Mashing With Steam

[mb83]

So I'm about half way through what looked like it was going to be yet another failed decoction mash (I never seem to be able to hit my temps)
and while my decoction was on the stove I noticed the main mash had dropped down to 57C.
I was thinking about how I could get the mash up to temp without adding more boiling water or pouring the lot into a pot and heating on the stove
when suddenly the idea of using steam popped into my head (I used to be a professional barista and spent the most of my time heating jugs of milk with a steam wand).

I did a quick google search and was delighted to find this site

So I hooked up a reinforced rubber hose to the steam wand of my single group commercial coffee machine and within minutes I was back up to 64C.

Naturally I'm stoked.
The world of step mashing in an esky had just been opened up to me.

Anyone else do this? (probably need a commercial coffee machine with a heat exchanger rather than a sunbeam or breville job)

Cheers,

Michael

 

[zagadka]

Hey Michael,

Check out this series of videos.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_quer...ewing+with+yuri

 

[benno1973]

Doesn't that aerate the mash which might contribute to HSA? I understood that a coffee steam wand is used to inject tiny bubbles of air into the milk - to be honest I'm not sure what makes the milk so fluffy and frothy. But using the steam wand with a heat exchange system (i.e. copper coil) would obviously work.

 

[mb83]

Who's afraid of the big bad HSA?
Anyway, aren't you technically injecting steam, ie. gaseous H2O, not air?

MB

Doesn't that aerate the mash which might contribute to HSA? I understood that a coffee steam wand is used to inject tiny bubbles of air into the milk - to be honest I'm not sure what makes the milk so fluffy and frothy. But using the steam wand with a heat exchange system (i.e. copper coil) would obviously work.

 

[Sammus]

yes, and HSA is aerating hot wort after it's been boiled, i don't think think theres anything wrong with a bit of air in your mash.

Also, what kind of machine do you have? I'm somewhat of a coffee nerd myself, though I'm not sure my baby is classed as commercial

 

[mb83]

yes, and HSA is aerating hot wort after it's been boiled, i don't think think theres anything wrong with a bit of air in your mash.

Also, what kind of machine do you have? I'm somewhat of a coffee nerd myself, though I'm not sure my baby is classed as commercial

A one group La San Marco, the old school kind, 16M Practicale.Like this one
To be honest it is really crap for steaming milk and the steam is too wet and you can't adjust the boiler fill level.
Glad I found something it was good at.

Michael

 

[Sammus]

A one group La San Marco, the old school kind, 16M Practicale.Like this one
To be honest it is really crap for steaming milk and the steam is too wet and you can't adjust the boiler fill level.
Glad I found something it was good at.

Michael

haha. yeah I have a VBM Domobar Super. Steam's a little wet on it also, and no boiler fill level adjustment either but it's not really considered commercial, though I think it's kind of close...

 

[katzke]

yes, and HSA is aerating hot wort after it's been boiled, i don't think think theres anything wrong with a bit of air in your mash.

Also, what kind of machine do you have? I'm somewhat of a coffee nerd myself, though I'm not sure my baby is classed as commercial

HSA is any time the wort is over 60C. If you think it is a big problem with home brew.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

yes, and HSA is aerating hot wort after it's been boiled, i don't think think theres anything wrong with a bit of air in your mash.

Also, what kind of machine do you have? I'm somewhat of a coffee nerd myself, though I'm not sure my baby is classed as commercial

no - HSA is mash/boil aeration - and its any time your wort or your mash is hot and exposed to oxygen, before during or after the boil.

If HSA concerns you - then air in your mash should concern you.

 

[Sammus]

I guess I stand corrected Lucky HSA doesn't concern me then aye?

 

[brocky_555]

I think this article is really well written and it all makes pretty good sense. I don't think Hot Side Aeration is an issue in this case as you are heating with STEAM and not hot air. There should be very little oxygen in the steam because you make steam by boiling water and oxygen is given off in the first stages of heating as gases are given off as the liquid warms up because gasses are less soluble at warmer temps than cooler ones. This is why it is easier to gas a keg when it is cold as more gas can go into solution when the temp is lower.

On a side note do you think you could use one of those steam cleaners you see advertised on TV to generate the steam to heat the mash ? But i do like the pressure cooker idea.