Long Mashes

[MightyMouth]

I think one of the problems of trying to have an interesting discussion on a forum is that, because you cannot infer tone in text, sometimes it comes across as an arguement when in actual fact it is not.

[boingy]

I think one of the problems of trying to have an interesting discussion on a forum is that, because you cannot infer tone in text, sometimes it comes across as an arguement when in actual fact it is not.

That, and the fact that there are always some pedatic ****ers

(Not meaning anyone in this thread)

[dcq1974]

Just for the record, I increased efficiency of my mash from around 75 - 80 % (normal 90 min mash) to way over 90 % by mashing overnight.

The resulting beer was "thin" compared to standard mashing times. The beer was basically inferior in all ways, mouthfeel, aroma (off notes increased) dry (due to high fermentables and lack of long chain sugars).

It wasn't bad beer just not in the same league as 90 mins mashing fun

[critch]

most comercial breweries(well every one of the 8 ive now brewed in!) dont go past 60 min mashes, whats the point apart from experimentation, you get excellent conversion at 60 mins, 20 however is a no no imo

[gregorach]

@MIghtyMouth: Well, if you reckon you can get a reasonable wort profile from a 20 minute mash, good luck to you.

[dcq1974]

Cheers for the info Critch and all

Enjoy experimenting

[alwilson]

Hi Critch,

What about the boil, I know meantime often only give it 60 minutes? What does your experience compare like? If I can shave an hour off an already excessive brew day by bu cutting back the mash by 30 minutes and the boil by 30, I can probably get two brews in! And that makes me happy!

Alex

[gregorach]

You certainly can reduce the boil time - but you'll get slightly lower hop utilisation and you may not get quite as good a hot break. I started off with a 60 minute boil, but ended up extending it to 90 for improved clarity from a better hot break. Mind you, that was back when I was using Irish Moss rather than Protafloc...

[boingy]

We've had quite a few discussions about 60 vs 90 minutes for mash and/or boil but with no definitive conclusion. I've always done 90/90 just out of habit but recently I have switched to 60/60 because I cannot detect any difference in the end result. Others are adamant that there is a difference. So do whatever makes you happy! I don't think I've ever seen anyone advocate going below 60 minutes for either stage though.

[Befuddler]

I do a 90 minute boil (or more) for pale beers where a bit of wort caramelisation might be nice, but a 60 minute boil for dark beers which are more likely to burn onto my elements. You don't want to drain a boiler and swap your elements out half way through, trust me.

[InsideEdge]

For what it's worth I do 60/60.

I only boil for 60mins as I get boil off of 5 litres an hour in a 30litre boiler so if I boiled for anything longer the boil off would just get silly.

[filet o fish]

i am doing a combination of 90/90 and 60/60s . 90s when its a wheeler recipe, 60 when its a zanicheif as thats what they recommend. I see no real difference.
tend to do 60/60 for me own made up recipes or basic ones of the tinternet with no details.

[gregorach]

Part of the reason I do 90/90 is so that I have time to do other stuff - from important, brewing-related stuff like autoclaving sample flasks and doing cell counts to annoying trivia like eating.

[dcq1974]

Critch can probably best answer this

So a nice discusion on mashing and boiling. What about fermentation times? What would be the norm in a commercial brewery? 7 days? 10 days?

I've done quite a few 14 day fermentations recently using WLP005 and always detect an off note (stale yeasty note) and wondered if I leave too long on the trub? It could also be a temperature problem as I have always fermented in my kitchen which can hit 23 degrees this time of year.

Luckily I have just recently received a very large Chest (ooooo aaarrr missus) freezer and have transformed this into a fermentation area so it will be interesting to see how this affects the final aroma and flavour of the house brew

[Befuddler]

Critch can probably best answer this

So a nice discusion on mashing and boiling. What about fermentation times? What would be the norm in a commercial brewery? 7 days? 10 days?

I've done quite a few 14 day fermentations recently using WLP005 and always detect an off note (stale yeasty note) and wondered if I leave too long on the trub? It could also be a temperature problem as I have always fermented in my kitchen which can hit 23 degrees this time of year.

Luckily I have just recently received a very large Chest (ooooo aaarrr missus) freezer and have transformed this into a fermentation area so it will be interesting to see how this affects the final aroma and flavour of the house brew

You'd be surprised how quickly commercial breweries turn it around. I think a lot of them will have it casked, fined and out the door within 10 days.