Personally I decoct sometimes for fun (decoction is a sort of step mashing process), but not because I think it actually does anything useful. Just purely for the fun of it. Makes life slightly more interesting, kind of, maybe.
I never ever step mash, like where I turn on the burner and either abruptly or gradually increase the temperature. I don’t do that. I don’t think it’s “wrong” to do it, but I really can’t help but question the value of the process. I guess it could be just another version of “fun”.
For the most part, I’m a slacker who chooses to waste time in various other ways besides dicking around with mash temperatures.
Oh man… I sure hope this thread can spiral into the abyss of taunts and barbs like so many others. Maybe we can find new ways to say the same damn thing over and over again.
You guys do realize that if there was no benefit to the process, then the plethora of professional brewers who do them would be wasting tons of time and energy. Some of the brewers are brewing 4 or more times a day, and the energy and time savings(Paulaner recently made a hefty $$$$ change to allow them .05% more extract and allowing to add .5 brew sessions a week) would outweigh the lack of benefit. Or is this just another case of certain homebrewers knowing more than schooled professionals with experience, masters and doctorate degrees?
I would say that step to your hearts content OP. Stepped mashes yield more fermentables, more yeast nutrients, have much better foam stability, and better taste. This has been proved countless times by professionals, science and sensory panels. In my experience I find single infused beers lacking. YMMV.
One thing I was going to touch on and forgot: when I set up my new system I calculated ramp times using the equation from the Blichmann website with 1 °C/min and a reduce wattage on my burner. Turns out I actually just run it full tilt at 1300W and get the exact ramp times I need. Just an FYI.
I really don’t know the full basis for the 1 °C/min ramping rate. Narziß mentions it. I believe Kunze references it. Even DeClerck states that ramp rate in “AToB”. I can tell you that it provides a nice steady climb through the rests.
Classic appeal to authority. I’m not gonna do a step mash because a commercial brewer does them. I’m gonna do it if I find a benefit to it. I haven’t and no amount of trying to put me down becasue I don’t will change that.
I’ll grant you this: The Germans (some, at least) are doing something right. What it is exactly, I confess I don’t know, and if it’s complicated in any way, then I’ll confess that personally I probably wouldn’t care to spend much time at all to find out. While I do have an engineering degree, I’ll also confess I’m way more lazy than I might be detail-oriented. Even if I was handed the perfect instructions and knew exactly all the right things to do, I am by my nature a classic f***up so I would certainly find some way to screw it up every single dang time. So, personally, I suppose my attitude is defeatist. If you’re thinking that, you’re right. Meanwhile, I do always know that if I want to consume some really great German brews, I’ll let someone else brew it for me. You’re all better at it than I am. I’m not a great brewer and I never will be. I’m way way way too dang lazy. And I’m cool with that. Many aren’t cool with that. More power to ya. Personally I’m a little bit happier being really lazy. Or ignorant. Or whatever. Yeah… I pretty much suck in every respect. Oh well. Gotta respect the Germans though. They generally do seem to know what they’re doing better than I ever will. Great for them.
Maybe it’s better if I don’t give advice anymore. I dunno. I mean, I know some stuff. I know a lot of stuff. But I do admit: I don’t know everything, and I never will.
You completely missed the point to make this about yourself. When it was not one bit about you.
I stated its been proven in academics, and sensory analysis that step mashing matters, otherwise these establishments you fight with such fervor would NOT be doing them. Big brewing is a business and corners that can be cut are. If brewery A can cut HOURS off a brewday and the sheeple can’t detect a difference, its being done. That was the point, the point was not me trying to force you to brew your beer a way you see fit.
As I have said 100 times, and will probably have to say 1000 more. Just cause one doesn’t “believe” or see a “benefit” doesn’t stop science no matter how bad you want it to.
While I can literally give you the exact directions to replicate it, it is difficult and very easy to screw up. I mean its really not, but its not what you do today, so that makes it much more foreign and difficult. I can totally appreciate someone who can acknowledge and recognize where they stand. If you ever change your mind hit me up.
see my friend, a plethora of breweries don’t do them either. You use breweries that do them as an all high example of superior beers, while discounting all the rest. Seek that which confirms and you’re never wrong.
And I’ve heard some homebrewers proclaim to know more than professionals. If I recall, theres a thread on here of you contradicting Mr. Bamforth. Hell, your belief about step mashes contradicts a ton of professionals. By all means, keep reading and agreeing with sources that confirm your beliefs, it’s when you spout it off as supreme fact that gets you in trouble.
You guys are real martyrs. Someone asks about step mashing, people who dont step mash tell him it’s useless, and then someone level headed calls for balance and somehow we trashed single infusion mashing somewhere? I’m perplexed as always when interacting with you.
someone that’s done it a lot says its not worth it
someone that’s done it a lot says its good but that people shouldn’t put down other peoples methods just because they don’t work for them (good on ya monk)
someone says that its proven fact that step mashes make superior beer, calls beer drinkers sheeple.
That person gets called out for being a douche, (and incorrect)
Sorry chief. They are not my beliefs they are proven scientific and sensory analysis reports. As much as you want to make this about me it’s not. There is a difference I quote science and testing you back it up with nothing. If you would have ever read that link I gave you eons ago you would have saw that. I don’t feed trolls. [emoji6]
differing view points and someone disagreeing with you does not make someone a troll, and calling you out on your BS does not make someone a troll. Your links are nice bud, but they still are links you have hand picked to confirm your own views on a subject. I realize I cannot get you to understand the whole confirmation bias thing, so I wont even bother, but a lot of people read this board, and if someone doesn’t call you out on your hand picked information, people might start taking it as gospel. Theres been a ton written about mashing temps and procedures, if you want to prove that step mashing is superior, you can certainly find the literature and the breweries making great beer to prove yourself right. If you believe that single infusion or decoction mashing is superior, there is copious literature and breweries to prove you right as well.
You would start the clock when you hit your next step’s rest temperature. The time during the ramp is counted as ramping time. For example) 122F protein rest for 20min, ramp 20min, 149F beta rest 30min, etc…
As far as step mashing your first all grain beer: I would not recommend it either.
