Steeping questions

Brewing Processes
1

I haven’t steeped since going AG in 2007. Worked fairly well then even though ignorance played a big role. Regardless, some great brews were made. Planning on doing some extract porter per this method.

Been looking at Palmer’s 3rd edition. He addresses steeping fairly well but still leaves me with questions.

  1. Does one need to scale up the specialty grains one would use in a regular mash?
  2. Is it advisable to add some base malt to the steeping grains? Any risks associated with this?
  3. It appears that water profile still plays a big role here- big deal or minor aspect?
2

  1. No need to scale up amounts

  2. If just steeping, no base grains needed.  If base grains added, then you’re “partial mashing”

  3. If steeping, water profile is unimportant.

3
  1. Watch your steeping water PH though.  Usually 2.5-3 gallons of steeping water is safe.
4

[quote]4. Watch your steeping water PH though.  Usually 2.5-3 gallons of steeping water is safe.
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+1 I was thinking of doing that instead of in the whole 15 gallons.

5

+1 I was thinking of doing that instead of in the whole 15 gallons.

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Steep with the same ratio you;d mash with.

6

Good observation on the difference between steeping and mini-mashing.  If you’re steeping, all you’re doing is dissolving sugars and rinsing them from the grain.  Anything that has to do with mash parameters (including water profile) isn’t involved since you aren’t mashing.  You can still pull tannins from the grain if you go above pH 6 and temperature 170 simultaneously, however.

You can use the same amount of grain as long as you are getting it all wet and allowing the water to freely rinse it.  Typically, you’re going to be fine unless you have a very large amount of grain.  When I steeped, I used the full volume of water that I’d use in the boil.  Steep, rinse, add extract, boil, chill, ferment.

I wouldn’t use base malts or starchy adjuncts unless you’re going to mini-mash.  You’ll get the flavor from the grain but you’ll also pull starch from them.  Not good for clarity or stability, although much of it will likely wind up as break.

If you’re going to mini-mash, pay attention to what you normally do during the mash (grist to water ratio, water profile, pH, etc.).  But if you’re going to go to all that trouble, I’d just as soon do it as a full all-grain batch and be done with it.

If you’re steeping, water profile is irrelevant except for flavor.

7

OK Thanks!

I’m doing two Brown porters  6 gallons each:

#6 amber DME
#0.5 60L
#0.5 Chocolate malt
#0.5 Roasted malt (barley?)

#6 amber DME
#0.5 120L
#0.5 Chocolate malt
#0.5 Roasted malt (barley?)

8

[quote]#0.5 Roasted malt (barley?)

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That seems like quite a bit for a brown porter.

9

That seems like quite a bit for a brown porter.

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I was wondering about that. Here’s a revised recipe:

#6 amber DME
#0.5 60L
#0.5 Chocolate malt
#0.125 Roasted malt

Still keeps me within the SRM range (24) and hopefully gives me the style’s chocolaty caramel tones. I played with dropping the other two malts to #0.35 in the calculator. Will keep me at 21 SRM but then something just warns me away about doing that since I want these flavors more pronounced and to mellow over several months.

10

Yeah, 2 oz is about right to my taste.  You can get away with none, but I think some adds a little more flavor.