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Author Topic: How Necessary is Decoction Mashing in Wheat Beer?  (Read 18712 times)

Offline miguelpanderland

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Re: How Necessary is Decoction Mashing in Wheat Beer?
« Reply #30 on: April 19, 2011, 06:37:37 am »
Thought I'd mention that I ended up brewing a dunkelweizen using the "classic" double decoction method as described on Kai's site.  The hydrometer sample has me optimistic that the final product will be good beer.  I confess though to being pretty tempted to work my way through the whole gamut of decoction mashes to see how different the brews turn out.

Offline jeffy

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Re: How Necessary is Decoction Mashing in Wheat Beer?
« Reply #31 on: April 19, 2011, 07:55:19 am »
I made a Weissbier Sunday using a single decoction from protein rest (131) to low sac rest (148) and then heated to get the high sac rest (158).  It worked out pretty well and didn't take too much extra time.  We'll see how it tastes eventually.
Jeff Gladish, Tampa (989.3, 175.1 Apparent Rennarian)
Homebrewing since 1990
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Offline nateo

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Re: How Necessary is Decoction Mashing in Wheat Beer?
« Reply #32 on: April 20, 2011, 09:55:36 am »
For my last wheats I did triple decotions. The last three had poor head retention. I think it must be the protein rest but it's never been a problem before.

That's really interesting that you had that problem. The last wheat I made has way too much head retention. It has dense, thick, clumpy foam that lasts through the whole beer.

Grist was 52% pale, 38% wheat malt, 10% raw wheat.

Here's the mash schedule I used, a modified double-decoction:
107* for 10min,
decoction
131* for 15min,
 infused water
136* for 10min
decoction
149* for 15min,
infused water
159* for 15min.

I assumed the crazy head retention was from too much protein degradation, and that the protein rest actually caused too much protein to break down into albumins that didn't precipitate in the boil as hot break. Am I right?
« Last Edit: April 20, 2011, 09:58:39 am by nateo »
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Offline anthony

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Re: How Necessary is Decoction Mashing in Wheat Beer?
« Reply #33 on: April 22, 2011, 02:00:17 am »
I assumed the crazy head retention was from too much protein degradation, and that the protein rest actually caused too much protein to break down into albumins that didn't precipitate in the boil as hot break. Am I right?

Right, since you stayed below and then above the peptidase range.... of course, can one really have too much head retention? :)

Offline miguelpanderland

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Re: How Necessary is Decoction Mashing in Wheat Beer?
« Reply #34 on: April 29, 2011, 02:11:15 pm »
Dunkel update: bottled the brew that this thread begat.  "9 Hour" will be ready in two short weeks....Thankfully I've got two brews that'd be ready for drinking before then.