playing with mash temps

[fletcher]

hi guys.

i was very lucky to get a grainfather for christmas and so a new world of mash temps have opened up to me, that previously were annoying to do with biab and gas.

i've looked here and at a lot of websites and guides for specific temperatures and rests and what they are used for, but have yet to see something for a very dry beer with good head retention - like a dry rice lager. previously i've used amylaze enzyme on a 1.030 beer (mashed at 64c for 90 mins) which brought it down to 1.000 (the target FG), but it slowly developed an odd taste i wasn't fond of.

i've read mashing low and slow - say 60-61c for 2 hours - gives a very dry and highly-attenuative wort. is it that simple? would it be advantageous to do a short 55c rest for body/head retention before this long sach rest, then head to mash out?

any help or tips or mash suggestions welcome.

 

[Nizmoose]

I'm so far from an expert but if it were me for head retention and a dry beer I'd do a 54c rest for 5 to 10 mins followed by 62c for 120 mins then 72c for 5 to 10 mins then mash out for 10. 54 and 72 are protein rests

 

[Cocko]

Hey Fletch,

Lucky you, great unit the GF - happy times ahead.

I have always found the benefits of step mashing result in the little things - Head retention, Glass Lacing, ability to be able to produce a dry or sweet beer etc... it is not gonna really change the flavour of any of your recipes, which is a good thing, really.

This is a great read for an AHB thread http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/62204-stepped-mashing-schedules-by-style/ - plenty of other reads outs there.

Hope it helps - report back.

Cheers
C

 

[danestead]

I just add a 10min rest at 72 deg. It helps with a creamy head of tiny bubbles. I dont brew really dry beers though. About the lowest I ever mash is 65 deg.

 

[Camo6]

+1 to the thread linked above. Read it a few times and still have Cocko's mash profile firmly installed in my PID.

 

[Cocko]

+1 to the thread linked above. Read it a few times and still have Cocko's mash profile firmly installed in my PID.

I love it when you have my stuff firmly installed.

 

[fletcher]

haha love it. cheers cocko, haven't seen that thread in my searching thus far so i'll get to reading and hopefully firmly install your...stuff...into my...stuff. yeah i figured my flavours wouldn't change but wanted to really have a play with dry and sweet and seeing if the head and lacing was better/different at various temps etc. lots of fun

thanks guys for your suggestions.

 

[fletcher]

cheers guys again.

once i get around to it (not for a bit i should think with a newborn!) i'll be putting on this one - a big experiment any suggestions welcome.

80% pils
20% minute rice
1.035 to (hopefully) 1.001-4ish
60-61/72/75
120/10/10

20 ibu of tettnang at 60 and 5
probably m84 or w34/70 at 10-11c

sexual

EDIT: is there any reason why my beersmith won't change FG when the mash temps are lower than 63C?

 

[timmi9191]

If you want it really dry, I wouldnt bother with the 72 rest, Just mash out.

If you want some head retention, try adding 10% wheat.

 

[manticle]

I vote for the 72 rest

 

[bradsbrew]

52 for 10
62 for 75
72 for 10
78 for 10

Use 15 percent wheat
Saflager yeast at 16 degree.

Cheers