'at the start of the run-off'

[Joshua Field]

I'm new at the All-grain game and still learning the lingo. Im reading a recipe that recommends to add the Chocolate Malt at the start of the run off to ensure the flavour and colour of the malt is extracted without the astringency. My question is- when exactly in the process is 'the start of the run off?'
The mash goes for 75 mins. My best guess is at the end of the mash before lautering...? does that sound right?

 

[MHB]

Start of runoff, well after the mash (usually about 60 minutes) you recirculate to clarify the wort, sometimes called setting the bed or recirculation, its just establishing the filter made up of malt husks. So start of runoff is before you start sending the wort to the kettle.
You would just sprinkle the dark malt into the mash tun on top of the grain, then start running wort to the kettle.

The above is going to make some sense if you are sparging (what some call Fly Sparging), less if you are batch sparging.
Other options are to: -
Modify your water chemistry if using a lot of dark malt add Chalk.
Use a De-Bittered dark malt, Carafa Special 1-3, Chocolate or Roast Wheat, there are a couple of other choices to.
Don't over sparge (watch sparge pH).
Don't use enough dark malt to make the beer astringent...

Classic Guinness was 20% or so Roast Barley, made on high Carbonate water, yes its a little astringent, but nowhere near what you would expect in classic Dry Irish Stout. If the Dark fraction of the grain is <10% I'd just mash it in at the start.
Mark

 

[chesl73]

Yes, unless you have lots of the choc malt I wouldn't worry, just mash it from the start with the rest.