Tips for mashing

Tips for mashing

Mashing-in
Mixing of the strike water, water used for mashing in, and milled grist must be done in such a way as to minimize clumping and oxygen uptake. This was traditionally done by first adding water to the mash vessel, and then introducing the grist from the top of the vessel in a thin stream. This has led to a lot of oxygen absorption, and loss of flour dust to the surrounding air. A premasher, which mixes the grist with mash-in temperature water while it is still in the delivery tube, reduces oxygen uptake and prevents dust from being lost.

Mashing in (sometimes called "doughing-in") is typically done between 35 and 45 °C (95 and 113 °F), but, for single-step infusion mashes, mashing in must be done between 62–67 °C (144–153 °F) for amylases to break down the grain's starch into sugars. The weight-to-weight ratio of strike water and grain varies from 1⁄2 for dark beers in single-step infusions to 1⁄4 or even 1⁄5, ratios more suitable for light-colored beers and decoction mashing, where much mash water is boiled off.

Mash-out
After the enzyme rests, the mash is raised to its mash-out temperature. This frees up about 2% more starch, and makes the mash less viscous, allowing the lauter to process faster. Although mash temperature and viscosity are roughly inversely proportional, the ability of brewers and distillers to use this relationship is constrained by the fact that α-Amylase quickly denatures above 78 °C (172.4 °F). Any starches extracted once the mash is brought above this temperature cannot be broken down, and will cause a starch haze in the finished product, or in larger quantities an unpleasantly harsh flavor can develop. Therefore, the mash-out temperature rarely exceeds 78 °C (172.4 °F).

If the lauter tun is a separate vessel from the mash tun, the mash is transferred to the lauter tun at this time. If the brewery has a combination mash-lauter tun, the agitator is stopped after mash-out temperature is reached and the mash has mixed enough to ensure a uniform temperature.

Edited by Amy
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