Masing and Boiling

Brewing processes and methods. How to brew using extract, partial or all-grain. Tips and tricks.

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Brad
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Masing and Boiling

Post by Brad »

Has anyone ever mashed one day and boiled the next? I planned on brewing this weekend but now I am unsure if I will be able to devote a full day to it (finals this coming week but I need a break!). Any opinions in this matter will be appretiated. Thanks, Brad
Brewer2001
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It can be done but....

Post by Brewer2001 »

Brad,

This question was asked by one of the guys in my brewing class. The advice was not to do this if you can help it. You may pick up some contamination due to the wort sitting at ambient temperature. You might want to cool it down as low as possable.
That being said, I break the cardinal rule at the other end. I don't own a chilling coil, yet, so I boil the wort as late in the evening (night) as possable and transfer early in the morning.
I guess there are pros and cons ether way.

Using the method you described you may get bacteria that can be killed during the boil. In my case I need to be careful not to add bacteria to the wort post boil. On transfer my wort is still about 100 F.

It is worth a try. Remember to sanitize everything that comes in contact with your wort. Let me know what happens.

Good luck and good brewing,

Tom F.
Gravity Thrills
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consider this

Post by Gravity Thrills »

You may have already brewed, but in that case consider this next time around. I sometimes have to split my brew "day" up into 2 days as well. I'll mash in at around midnight and then go to bed, get up around 5 to sparge and finish the brew session. My mash tun is well insulated and I'll still be near 140F after 5 hours.

The only thing I suggest is that you mash in on the the high side (155-157F), since a long, low mash will give you a VERY attenuat-able beer, with maybe too little body. That, or add a little dextrine malt.

Cheers,
Jim
Brad
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Thanks

Post by Brad »

Thanks for the help but I decided to get up early this morning and brew (mashing as I write yahoo). I may try your all night mash next time I am running low on time though Jim. Thanks B.
jayhawk
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Sleepy Jim

Post by jayhawk »

Jim, do you seriously hold your mash for five hours while you sleep? Doesn't this affect things fermentability wise? It just seems like an awful long time to hold the mash, but hey, if it works, more power to ya.
Chris
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by hook or by crook

Post by Gravity Thrills »

Yeah, I have brewed this way - of necessity rather than choice. I have a pair of toddler-aged kids and a wife that certainly doesn't mind the drinking part of the homebrew process, but can get annoyed if I eat up entire weekend days with a brew session. To that end, I can squeeze in a session on tight weekends if I mash the night before and then get up early to finish it off.

You bet it affects fermentability, and I have had a couple of way over-attenuated (1008) beers. But now if I have to do a nocturnal mash, I'll mash in high to favor dextrinous extract and that pretty much fixes any potential problems. I suggested to Brad above in the thread also adding some dextrine malt to the grist, but haven't yet done so myself. As far as getting the mash temp back up to mash-out the next morning I do what I can with a couple gallons of near-boiling hot liquor, but don't sweat it if I don't make 167F. Like a lot of homebrewers, i think the real value in hitting the higher mashout temperature is to get some less viscous and free-running extract, an not necessarily enzyme deactivation. If I'm willing to live with a 5 hour mash, i can live with viable enzymes for a few more minutes until the wort boils, right?

I thought I was living in homebrewer sin conducting mashes this way. Then a BYO ask Mr. Wizard column a while back had another father of young kids and not much time write in describing the exact same procedure. Surprisingly, the mysterious mr. Wizard chimed in to admit he had to brew like that at times as well and made good beer despite it. If you're an outside brewer, there's actually something to be said for brewing at night, especially on warm nights under a full moon (You won't have any warm nights for a while up north, eh?). I usually treat myself on the full moon around my birthday by doing an overnight brew while the family sleeps. Just me and my Coleman lantern, the moon, the kettles, the crickets, tree frogs, guitar, some homebrews.... Heaven.

Cheers,
Jim
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