Mash on a higher temperature

[drjoffily]

HEEEEELP!!!
I just made a big mistake! I was distracted and set up my mash temperature to 78° instead of 68°! Fu@#£&c!!!
I'm doing this recipe for the second time and it's a 2 step mashing. The first one is at 48° for 30 minutes and the second one was supposed to be at 67° for 60 minutes but I made a mistake and set the temp to 78° instead!
Have I spoiled my beer?
Have I killed the enzymes that break the sugars? Will my beer have enough sugar to ferment? Is it going to taste bad?
Has anyone had this problem before?

 

[Danscraftbeer]

What are you brewing with? If its quick you could mix the mash well to spread the heat. Tip in some cold water!. mix, test. etc.

 

[mtb]

Not looking good buddy.

 

[drjoffily]

I'm brewing in a Grainfather. I've just finished sparging going to boiling now.

 

[TSMill]

Not ideal but possibly salvageable depending on your temperature ramp rates. Only one way to find out really.

 

[Bribie G]

A kilo of dex might help.

 

[drjoffily]

It's the first time I make a big mistake like this. Is it worth it going all the way to see or don't even bother?

 

[Danscraftbeer]

How long it was at the good temps is the question. Or how long above 75c is the question too.
I'd guess you got good conversion and a an overdone mash out time. Nothing to panic about.

 

[drjoffily]

30-40 minutes on good temps for sure. But a solid 50 minutes above 75 for sure.

 

[Danscraftbeer]

Your final gravity may be higher than expected. More body. This may not be a bad thing and may be a very nice thing I would go with it and record all notes.

 

[drjoffily]

Hi Bribie G I never used Dex before. What will be the benefit of adding it?

 

[drjoffily]

Danscraftbeer this is encouraging. Thanks for that. I wouldn't mind a creamy beer with a nice head retention. Is that what you're talking about?

 

[Danscraftbeer]

30-40 minutes on good temps for sure. But a solid 50 minutes above 75 for sure.

You may get some tannins flavours but I tell you I'm judging my own personal likes and dislikes of flavours against respected shelf product and I'm still working on it. I get dislike flavours in the good shelf stuff too. There are just flavours that you like/dislike personally. Mistakes can sometimes be a discovery.

 

[Danscraftbeer]

Look at decoction mash. You literally remove some of the mash and boil it and re add to the mash. Its old school but it works a treat for malty flavours. Again don't panic just brew it through and see what happens.
There is a philosophy to give every brew every chance it has. Not to think of total ditch if it didn't go to plan.
$0.02

 

[Bribie G]

Hi Bribie G I never used Dex before. What will be the benefit of adding it?

If you have ended up with a heap of unfermentables in the wort, at least dex will give you some alcohol content to counteract the body of the beer.

 

[manticle]

What is it doing at 48 for 30 mins? What beer? Ramp time in deg C per minute?

 

[drjoffily]

What is it doing at 48 for 30 mins? What beer? Ramp time in deg C per minute?

Sorry manticle, I'm not in that's level yet

 

[drjoffily]

Thanks Bribie G and Danscraftbeer. Appreciate your input. I'll update you once I taste the final product. Cheers

 

[Quokka42]

The 48 sounds like a protein rest. From the sounds of things the mash has probably spent enough time at temperatures low enough for the enzymes to work to convert most of the starches, you just might have a little more tannins and such depending on the recipe. It will probably turn out to be an OK beer, but you might need to age it a bit. Again a lot depends on what recipe you were making.

 

[manticle]

Sorry manticle, I'm not in that's level yet

If you're not at a level to understand what temperature and time mean to mashing, go for single infusion and find out (easily done) what that infusion temperature means. Something like 65 for 60 mins.

Ramp time just means how long does it take to climb from 1 degree to the next on your system. If it took 30 mins to get from 48 to 78, you might get some kind of ok beer out of it. If it took 5 mins, I doubt it.