# mash temp too high?



## thisispants (21/4/14)

Hi, so I'm attempting my first brew in a bag right now. It's currently mashing, and I think I put the grain in when it was too hot... It's currently at 68C....i was aiming for 66, so I guess it's not too bad. 

I guess what I want to know is, assuming the mash was at 70c for about 5 minutes, is this long enough to extract dodgy flavours?

Mashing at 68 just means the beer might be a bit sweeter and maltier right?


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## Donske (21/4/14)

It will be fine mate, you won't notice a temp difference of 2 degrees, if you'd been aiming for 62 and hit 68 you have a noticeable difference, at least that is my experience.


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## Dan Pratt (21/4/14)

Mashing at the higher temp will mean your wort will have more un fermentables and thus the beer becoming sweeter and have more body. You have a couple of options....leave the insulation of and let the temp drop during mash or add on me me cold water to drop the temp. Me I'd just leave it as the beer will be fine.


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## QldKev (21/4/14)

Don't stress. 

70c is no where near dodgy flavors. They start more in the 80's with the worse ones even a lot higher than that.
A lot of people (including me) actually do a stepped mash, with a 72c rest for a Alpha Amylase rest, and then mash out at 78c-80c.

Yes mashing at 68c compared to 66c will make it a bit sweeter and maltier. But it is not that huge of a difference and depending on beer style may suit it better.


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## Dan Pratt (21/4/14)

** add in more cold water


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## thisispants (21/4/14)

Thanks guys, the mash is now at 65-66C, is there anything wrong with letting the temp drop to 62C or so to counteract the higher temp at the beginning? Would it lead to more complexity, or would it just make it rubbish?


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## QldKev (21/4/14)

I would keep the mash at the one temperature. Taste it and learn what the temperature results in. You may find your thermometer is out by a couple of degrees OR you may find for what you like 68c could be a better brew temperature. If you keep changing temperatures to correct things you will never learn your system.


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## verysupple (21/4/14)

thisispants said:


> Thanks guys, the mash is now at 65-66C, is there anything wrong with letting the temp drop to 62C or so to counteract the higher temp at the beginning? Would it lead to more complexity, or would it just make it rubbish?


It's probably a bit late to help with your current batch. But for future reference, lowering the temperature is usually a bit pointless.

So, presuming you know about alpha and beta amylase temperature dependence and denaturing (link 1 and link 2 if you don't), the problem is that the longer the mash is at the higher temp, the less activity you get from beta-amylase. That's why almost all step mash programs go from low to high.

And just for the interested reader:
There is a technique where at some point during the mash you lower the temp and add more grain to add more enzymes. This allows the alpha-amylase to go nuts at the high temp and make lots of dextrins and longer chain sugars, and then the newly added beta-amylase has plenty of dextrins to work on. But this technique is rarely used these days because modern malts are good enough that you don't need to do fancy stuff like that.


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## wynnum1 (21/4/14)

How are you measuring temperature .


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## thisispants (21/4/14)

I had a thermometer in the pot.


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## rehab (21/4/14)

I have mashed too high about three of my brews (My first BIAB was mashed with a cover over the thermometer, and so it mashed at over 80 and never dropped under 1.030). TIPPED. There was then another memorable one where we knew we had a dodgy thermometer, and knew it was 5degC out, and we adjusted in our heads the wrong way for correction mashing (10 degC too high for 30 mins) and it never dropped below the same point (but from a much higher OG) haha good times drinking that one as I was brave enough to still bottle half, as it cost heaps to make, and it was pretty damn good despite a bit less alc than I targeted. There was another one, that I only think I mashed too high on, as it was 6% aim and never went under 1.020 when I beat it with plenty of healthy yeast and all the rest of the process was fine. I love brewing but have made plenty of dick moves. I think you are sweet as mate


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## Bribie G (21/4/14)

I brewed a Northern Brown on Saturday and made sure it didn't drop _below _68. I've mashed mild ales at 72 no problems.


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## CrookedFingers (21/4/14)

Hey all.
Similar prob here. Fairly new to AG.
So I brewed an IPA on friday night where I missed my strike temp by a few degrees, once grain went in it was at 63. So I whacked the urn on and hovered over it like a hawk ( GO HAWKS !!) waiting to see 1 degree raise in temp, knowing I would get more even after I had switched off the element again.
Got too cocky, cut it too fine and found myself up at 72 !!! haha. 
I was aiming for OG 1.069, but got 1.060, but I'm not too concerned about that.
I know I will not get as high an ABV and it may be a tad sweeter. Being an IPA with a good amount of hops I hope its still ok.
Is there anything else I might be expecting, good or bad ?!?!

CF


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## mje1980 (21/4/14)

1.) how long did it spend at 63?. That'd be good for an IPA. Help dry it out.

2.) how long did it take to get to 72?. Anything over 20mins it should be ok. 

3.) how long did it spend at 72?. Nice temp for a glyco protein rest. Will help with head retention. Only needs 15 mins or so.


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## CrookedFingers (21/4/14)

@ 63 for 10 mins.
Up to 72 over a 15 min period.
@ 72 for about 30 mins. I took off all lagging and covers from the urn in a futile attempt at getting it to come down a little !


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## CrookedFingers (21/4/14)

Sorry pants.
Didnt mean to hijack your thread !
Hoping maybe we both get good info out of it !!

CF


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## wynnum1 (21/4/14)

If your heating in the pot the temperature can be different at different parts of the pot the grain may be at correct temperature..


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## CrookedFingers (21/4/14)

I hope so.
I was stirring like a lunatic, thought that would help.
I have an STC1000 in a thermowell on the urn so it has to be sort of spot on….maybe.

It smells great !!!!! Might be the couple hundred g's of hops !!!


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## Screwtop (21/4/14)

QldKev said:


> Don't stress.
> 
> 70c is no where near dodgy flavors. They start more in the 80's with the worse ones even a lot higher than that.
> A lot of people (including me) actually do a stepped mash, with a 72c rest for a Alpha Amylase rest, and then mash out at 78c-80c.
> ...



Bingo!

Screwy


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## manticle (21/4/14)

CrookedFingers said:


> @ 63 for 10 mins.
> Up to 72 over a 15 min period.
> @ 72 for about 30 mins. I took off all lagging and covers from the urn in a futile attempt at getting it to come down a little !


Look up hochkurz mash regime.


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## CrookedFingers (21/4/14)

will do !
ta


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## CapnK (21/4/14)

Thisispants, CrookedFingers,

You shouldn't have any major problems. I did the same thing last week, but ended up in the 80's! See 
http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/79404-another-beginner-mashing-too-high/ 

Been in the fermenter since Tuesday and just dropped below 1020 (from 1040) but it's palatable so far....

Did another batch yesterday, made sure the strike temp was stable, insulated the urn well and didn't get tempted by turning the element back on.


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## CrookedFingers (21/4/14)

Manticle, I looked up the hochkurz mash method. Wow, all I had to do was go to 75 for a bit hey !?!

CapnK, I read that thread, thanks, good info there.

I guess brewing is sort of forgiving, I will have a decent brew I hope, but not exactly what i was going for.
Ah the beauty of trying and trying again !! More beer to drink !

CF


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