Steeping Methods

[Noxious]

Hi there,
Can anyone who has been succesful in adding steeped grains to extract (liquid malt) brews please give me a brief run down of your methods and associated tips?

I have just bought a 500gm bag of Crystal grain which has been pre-cracked.
It says to add to boiling water (how much?) and leave for 20 mins..
After 20 mins it says to strain grain from the liquid and rinse the grain with a sieve into fermenter.
Sounds simple enough...although i dont quite get it! lol
So i have steeped the grain in the hot water for 20 mins...and i dont want the water it was steeped in going into the fermenter aswell?
This would seem logical to me but is not explained..i get the impression im supposed to tip that water out and only use the water im rinsing with into the fermenter?
Thanks for the help everyone

P.S - How many grams will i have to use to get a noticeable difference...bear in mind im a smoker, so i tend to use more hops than your average brewer!

 

[Ross]

Noxious,

You are after all the sugary goodness in the crystal grain, so you need to collect the water it's been soaking in & the water you've rinsed it with.
the resultant sugary liquid should then be boiled for a minimum of 10 minutes, to kill any bugs that your grain could be covered in.
The resultant boiled liquid can then be cooled by half submerging the pan in cold water in the sink. Then add the cooled liquid to your fermenter.

cheers ross

Edit: Spelling

 

[Barge]

When steeping I aim to add anywhere from 2-6L per kg, so you should use 1-3L and then rinse with the same amount.

Also, I avoid raising the temperature of the water above 77C. Above this temp you will extract tannins which result in astringency. It's probably not a major issue when using such a small amount of grain but it's good practice all the same.

Do the rest as Ross says remembering to keep the lid on the saucepan during the boil (the steam sterilises the lid) and then while you are cooling to keep organisms out. Watch for the liquid 'boiling over' though so monitor the pot and keep it at a gentle boil.

Cheers

 

[Noxious]

thanks guys.

So using less than 500gm will not make enough difference to a 23L batch?
I was hoping maybe to get 2 uses.
Ive heard the term astringency alot lately, what does this mean in terms of beer taste?
Chemically altered or something?
Cheers

 

[bradsbrew]

Astringency ?? Ever seen the the tannins that bleed out of new timber that is out in the weather, just imagine drinking that. As for grains I may be wrong but I usually say grain weight equalls half spraymalt eg; 500g grain = 200-250g malt extract. Defineatly keep the initial mash water try to keep it at 66 degrees for about an hour. Check out the info on mash tuns for this.

Cheers Brad

 

[Barge]

So using less than 500gm will not make enough difference to a 23L batch?

It depends on what you are trying to achieve. Coopers PA has a crystal addition of less than 1% of the grain bill. My last pale ale, I used 150gm or around 2.5%.

Ive heard the term astringency alot lately, what does this mean in terms of beer taste?

I've heard it described as mouth-puckering, which sounds just plain shite

Also, as you are steeping (not mashing) keep the soak times to 20min as you described. Temp isn't critical, just not too hot.

Cheers

 

[Koikaze]

if you have ever drunk red wine... its the taste that drys out your mouth and makes you suck in your lips a bit (puckering).

I dont know how this taste would go in beer through, maybe a darker ale? stouts maybe?