Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Edit: I did a decoction, damm!t...  (Read 17535 times)

Offline SpanishCastleAle

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 272
Re: Edit: I did a decoction, damm!t...
« Reply #90 on: May 23, 2011, 08:38:27 am »
I bottle from a keg using a picnic tap and a short piece of racking cane cut at a 45* angle at the end.  The racking cane is a perfect press fit into the end of a picnic tap.  I still have a stopper on the racking cane but I don't use it anymore (the stopper is to let the bottle pressurize, flow stops, then you release some pressure by tilting the stopper, flow continues; and repeat until full...but all that is not necessary ime).  Just run it at low pressure, use well chilled bottles, cap on foam, and very slightly over carb the beer (just a tiny bit) before bottling.

Another benefit is that you can drink the bottom quarter/third of the keg (which is the cloudiest/haziest) from the tap and then bottle the remaining crystal clear beer with no sediment whatsoever.

Offline narcout

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2217
  • Los Angeles, CA
Re: Edit: I did a decoction, damm!t...
« Reply #91 on: May 23, 2011, 02:41:29 pm »
That sounds like a good process. There's got to be at least enough residual keg pressure to fill a few 12 oz bottles, right? What sort of fitting/device do you have on the end of the gas line you use to purge bottles?

It works well; I learned it from Mullerbrau.

Yes, I bleed most but not quite all of the pressure so that there's enough residual to fill a few bottles. 

None - I literally just hold the bottle underneath the open valve and purge it.  A short length of gas tubing would be a good addition though, then you could fill the bottle up from the bottom with gas.  I cut a piece of tubing and outfitted it with a swivel nut for just this purpose, but I've never actually used it.
Sometimes you just can't get enough - JAMC

Offline Pawtucket Patriot

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1367
  • Rebelling against cheap swill since 2005
    • Bauhaus Brew Labs
Re: Edit: I did a decoction, damm!t...
« Reply #92 on: July 03, 2011, 09:03:00 pm »
Just a quick update to show a few examples of my recent double decocted brews.  The Helles was unreal.  Possibly the best beer I've ever brewed.  But to be clear, I'm not crediting decoction for the greatness of that beer.  I haven't been entirely scientific about my decoction mash programs.  I've been tweaking other aspects of the recipes for which I've employed decoction mashes (I have a very hard time sticking to the scientific method!).  As for the Hefe (pictured below), I think I may have fermented it a bit too cool.  It's got a rather clean ester profile.  I started it around 58-60 and ramped it up over the course of a few days to around 62-64.  I think I'll try to start it at 64-66 next time and hold it there until the last few days of fermentation.

In any case, I think I've pretty much honed in on a decoction process.  I'll be brewing a double decocted dampfbier tomorrow.

Here is the Helles:


And here is the second hefeweizen:
Matt Schwandt | Minneapolis, MN
AHA Member

Partial-Mash Pictorial
All-Grain Pictorial

Offline gmac

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2165
  • London, Ontario
Re: Edit: I did a decoction, damm!t...
« Reply #93 on: July 03, 2011, 09:09:34 pm »
How come I'm only in Minnesota when it's snowing?  The weather looks great out there. 
Congrats on the good brews.  I tapped my decocted amber lager the other day.  Tastes pretty good but I can't say it's the best I've ever had until I get through the bottom part of the keg where all the hops etc have settled.  I find that most of my beer is pretty bitter until I get past the hop floaties.  Just glad to hear it's working for you.

Offline Pawtucket Patriot

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1367
  • Rebelling against cheap swill since 2005
    • Bauhaus Brew Labs
Re: Edit: I did a decoction, damm!t...
« Reply #94 on: July 03, 2011, 09:18:33 pm »
How come I'm only in Minnesota when it's snowing?  The weather looks great out there.  
Congrats on the good brews.  I tapped my decocted amber lager the other day.  Tastes pretty good but I can't say it's the best I've ever had until I get through the bottom part of the keg where all the hops etc have settled.  I find that most of my beer is pretty bitter until I get past the hop floaties.  Just glad to hear it's working for you.

I have to say that for the past two days, the weather here in the Twin Cities has been exceptional!  Classic Minnesota summer.  But wow, we took it over a barrel this past winter.

Yeah, I'm not sure about how much flavor decoction is contributing to these beers.  I think what I'm most interested in concluding is whether it has a discernible effect on mouthfeel.  I've heard that it adds a more rounded (read: fuller) mouthfeel even when the beer is relatively dry (1.008-1.010).  So far, I'd have to agree.  But I've only done three decoction mashes and I tend to be less than scientific about it.  I tweak multiple things at once because I just don't have the time to carefully adjust one element of a particular brew over several iterations.
Matt Schwandt | Minneapolis, MN
AHA Member

Partial-Mash Pictorial
All-Grain Pictorial

Offline brian-d

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 23
Re: Edit: I did a decoction, damm!t...
« Reply #95 on: July 05, 2011, 08:20:10 pm »
I recently purchased a 10 gallon cooler to be used as a mesh tun.  I like to brew some high gravity beers and need all of the mash tun capacity for my grain bill leaving no room for mash out.  It was suggested that I do a decoction to step up to mash out.  This seems like a reasonable solution to me. Is there anything I should consider regarding this procedure?  Thanks.


Offline hopfenundmalz

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 10675
  • Milford, MI
Re: Edit: I did a decoction, damm!t...
« Reply #96 on: July 05, 2011, 08:29:50 pm »
I recently purchased a 10 gallon cooler to be used as a mesh tun.  I like to brew some high gravity beers and need all of the mash tun capacity for my grain bill leaving no room for mash out.  It was suggested that I do a decoction to step up to mash out.  This seems like a reasonable solution to me. Is there anything I should consider regarding this procedure?  Thanks.


A friend has a 10 gallon cooler.  He can do some of his steps with infusions of boiling water.  For big beers and multiple steps, he pulls decoctions to do step mashes.  You can do it.

He makes excellent beer and has multiple NHC medals and many best of shows in local competitions.  He has his procedures dialed in.
Jeff Rankert
AHA Lifetime Member
BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline Hokerer

  • I spend way too much time on the AHA forum
  • ********
  • Posts: 2654
  • Manassas, VA
Re: Edit: I did a decoction, damm!t...
« Reply #97 on: July 05, 2011, 08:33:27 pm »
I recently purchased a 10 gallon cooler to be used as a mesh tun.  I like to brew some high gravity beers and need all of the mash tun capacity for my grain bill leaving no room for mash out.  It was suggested that I do a decoction to step up to mash out.  This seems like a reasonable solution to me. Is there anything I should consider regarding this procedure?  Thanks.

On the other hand, mash out isn't absolutely required so you could just skip it altogether.  I never do one.
Joe