Help creating a Dry Helles - Mash temps etc.

[RobjF]

Hey guys.
I put it out to my freinds a week or so ago to choose the next beer I would brew. There were a few ideas but several people ask for me to brew a dry beer. I settled on trying to brew a nice dry chrisp Munich Helles.
Ive been brewing AG for a little while and have put probably 35 batches through my system. I mainly brew 40l batchs on a three tear gravitiy Keg system. Mainly doing single mash infusions and fly sparging.

Here is a copy of the recipe i have puty together but i would like a little help formulating mash schedual.

BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Dry Day in Helles
Brewer: Rob Fifield
Asst Brewer:
Style: Munich Helles
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 46.24 l
Post Boil Volume: 41.60 l
Batch Size (fermenter): 40.00 l
Bottling Volume: 40.00 l
Estimated OG: 1.048 SG
Estimated Color: 7.8 EBC
Estimated IBU: 18.7 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 75.0 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
7.50 kg Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (3.9 EBC) Grain 1 90.9 %
0.50 kg Munich, Light (Joe White) (17.7 EBC) Grain 2 6.1 %
0.25 kg Cara-Pils/Dextrine (3.9 EBC) Grain 3 3.0 %
55.00 g Hallertauer [4.80 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 18.0 IBUs
1.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 5 -
10.00 g Hallertauer [4.80 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 6 0.7 IBUs
4.0 pkg Saflager Lager (DCL/Fermentis #W-34/70) Yeast 7 -
8.00 g Polyclar (Secondary 1.0 days) Fining 8 -


After a bit of reseach ive notice alot of people use a step mash when brewing this style even when using highly modified grains. I would like to have a go at a stepped mash on my system both to challenge myself a little and to push my system a little bit.
As im trying to produce a really dry finish i was thinking about mashing at around 63c.now i normally dont mash out i just fly sparge with 78c water over 45mins.
I have the ability in my system to direct heat my mash or I use a hand held element to make small corrections in my mash temp.
I would like a little help putting together a simple stepped mash.
Ive increased my normal 60mins boil to 90mins due to the large amounts of Pils in the grain bill.
Thanks Rob

 

[dicko]

You may want to try

10 mins at 50
40 mins at 60
20 mins at 70
Mash out at 76....I usually mash put for 20 to 30 mins to ensure mash efficiency.

This schedule I believe, is used by many German Breweries.
I use it with great success with my Pilsener beers.

Some good info in this link

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Theory_of_Mashing

Cheers

 

[RobjF]

Thanks Dicko for that quick, simple and to the point advice.
The link you sent was very helpful and ive put a shortcut to the site on my desk top as well as printing a few bits to put down in my libary in the shed as a referance.
ill have a good read today, the thing I need to work out is weather i just use my hand element to increase the temperature slowly between each step or weather i need to add a little heat to speed it up. Just dont what too much heat and over shoot the step temp.
Thanks again.youve put me on the right path.

 

[manticle]

I use a hand held OTS element to step mash. Just make sure there is enough liquid to grain (should be more than sufficient with minimum ratio of 2.5:1 kg:L), you continually stir and you keep the element submerged at all times when it is on.

Boiling water infusions and decoctions are another way if not comfortable with the element but in my experience element is easiest. However my batches are around 22 L so 40 will take a tad longer. You may want to mix it up - add some boiling water to bump up the temp then tweak with the hand held.