warrenlw63 said:
With the exception of a Weizen and perhaps a Bock, decoction mashing is really a trip down nostalgia lane and adds extra time to the brewday. In terms of gain, the time outweighs the results.
For nearly everything I brew a simple infusion mash is fine, but I suspect decoction may be necessary for accurate replication of the weizen styles. Certainly the most authentic tasting hefeweizen I've tasted at a club meeting was made with a decoction mash.
In an attempt to brew a better weizen, tomorrow I'm performing my first attempt at a decoction mash. Actually, I'll be attempting a combination step infusion and single decoction:
For a 5Kg grain bill.
- Mash in at 44C for a ferulic acid rest for 30 minutes
(9 litres of strike water at 52C, mash at 1.8 litre/kilo ratio)
- Raise to a sacc. rest at 64C by infusion. Rest at 64C for 20 minutes.
(6 litres of boiling water, mash now at 3 litre/kilo ratio)
- Pull a 30% decoction. Hold the decoction at 72C for 10 minutes, then boil for 10-15 minutes and return, raising the main mash to about 72C.
- Hold a 72C rest for about 30 minutes then sparge.
I'm looking for a bit more clove character from the ferulic acid rest, and a better malty character than I've achieved with infusion mashes and melanoidin malt.
Personally I can't stand the flavour introduced by Hoepfner melanoidin malt. Every time I've used it, even a couple of hundred grams, I've ended up with a sort of exagerrated one dimensional malty flavour which isn't at all like the complex caramelly malt character of a good German or Czech beer.
cheers,
Colin