[bassriverbrewer]

I'm planning on doing my first decocoction mash.  Everything I've read says to take the decocoction from the thickest part of the mash.  Nothing explains exactly what that means or where it is in the mash tun.  Am I to assume that it is the part of the mash nearest the bottom of the tun?  Any answers will be helpful.  Thanks

[denny]

It means to use a strainer to pull out grain and leave liquid behind.

[Kaiser]

Check this out: http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php/Decoction_Mashing. Especially the YouTube video links at the bottom. I feel that most brewers make decoctions unnecessarily complicated by using too thick of a decoction and/or attempt to calculate the needed decoction volume too precisely.

BTW, you may also want to fix the title unless you intended to spell it that way

Kai

[denny]

I feel most brewers make decoction mashes to complicated by doing one in the first place!  

[Tim McManus]

I love doing decoction mashes.  I brew with another guy so it makes the labor easy.

We bought a 2-quart pyrex measuring bowl and use that to extract the mash.  "Thickest part" is an ambiguous term but there's a reason behind it.  The grist holds temperature better than the liquid.  So in order to increase the temperature of your mash, you want to extract as much solid material as possible; hence "thickest part".  Too much liquid and you won't be able to hit your target temperature.  Too much grist and you run the risk of scorching what you are trying to boil.

Have a calculator or brewing program handy when you decoct.  You'll find that sometimes your temp will drop between phases and that will affect the volume you need to pull from the mash.

[pyrite]

I feel most brewers make decoction mashes to complicated by doing one in the first place!  

Maybe the fella want's some depth in his brew, from the flavor through to the finish.  Think of it as a gourmet recipe. 

[bonjour]

I pull my decoctions with a picture and just pull of the surface liquid.  I pull the liquid that is between the grains. 

[Kaiser]

I pull my decoctions with a picture and just pull of the surface liquid.  I pull the liquid that is between the grains. 

Does it matter who's on the picture?

Kai

[mthogan1997]

I pull my decoctions with a picture and just pull of the surface liquid.  I pull the liquid that is between the grains. 

Does it matter who's on the picture?

Kai

Yes, it is suggested that he use a picture of Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albrecht von Preußen.

[bluesman]

This thread is one blooper and blunder after the next starting from the misspelled title.   

Kai,  do you decoct your dopplebock?

I'm planning to brew one soon and was wondering which level of decoction you used...double?

[Thirsty_Monk]

If I do decoction I do single decoction from 143F to 160F.

[beveragebob]

I think about the word decoction as I add some meloidan malt and cara-pils to my mash tun

[denny]

I feel most brewers make decoction mashes to complicated by doing one in the first place!  

Maybe the fella want's some depth in his brew, from the flavor through to the finish.  Think of it as a gourmet recipe. 

Then why is he doing a decoction?   

[Malticulous]

When I decoct pulling thin enough wort is not a problem. The mash is thin. Stiring is not a big deal. Light stiring to saccharification  rest and again through the hot break is all I do. The rolling boil keeps it from scorching. I don't ever add water. I want to boil the highest gravity wort possible. I'll loose over six quarts with triple 30 minute decoctions.

It's neither difficult or complicated. It just takes time.

[Kaiser]

Kai,  do you decoct your dopplebock?

I do, but I'm not convinced that this is the key to a good Doppelbock.

I'm planning to brew one soon and was wondering which level of decoction you used...double?

I'm using the double decoction that I demonstrate in the YouTube videos. This is the decoction where the 1st decoction is about 2/3 of the mash and pretty much all the grain.

Kai