Rancho Seco Mash Tun Recreation Area. The lake was originally made to act as an emergency reserve for the power plant using gravity for water pressure in the case of complete power loss. The plant experienced a near meltdown situation in the late 70's due to loss of power to the control room. Power plant has been closed since the late 80's but the towers remain giving the vista an ominous feel.