Mash on a higher temperature

[Jack of all biers]

Just to add more fuel to the fire - don't stress too much about hitting exact mash temp numbers. Its always going to make "good" beer and i doubt the average punter will be able to tell the taste difference between upper and lower limits of mash temps.

Good beer yes, but taste differences between 60C mash's and 72C mash's are quite "there" to be discerned by all but the most taste hindered of us.

 

[a1149913]

I agree - 60 to 72 is a big jump!

Check out the experiment i posted - super interesting read. Actually quite surprised at the outcome!

 

[Lionman]

Difference between 60 and 72 would be pretty apparent.

Difference between 64 and 68 would be much harder to discern. There would be a difference, but it's likely that in general the home brewer would be more concerned about how fermentation and hop utilisation impact on the final product, compared to the relatively small difference a few degrees at mash would make.

To some people it's important, depends on what you're striving for.

 

[Jack of all biers]

I agree - 60 to 72 is a big jump!

Check out the experiment i posted - super interesting read. Actually quite surprised at the outcome!

The experiment was a dud in my opinion. The usual reasons being his tasting group, but probably the main reason, being he either doesn't understand or forgotten to take into account the 'cross over' temperature areas of both Alpha and Beta Amalyse and completely ignored the affect pH has on both.

His experiment compares 64C against 71.7C mashing temps. Whilst 68-72C is the temp range that Alpha is most active, it is also active at 64C. If he picked 57 or 60C then it would be a fairer comparison between the effect of both Amylase groups. If he had changed the mash pH for each mash to put both Amalyse in it's optimal area then that would have been a better comparison also.

Once again he compares Oranges with Tangerines and then blind folds people and states that no discernible outcome can be gauged when they fail to tell the difference he is after (how many are BJCP trained we are never told [it could be one from twenty]). I could go on, but many have pointed out the inadequacies of his methods and data collection previously. I also am no scientist or expert, however having brewed batches at low and high temps, I can say that they can not be confused with each other at all.