Protein Rests

[Nick JD]

Recently, I've been getting into 15 minute protein rests at 53C. I never could be bothered before, but since my hot tap temperature is a perfect strike temperature to get a protein rest of 52C, I've been doing them.

Here's a Cascade Golden with 15% sucrose in it, mashed at 66C. Leaves so much lacing on the glass the next day the glass needs scrubbing.

I'm converted, as it actually makes my mashing easier not having to apply heat to the pot at all. What do the folk out there think of the protein rest?

 

[AndrewQLD]

I'm a big fan although I prefer 55.
Nice picture lace is a beautiful thing.

 

[Bribie G]

I've also decided to start doing protein rests. The "perceived wisdom" around this forum when I started mashing was the somewhat half arsed notion that modern malts don't need a protein rest and that doing so may well result in poor head retention. However as the book I'm currently reading "Munich Helles" by Horst Dornbusch elegantly puts it:

Proteins are nitrogen based substances. In grain, they come in the form of dozens of molecular structures from the simplest amino acids to very large molecular chains. The largest of the proteins, if not converted by proteolytic enzymes to smaller-chain proteins, are the most susceptible to coagulation and flaking in the kettle. Because helles is a full-bodied beer, it is important to compose a mash schedule that yields maximum proteolytic conversion The Helles brewer wants plenty of proteins to show up in the beer, not just in the trub. (my bolding)


Says it all

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Nick, how are you getting up to mash temp, then?

Goomba

 

[therook]

I have never done a protein rest and have found that APA's with such a high amount of Hops has always given me excellent head and lacing

That picture makes me thirsty

Rook

 

[goomboogo]

Nick, how are you getting up to mash temp, then?

Goomba

He probably adds boiling water.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

He probably adds boiling water.

So he's not putting in the entire strike water, in the initial go.

I probably should have been more specific in the question .

Interesting to find out.

I had a couple of APA's where I didn't get great head, but I'm finding my current APA and Lager both have great head.

Which reminds me, photograph said APA and put on recipe DB tonight. If I'm not too content with the drink, that is.

Goomba

 

[Nick JD]

Yeah, dough in 3.5kg with 9L of 58C (IIRC), leave for 15 minutes and then keep adding 2L of boiling water batches from the tea kettle until it hits mash temp. I think I need to add about 5 more liters to hit the mid 60s.

My tea kettle boils 2L in a minute or two. Another handy thing is doughing in to water in the 50s means you don't get doughballs. Dunno why - below barleyz gelatinisation temp or someshit probably.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Yeah, dough in 3.5kg with 9L of 58C (IIRC), leave for 15 minutes and then keep adding 2L of boiling water batches from the tea kettle until it hits mash temp. I think I need to add about 5 more liters to hit the mid 60s.

My tea kettle boils 2L in a minute or two. Another handy thing is doughing in to water in the 50s means you don't get doughballs. Dunno why - below barleyz gelatinisation temp or someshit probably.

Sweet. Pasta pot holds 9L and takes about the said 15 minutes to boil, so it'll be nice and easy.

Might have a crack at this when I do my Roggenwei.

Goomba

 

[Nick JD]

Sweet. Pasta pot holds 9L and takes about the said 15 minutes to boil, so it'll be nice and easy.

Might have a crack at this when I do my Roggenwei.

Goomba

Why not do a thick 15 minute, 43C ferullic acid rest first, then top up with some boiling water to a protein rest? Lots of clove precursors.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Why not do a thick 15 minute, 43C ferullic acid rest first, then top up with some boiling water to a protein rest? Lots of clove precursors.

I'll have to sit down and do the calcs, I reckon I'll run out of room in the pots otherwise. But a good idea - especially given I'm using WB-06, and probably need a little help in that regard.

Thanks for the idea.

Plus it might be a good way to see how much one can really do on the stovetop - I'm continually trying to see how much we can actually do before I need an urn (rather than want one), and whether BIABSM can produce beers that were only do-able with 3V.

Goomba

 

[Nick JD]

I have a feeling you'd get too much cloves with WB06 and an acid rest. That stuff is clove city.

 

[Florian]

What do the folk out there think of the protein rest?

I do and always have done protein rests on every single one of my beers, so really i have no comparison how they would turn out without the rest. For the last 15 or twenty beers I had 10 minutes at 52. I can't exactly remember why I settled for 52 but I know that there was a good reason for it at the time. Time to do some reading again...

 

[yardy]

Recently, I've been getting into 15 minute protein rests at 53C. I never could be bothered before, but since my hot tap temperature is a perfect strike temperature to get a protein rest of 52C, I've been doing them.

Here's a Cascade Golden with 15% sucrose in it, mashed at 66C. Leaves so much lacing on the glass the next day the glass needs scrubbing.

I'm converted, as it actually makes my mashing easier not having to apply heat to the pot at all. What do the folk out there think of the protein rest?

so you're mashing with water straight from the HWS ?

nice pic btw.

 

[Bribie G]

When I'm not doing style-nazi brews with RO water I have always used the good old Rheem, it's lined with ceramic glass and is basically just a big urn. Gets flushed regularly. With your lovely soft water in BBerg I reckon you could probably do a Bopils straight out of your hot water taps.

 

[bigandhairy]

Hi Bribie,

do you do the rest at full volume at 52deg, then raise the bag with the element on to get to mash temp. Or another method?

cheers
bah

 

[Bribie G]

Raise, heat and drop'n'pump. With a skyhook and pulley it's no big deal to do a step mash when BIABing in an urn.

 

[bigandhairy]

Raise, heat and drop'n'pump. With a skyhook and pulley it's no big deal to do a step mash when BIABing in an urn.

Cool thanks. Do you overshoot the temp to allow for any heat exchange between the bag and the wort, ie heat to 68deg so when the bag is lowered the grain which is at 52deg then becomes say 66deg. Also if mashing for an hour do you start the hour at the beginning of the rest or not until final mash temp has been reached? Sorry for the barrage of questions :icon_cheers:

cheers
bah

 

[gibbocore]

I always do a rest at 55, then a quick decoction, rest the decoction at 66 for 10 mins then raise to boiling, then dump back into the mash. Adds about 20 mins to by mash and ensures a ramp up to my mash temp rather than dumping 80 degree water on my grains, had probs with attenuation and haven't had one since.

 

[Bribie G]

Start at the hour. The temperature range is a bit suck and see, a couple of hoists and pumps doesn't do any harm anyway and gives me something to do while the temperature ramps up. I've been threatening for ages to do a temperature rise per minute chart for a 40L 2400W urn. Really I should get my lazy A into G and do that as it's handy for the likes of Hochkurz and mashout steps as well.