I plan on making a Munich Dunkel this weekend and lets just say the last time I made one it was missing that malty component that I taste in German Dunkels. I did a single infusion mash @ 152. My question is when doing a decoction mash do you let the decoction rest (in the 150’s) or do you just bring it up to a boil for 10-15 minutes and add it to the main mash. Also, would it be better to do a double decoction?
I rest at 150 for about 5 min.
Try a single - see if it gives you what you’re looking for. Take good notes. Try a double next time if you feel it needs more decoction voodoo.
What’s your recipe and what yeast are you using?
You shouldn’t need a decoction to make a malty Dunkel. A great German Munich Malt and/or Dark Munich and a yeast like 820/2206 or 2308/838 should do the job, or 2278 if you want to make a Czech Dunkel.
I agree with Malzig. Decoction does two things for sure: increase mash efficiency and wort clarity. If you want those two things, use a decoction mash. If you just want “MOAR MALTY” it’s not likely a decoction mash will give you what you want, unless you think it will, then you’ll see what you want to see in the finished beer.
I rest my decoctions at 156 for 15 minutes before heating to boiling.
Decoction mashing does a few things for you. It will improve efficiency and clarity, but will also develop color in your wort as well. When you are pulling a decoction, you are pulling a certain amount of enzymes out of the main mash. Because of this, I like to do a rest in the 158-162 range when pulling a decoction so that I can get the most out of those enzymes before they are denatured by boiling.
Using continental ingredients will give you the flavor you desire I think. Yeast is huge. I agree with malzig that WLP838 (Southern German Lager) has a great german flavor profile.
I love doing the Hochkurz Double Decoction. It is a good decoction schedule without spending the majority of your brew day mashing. Best of luck to you on your next decoction brew day!
+1 to trying a single decoction first. Start at 146-148F, then pull a decoction, bring to boil for 15 minutes or so and return to try and hit 158-160F. Sort of a single decoction Hochkurz.
Dave
I think everyone needs to sweat out a decoction on a hot summer day 
That said I would do as Dave recommends. I rest between 155 and 160 for 15 minutes before boiling as well. The longer you boil the decoction the more color and melanoidins you will develop. Ive done anywhere from 5 minutes on a Hefeweizen up to an hour on a DoppleBock. Up to you.
That said, I think you will eventually come to find that slightly modifying the malt profile(maybe a touch more munich in the base) and pitching the right yeast and fermenting and conditioning properly will give you the profile you’re looking for without the decoction.
Amen to that. I did a triple decoction on a Doppelbock this year in that humid mid-day Virginia heat. I swear I could taste the work put into it!
You sure that wasnt the salt from your sweat ;D
Last year I did a dopplebock and dunkel on the same day, both TRIPLE decocted in the middle of July. I said to myself last fall drinking the beers…Im an idiot, but the beers are good!
I’m trying to justify doing decoctions all the time. I love brewing German lagers, but damn it makes for such a long brew day. But TWO triple decoctions in one day?? Holy sh*tballs.
Like I said…I was an idiot. 15 hour brew day. I drank a lot that day haha.
That is the brewers equivalent of storming the beach at Normandy in WWII! I salute you sir!
I’m using 8.5 lbs Munich, .125 lb Carafa III, and Wyeast 2206. I really want to experience a decoction mash and maybe I should ease into it with a single decoction. I need to try things for myself to see if they are worth while.
I heard Kai say one time that if we didn’t like the process of brewing, we would just go buy beer in the store and forget the hassle of homebrewing. I agree completely. So if you are really into brewing German Lagers with authentic brewing practices, decoction mashing will surely appeal to you.
This is why I don’t care to ever go to an automated system where all the work is done for me. That isn’t brewing, to me. Sure, sometimes I’m tired and just want to be done with it. But the end result is the most satisfying part. Hochkurz decoction is pretty simple. I think it’s been mentioned. Just do a rest at 144F or so for a bit, pull decoction, briefly rest at 155, boil for a bit, add back, to get to 158 or so, rest for a bit, then pull thin (liquid only) decoction, bring to boil and add back to get to mash out. Sparge and you’re done. It takes a while, but it doesn’t have to be difficult, just can get tedious.
Kai did say that color contribution, even to a triple decoction, is very minimal, thus arguable.
This sounds good to me. One more thing, how long do I rest the main mash @144 and 158?
When I do those rests I usually do them for the amount of time it takes to do the decoction, which usually works out to somewhere between 45 minutes and an hour. I also tend to do my rest temps at 131, 148 and 162 then mash out at 170 on the hochkurz double decoction.
This makes sense. I forgot that it’ll take a while getting the decoction up to temp. Thanks everyone and I will report back later with my results and/or errors.
That’s fine, I sometimes do them myself for various reasons.
It’s just that your first post indicated that you were looking for more maltiness. For that I’d swap in some Dark Munich and maybe consider 838, first.
Dunkel is just about my favorite style, and I now make one just about every other brewday. Enjoy!