Time to wax lyrical...
Sparging temperatures - How critical are they?
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Reg
- I do it all with smoke and mirrors
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Sparging temperatures - How critical are they?
Come on Jim...
Time to wax lyrical...
Time to wax lyrical...
Wax lyrical, eh?
Well, sparging temperature isn't all that critical, certainly not as critical as the temperature of the mash, but there are two points to remember;
1. If the water's too cool, the sugar solution will be too stiff to drain off the grains properly and you have more chance of getting a 'set mash' (where the water can't get through the grain bed, but just sits on top).
2. If it's too hot, you risk leaching tannins out of the grains, which can cause a bitter after taste in the finished beer.
You really need to be between about 72 and 80 deg C.
Well, sparging temperature isn't all that critical, certainly not as critical as the temperature of the mash, but there are two points to remember;
1. If the water's too cool, the sugar solution will be too stiff to drain off the grains properly and you have more chance of getting a 'set mash' (where the water can't get through the grain bed, but just sits on top).
2. If it's too hot, you risk leaching tannins out of the grains, which can cause a bitter after taste in the finished beer.
You really need to be between about 72 and 80 deg C.
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Reg
- I do it all with smoke and mirrors
- Posts: 2119
- Joined: Fri Dec 17, 2004 1:00 pm
- Location: Knebworth, UK
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Now... my carefully planned trick question has been responded to with awesome ease... 
I've asked someone this question before and despite being a hairy-toed expert , they went straight for the mashing temperature! Although this is new to me as I've just always sparged with hot water and never really bothered beyond that...
So just for completeness, Jim... can you go into mashing temperatures as well...
I've asked someone this question before and despite being a hairy-toed expert , they went straight for the mashing temperature! Although this is new to me as I've just always sparged with hot water and never really bothered beyond that...
So just for completeness, Jim... can you go into mashing temperatures as well...
Ah, the mash temperature!
First, the mash is the place where enzymes in the malt convert the starch in the grains into fermentable sugar.
While the mash temperature has to be somewhere between 62 C (the lowest temperature at which the enzymes will do much work) and 68 C (the temperature at which the enzymes will be destroyed), the actual temperature you choose depends on the characteristics you are aiming for in the final beer.
To put it simply, high mash temperatures result in a sweeter beer, low temperatures give a drier beer.
The reason for this is that there are two (main) enzymes at work in the mash; alpha amylase and beta amylase. To grossly oversimplify, alpha amylase produces a less fermentable type of sugar called dextrose, while beta amylase produces maltose, which is highly fermentable. If you have plenty of dextrin, it won't ferment out, and will leave a sweetness in the finished beer.
Alpha amylase works better at high temperatures, hence if the mash temperature is high, you get more dextrins, and a sweeter beer. (Phew!)
The other effect, of course, is that the reaction takes longer at lower temperatures.
First, the mash is the place where enzymes in the malt convert the starch in the grains into fermentable sugar.
While the mash temperature has to be somewhere between 62 C (the lowest temperature at which the enzymes will do much work) and 68 C (the temperature at which the enzymes will be destroyed), the actual temperature you choose depends on the characteristics you are aiming for in the final beer.
To put it simply, high mash temperatures result in a sweeter beer, low temperatures give a drier beer.
The reason for this is that there are two (main) enzymes at work in the mash; alpha amylase and beta amylase. To grossly oversimplify, alpha amylase produces a less fermentable type of sugar called dextrose, while beta amylase produces maltose, which is highly fermentable. If you have plenty of dextrin, it won't ferment out, and will leave a sweetness in the finished beer.
Alpha amylase works better at high temperatures, hence if the mash temperature is high, you get more dextrins, and a sweeter beer. (Phew!)
The other effect, of course, is that the reaction takes longer at lower temperatures.
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BlightyBrewer
QUOTE (BlightyBrewer @ Jan 17 2006, 07:16 PM) QUOTE (jim @ Mar 7 2005, 07:53 PM) You really need to be between about 72 and 80 deg C.
Is this true for batch sparging as well as fly sparging?
P.S. I am the thread resurrector (if there is such a word)! :blink:
I've never batch sparged, but I would think you would certainly be safe to use water in that temperature range.
Has anyone actually used this method?
Is this true for batch sparging as well as fly sparging?
P.S. I am the thread resurrector (if there is such a word)! :blink:
I've never batch sparged, but I would think you would certainly be safe to use water in that temperature range.
Has anyone actually used this method?
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BlightyBrewer
Yes, BB it is true that you get a temperature drop between the hot liqour tun and the sparge arm, so maybe you should go for the lower end of that range.
I don't think that there's a particular temperature at which tannins suddenly start to be extracted; it's more a combination of the time the water's in contact with the grain and the temperature. For example people who mash overnight will get a high level of tannins, even though the temperature is quite low, simply because of the length of time the grains are steeped in the water.
Batch sparging is quicker than normal sparging, so maybe less tannins will be extracted, I don't really know.
Interesting thought, though! B)
I don't think that there's a particular temperature at which tannins suddenly start to be extracted; it's more a combination of the time the water's in contact with the grain and the temperature. For example people who mash overnight will get a high level of tannins, even though the temperature is quite low, simply because of the length of time the grains are steeped in the water.
Batch sparging is quicker than normal sparging, so maybe less tannins will be extracted, I don't really know.
Interesting thought, though! B)
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Axl
