Step Mash In An Esky Tun?

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wow, whats that? first I had a lag.....please Mod delete it
:icon_offtopic: Got some good Mai bock and pils which wil stop you from hitting that post button. :party: Nearly got the new VIA ITX board functioning except it doesnt like the 2.5 HDD.Runs fine on the 3.5 but its to big for my likings.
Prost GB
 
40s up to 60s is a big step.

If your only doing a single batch in a 36L cooler you should have plenty of room and make it, though I find they only have a 32L capacity.


Post up the grain quanities your using and I'm sure everyone will chime in with a good infusion mash regime.
 
If thwe quanties are like andrews I'd do something like this

Code:
A ProMash Recipe Report



Mash Schedule

-------------



Mash Name: Weizen



Total Grain kg:	 4.50

Total Water Qts:	8.37 - Before Additional Infusions

Total Water L:	7.92 - Before Additional Infusions



Tun Thermal Mass:   0.00

Grain Temp:		27.17 C





					 Step   Rest   Start   Stop  Heat	 Infuse   Infuse  Infuse

Step Name			Time   Time   Temp	Temp  Type	 Temp	 Amount  Ratio

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

43					 5	 30	 42	  42   Infuse	45		7.92   1.76

63					 5	 30	 63	  63   Infuse	99		5.73   3.03

72					 5	 30	 72	  72   Infuse	99		5.07   4.16





Total Water Qts:		   19.78 - After Additional Infusions

Total Water L:			 18.72 - After Additional Infusions

Total Mash Volume L:	   21.72 - After Additional Infusions

This is worked out by adding water to mashtun, allowing it to preheat the tun and then once it cools slightly to the desired strike temp, add grain.

It starts quite thick, but keeps the 63 step at a 3:1 ratio.

If you dont start thick you'll end up with a stupidly high ratio.

Total Mash Volume L: 21.72 - After Additional Infusions Should fit into your tun
 
If thwe quanties are like andrews I'd do something like this

Code:
A ProMash Recipe Report



Mash Schedule

-------------



Mash Name: Weizen



Total Grain kg:	 4.50

Total Water Qts:	8.37 - Before Additional Infusions

Total Water L:	7.92 - Before Additional Infusions



Tun Thermal Mass:   0.00

Grain Temp:		27.17 C





					 Step   Rest   Start   Stop  Heat	 Infuse   Infuse  Infuse

Step Name			Time   Time   Temp	Temp  Type	 Temp	 Amount  Ratio

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

43					 5	 30	 42	  42   Infuse	45		7.92   1.76

63					 5	 30	 63	  63   Infuse	99		5.73   3.03

72					 5	 30	 72	  72   Infuse	99		5.07   4.16





Total Water Qts:		   19.78 - After Additional Infusions

Total Water L:			 18.72 - After Additional Infusions

Total Mash Volume L:	   21.72 - After Additional Infusions

This is worked out by adding water to mashtun, allowing it to preheat the tun and then once it cools slightly to the desired strike temp, add grain.

It starts quite thick, but keeps the 63 step at a 3:1 ratio.

If you dont start thick you'll end up with a stupidly high ratio.

Total Mash Volume L: 21.72 - After Additional Infusions Should fit into your tun

Thanks Old---- that is exactly what I was going to do for the OP so he will now have an excellent starting point to work from

Steve
 
As Maple said, a decoction could well be the answer. However I have never attempted a decoction with a wheat based beer before so can't really give any advice there.
But I will tell you this, the mash schedule I use in my Weizen is based on Zwickels one and it makes a HUGE difference to the finished beer.

Cheers
Andrew
I either make the initial mash very thick and add just enough boiling water to get to the next step, or I make a regular thickness mash and do a "poor man's" decoction. This involves a vorlauf to clear the manifold, then decanting a few liters into a saucepan, heating it to almost boiling, and then adding it back to the mash. There are more scientific ways to do this with volumes and all, but this way seems to work fine for 2 steps.

If the temp after this decoction if off a bit, I fine-tune the temperature of the mash with a small amount of boiling or cold water I keep on hand. That extra water, if used, doesn't effect mash thickness enough to be a problem.
 
:) Good stuff OLDBUGMAN
I Haven't played with my mash-tun 36L with false bottom since December and found this thread looking for a step infusion.
I'll punch the number into Promash and see what I get.

I intend to use 5 kgs grains and the grain-temp. will be slightly cooler by the time I get to brew again.
(Love my immersion heater.)

I will have to get my self some acidulated malt and melanoidan as decoction is out. <_<

Quick question: Tun thermals mass at "0",Can you remind me why is that?
 
Quick question: Tun thermals mass at "0",Can you remind me why is that?

As I think I said :blink: , if I didnt I apologise.

Starting out my brew day. I add the water to the mashtun when it is empty. Thus preheating the tun. and wait for it to cool down to my required strike temp.

I then add the grain to the water in the tun.

Initially I thought(as MY science would suggest) that I was need to take into account the thermal mass of the tun for the step. However when I did this I found I would end up overshooting my temps, so I set it at 0 and go from there.



*benifit of putting water into mash tun is I can start heating up my infusion water as soon as I fill the tun with the strike water.
 
Starting out my brew day. I add the water to the mashtun when it is empty. Thus preheating the tun. and wait for it to cool down to my required strike temp.

That's a brilliant idea! I wish I had thought of that. I don't have a fixed thermometer in my HLT, and I usually have a bugger of a time getting my strike temperature right. I'm a little embarrassed that it never occurred to me that I could heat past the strike temp, and let it cool in the open tun. *sigh*
 
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