Boiling Grain For Flavour

[woodwormm]

I've recently seen a method where, in a full extract brew, specialty grains are boiled with the wort in a small grain bag/hop sock...

as extract brewing is not trying to extract sugars out of the grain, is this acceptable? to boil the grain rather than mash at 65-70 celsius.

Would boiling grain like this give the flavour we're looking for from a specialty grain addition in an extract brew? or would the high temp cause bad flavours, or just kill any flavour due to temp?

 

[wbosher]

I'm no expert, but I thought it gives off bad flavours when you boil specialty graiins.

 

[sponge]

It would be much more beneficial to just let them sit in some hot tap water (crushed of course) - or cool tap water mixed with boiling water 50/50 for 30min.

should still extract some of the goodies and not worrying about adding grain to boiling wort - which is definitely not a good idea.


Sponge

 

[Nick JD]

I've boiled grain a lot. It rocks.

If you don't know why you should boil grain - best just to steep it and boil the liquor that is left behind when you remove the grain.

 

[woodwormm]

yeah, it went entirely against all of my brewing 'knowledge'...

i do a mini mash and mini sparge when i do specialty grains using my yoghurt making thermos, holds temp real nice!

just thought i'd ask for some other opinions on it.

 

[woodwormm]

I've boiled grain a lot. It rocks.

If you don't know why you should boil grain - best just to steep it and boil the liquor that is left behind when you remove the grain.

Nick JD, what's your method? in a bag? in the wort then strain?

enlighten me

 

[JakeSm]

i think that boiling the grains instead of mashing will release some bad flavours or bitter tannins some others would probably agree also.

pretty sure its a bad idea. i like to mash mine at around 68 degrees C. works for me.

cheers jake.

 

[bignath]

Nick JD, what's your method? in a bag? in the wort then strain?

enlighten me

I think nicks browser is missing the sarcasm icon.

 

[woodwormm]

I think nicks browser is missing the sarcasm icon.

aaah, odd for me to miss sarcasm!

 

[JakeSm]

hahahahaha did you know that using hops in cold water work better than boiling them to bitter the brew??

 

[Ryan WABC]

Not sure what others think of cold steeping, but I've had some success with it when I can't be bothered maintaining a constant temp. 24 hours before I begin the brew, I crack the grain, chuck it in a grain bag, put the bag in a few litres of room-temperature water in my boiling pot, chuck on the lid, then let it sit until I'm ready to begin my boil. When you're ready to go, take out the grain bag and begin your boil. Make sure you do at least a half-hour boil to kill off any nasties and rid that "wet grain" taste that seems to come from cold steeping.

 

[woodwormm]

Not sure what others think of cold steeping, but I've had some success with it when I can't be bothered maintaining a constant temp. 24 hours before I begin the brew, I crack the grain, chuck it in a grain bag, put the bag in a few litres of room-temperature water in my boiling pot, chuck on the lid, then let it sit until I'm ready to begin my boil. When you're ready to go, take out the grain bag and begin your boil. Make sure you do at least a half-hour boil to kill off any nasties and rid that "wet grain" taste that seems to come from cold steeping.

are you cereal? ... where'd that sarcasm radar go? I just can't tell now!

 

[Ryan WABC]

Absolutely cereal. No sarcasm.

All you are doing is leeching the converted sugars from the cracked grain, it just takes a little longer as the water is cool, hence the 24-hour steep.

I even find cold steeping better for darker grains, like choc malt. The end result seems less harsh.

 

[Blitzer]

Less harsh, as in a nice watery taste? Also a lovely clear colour?

 

[sponge]

Not a watery taste, but not the harsh bitterness often associated with black and roast malts.

More of a smooth roasty character.

 

[Ryan WABC]

Less harsh, as in a nice watery taste? Also a lovely clear colour?

Never had clear water from cold steeping.

I should mention that I crack much finer when cold steeping.

 

[Nick JD]

I think nicks browser is missing the sarcasm icon.

I sometimes scoop out about 1/3 of my mash, put it in another pot and bring it to the boil - and it slops away at 100C for minutes looking like grainy porridge.

Then I return this back to the mash and it increases the mash temperature. When I'm happy with the mash temperature increase, I stop adding it back - waiting for the boiled stuff to cool to the same as the new mash temp before adding the rest.

It's how a lot of beer was made before thermometers. The only caveat is that you need the pH to be in the low 5s.

If you're just steeping grain to add flavour and colour to extract brews then, no, don't boil the grain. But the "rule" that grain can't be boiled is horseshit.

When steeping for extract brews I find the best method is to drop the spec malts into water hot enough to result in somewhere between 60 and 70C for 30 minutes in a bag, then remove the bag and boil the liquid.

 

[mje1980]

Perfect nick. Threw the bait out, let the fish get interested, the BAM!, reeled it in. Rex hunt eat your heart out!!

 

[sponge]

Well then, I have just learnt something new today.

...which wasn't work related.


Which is a win - win really.

 

[Impy]

I've recently seen a method where, in a full extract brew, specialty grains are boiled with the wort in a small grain bag/hop sock...

as extract brewing is not trying to extract sugars out of the grain, is this acceptable? to boil the grain rather than mash at 65-70 celsius.

Would boiling grain like this give the flavour we're looking for from a specialty grain addition in an extract brew? or would the high temp cause bad flavours, or just kill any flavour due to temp?

Firstly, as an extract brewer extracting sugars from speciality grain is EXACTLY what you are doing. Just to clear things up. When we talk about speciality grains we are talking about crystal or 'cara' grains. These grains have gone through a special mild kilning that actually mashes them while they are still whole gains. So the 'crystal' and 'cara' names refers to the crystalized/caramalized sugar locked in the grains. When we steep the cracked specially grains we are extracting the sugars from them.

Secondly, you don't "mash" speciality grains at 65-70C.. you STEEP them at 65-70C. The hot water helps extract the sugars and malty flavours. Mashing is a process where enzymes convert proteins into sugars. Speciality grains have already been mashed and kilned so they don't have any active enzymes left.

Boiling them would definitely still extract the sugars and flavours, but it would probably also extract some bad astringent tastes. I'd advise against it. Plus it shouldn't be any trouble to steep your grains in the water while it's coming to the boil.

Hope this clears things up.