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Author Topic: 20 min mash  (Read 13757 times)

Offline denny

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Re: 20 min mash
« Reply #15 on: April 12, 2011, 11:08:36 am »
Plus it gives me more time to take care of other tasks during my brew session.

No kidding!  That's my time for house cleaning and laundry!
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Offline SpanishCastleAle

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Re: 20 min mash
« Reply #16 on: April 12, 2011, 11:24:04 am »
Quote
No kidding!  That's my time for house cleaning and laundry!
I can't do laundry until I've run the laundry water through the IC first.  :)

I agree with earlier sentiments that if it was about saving time, open a can of extract.  I tried it as an experiment on wort/beer quality (quality is paramount, time can kma  ;D).  I didn't see any drop in wort/beer quality but efficiency seemed less predictable/consistent (especially when switching base malts) so I went back to longer mashes.

Offline weithman5

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Re: 20 min mash
« Reply #17 on: April 12, 2011, 11:49:25 am »
if it was just about time, i would just open the can of beer
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Offline Mark G

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Re: 20 min mash
« Reply #18 on: April 12, 2011, 01:48:05 pm »
Sometimes I brew early in the morning and the 60 minute mash gives me time to drink coffee and wake up.
Yep, that 60-90 minutes is coffee time for me, plus I use it prepare all my boil additions, etc.
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Offline dmtaylor

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Re: 20 min mash
« Reply #19 on: April 12, 2011, 02:02:44 pm »
To answer Gordon's earlier question about the crush on my system, it's a fine crush -- just a touch finer than the default Barley Crusher setting, so there's a good bit of flour in there.

A year or so ago, I was getting an average brewhouse efficiency of 90%, so a 40-minute mash time certainly does not adversely impact efficiency, either, at least not for most grains.  Maybe a Munich-based beer would suffer from lack of enzymes (I don't know, I haven't done one lately), but for anything else including American 2-row, Maris Otter, German pilsner malt, etc., I haven't had any issues whatsoever with efficiency.  In fact, I've actually purposely dialed back my crush slightly to shoot for closer to <85% efficiency, because I theorize that I was spreading my malt too thin, i.e., too much sugar out of too little grain.  More experiments are needed, but in the end, taste is what really matters, right?  And my beers are tasting great.  Even win awards here and there when I bother to submit them (I haven't for a while).

To those who are suggesting that 60 minutes is mandatory or else go back to extract, you have got to be kidding me.  'Nuff said.
Dave

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Offline dmtaylor

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Re: 20 min mash
« Reply #20 on: April 12, 2011, 02:06:42 pm »
Oh, and one more thing.  I am a Dennybrew batch sparger.   :o
Dave

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Offline denny

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Re: 20 min mash
« Reply #21 on: April 12, 2011, 02:18:59 pm »
Oh, and one more thing.  I am a Dennybrew batch sparger.   :o

And we love ya for it!
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Offline Will's Swill

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Re: 20 min mash
« Reply #22 on: April 12, 2011, 06:28:56 pm »
In fact, I've actually purposely dialed back my crush slightly to shoot for closer to <85% efficiency, because I theorize that I was spreading my malt too thin, i.e., too much sugar out of too little grain.  More experiments are needed, but in the end, taste is what really matters, right?  And my beers are tasting great. 

Were your beers tasting great before?  I'm just wondering what impact you think 90% efficiency has that having < 85% efficiency does not.
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Offline oscarvan

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Re: 20 min mash
« Reply #23 on: April 12, 2011, 07:00:09 pm »
For some reason it seems that 75 minutes works in the cosmic scheme of my brew setup....... It just feels right, and more importantly it all tastes right. Go ahead, flame away, I have no data no tests, no side by side quintuple blind tasting..... I just know that it works, very nicely.
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I brew WITH style..... not necessarily TO style.....

Offline skyler

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Re: 20 min mash
« Reply #24 on: April 13, 2011, 04:40:13 am »
It's true that the 60+ minutes of mash time is a good time to measure hops, pick up more propane, take a shower, and make a pot of coffee. But I was wondering if perhaps an accidentally low mash temperature could be corrected by a shortened mash. For example, I was brewing a brown ale and accidentally hit 150 instead of my intended 154. I was able to raise it to 152 by adding extra water, but didn't have enough space to get it up to 154... I wonder if I could have just shortened the mash to 40 minutes for the sake of the fuller body and greater residual sweetness.

Offline dmtaylor

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Re: 20 min mash
« Reply #25 on: April 13, 2011, 08:04:46 am »
In my experience, yes, it could help.  Why continue to dry out the beer unnecessarily by mashing for 60 minutes or more if you can cut it to 40 minutes with minimal risk of hurting anything.
Dave

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Offline realbeerguy

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Re: 20 min mash
« Reply #26 on: April 13, 2011, 08:27:19 am »
Sometimes I brew early in the morning and the 60 minute mash gives me time to drink coffee and wake up.

This

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Offline denny

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Re: 20 min mash
« Reply #27 on: April 13, 2011, 08:39:36 am »
dry out the beer unnecessarily

I guess I really question if it's unnecessary.  One of the problems I find again and again in homebrews is a too dextrinous beer that lacks crispness and drinkability.  JMO.
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Offline pyrite

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Re: 20 min mash
« Reply #28 on: April 13, 2011, 09:09:26 am »
dry out the beer unnecessarily

I guess I really question if it's unnecessary.  One of the problems I find again and again in homebrews is a too dextrinous beer that lacks crispness and drinkability.  JMO.

We'll wouldn't lack of crispness have more to do with a poor choice of malt selection, and a poor choice of yeast strain selection that does not finish dry and crisp?

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Offline denny

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Re: 20 min mash
« Reply #29 on: April 13, 2011, 09:21:30 am »
We'll wouldn't lack of crispness have more to do with a poor choice of malt selection, and a poor choice of yeast strain selection that does not finish dry and crisp?



Those are contributing factors, but IMO not the main cause.  You can use the same malt and yeast and completely change the body of the beer by manipulating mash temp and time.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell