Overnight mashing

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MashBag
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Overnight mashing

Post by MashBag » Tue Apr 06, 2021 7:16 am

Does anyone here mash overnight?

I setup the evening before, mash starts overnight.
Next morning, nice coffee and then I boil & hop.

Idle brewing...

f00b4r
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Re: Overnight mashing

Post by f00b4r » Tue Apr 06, 2021 9:54 am

No but I know others on here do. I was going to until they bought out delayed start function on the Braumeister, being able to mash in when I wake up and then be ready for pulling the malt tube shortly after breakfast was enough for me. Continued lockdown might change this though...

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Nashbrew
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Re: Overnight mashing

Post by Nashbrew » Tue Apr 06, 2021 10:14 am

Hi Mashbag
How does this work with a BM do you set your timings to last hours rather than minutes?
Do you mash into cold water at the start or set a temp?
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MashBag
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Re: Overnight mashing

Post by MashBag » Tue Apr 06, 2021 12:49 pm

I dough in cool & set 6 hours @ 20c to make a start. Then gently extend steps.

Equally you can do a huge 66c mash.

"Brewday" is about 2.5 hours (over 3 days.)

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Re: Overnight mashing

Post by Nashbrew » Tue Apr 06, 2021 1:00 pm

Thanks MashBag
This certainly will cut brew day up.
So a 5 step mash will go something like:

20c for 6hrs
52c for 20min
63c for 35min
73c for 35min
78c for 10min
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Re: Overnight mashing

Post by f00b4r » Tue Apr 06, 2021 2:09 pm

What’s the third day for, waiting for natural cooling? It takes me around 20 minutes to cool with these BM immersion chiller, I’m not sure I would be saving any real time by letting it cool naturally, especially as I can be doing things whilst that happens (I only tend to stir with the IC for a few minutes of that and then use the pump for the rest of the time).

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MashBag
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Re: Overnight mashing

Post by MashBag » Tue Apr 06, 2021 4:02 pm

f00b4r wrote:
Tue Apr 06, 2021 2:09 pm
What’s the third day for, waiting for natural cooling? It takes me around 20 minutes to cool with these BM immersion chiller, I’m not sure I would be saving any real time by letting it cool naturally, especially as I can be doing things whilst that happens (I only tend to stir with the IC for a few minutes of that and then use the pump for the rest of the time).
I agree, but it isn't really 20 mins is it......get it out - clean - use - wash - dry - packaway ... at least 30 mins.

I have managed to get a end to end brew day down to 5 hours. With overnight mashing & chilling I can reduce this to 2.5 hours ish.

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Re: Overnight mashing

Post by MashBag » Tue Apr 06, 2021 4:09 pm

Nashbrew wrote:
Tue Apr 06, 2021 1:00 pm
Thanks MashBag
This certainly will cut brew day up.
So a 5 step mash will go something like:

20c for 6hrs
52c for 20min
63c for 35min
73c for 35min
78c for 10min
Yeah that works - allow 1c min for temp uplifts in a BM20 (other models/elements will vary)
overnight.jpg
Day 1 setup (30 mins)
Day 2 boil and hop. run away (1 hr ish )
day 3 Pump to PV, pitch and wash up. (1 hr ish)

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Re: Overnight mashing

Post by Nashbrew » Wed Apr 07, 2021 12:29 pm

Cheers MashBag

I just may give that a try on the next brew.
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Re: Overnight mashing

Post by MashBag » Wed Apr 07, 2021 12:46 pm

this will help....

..Doh can't upload excel either.

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Re: Overnight mashing

Post by Nashbrew » Wed Apr 07, 2021 1:28 pm

Cheers for the file MashBag

here is a rough plan for my overnight.
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overnightmash.JPG
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MashBag
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Re: Overnight mashing

Post by MashBag » Wed Apr 07, 2021 3:32 pm

The temp uplifts are worth keeping an eye on. Your volumes and your elements will make a difference.

Second brew day will be more accurate.

If you are overnight chilling I pop the lid on ASAP and put a towel over the vents.

Let us know how you get on.
Last edited by MashBag on Mon Apr 12, 2021 7:26 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Overnight mashing

Post by ElthamBrewer » Sun Apr 11, 2021 3:08 pm

Just to clarify, is the cold holding temperature just because you don't want the 63 degree mash to run over 7 hours, i.e., you just want a 2 hour mash to avoid the wort becoming too fermentable, or is it for some other purpose? I thought too that protein rests were only for specific beer types, do you apply it to every brew?

I'm definitely trying an overnight mash for the next brew on the grainfather, as having a few young children under foot there are not enough hours for the luxury of a brew "day".

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Re: Overnight mashing

Post by MashBag » Mon Apr 12, 2021 7:30 am

Cos I am tight.
20c is cheapest to maintain.

I can see no reason why you could not use that slot or that time for anything you like.

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An Ankoù
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Re: Overnight mashing

Post by An Ankoù » Mon Apr 12, 2021 8:15 am

MashBag wrote:
Tue Apr 06, 2021 7:16 am
Does anyone here mash overnight?

I setup the evening before, mash starts overnight.
Next morning, nice coffee and then I boil & hop.

Idle brewing...
I often mash overnight, generally for my half-batch, stove-top experiments of 10-12 litres. I don't have any automated mashing and brewing systems, the mash goes into an insulated picnic box with the water at strike temperature. The mash temperature gets adjusted after 10-15 minutes, lid back on and covered with a couple of folded towels (the lids of these cheap things are not insulated). By the morning, the temperature has fallen well below mash temperature, but conversion has had more than enough time to take place. get up early to sparge and boil etc.
Observations: The FG tends to be lower than otherwise and I expect there's more time for the beta amylase to do its work. I prefer dryer beers in general.
There are some ideal temperatures for bacterial growth and a slight whiff of this can sometimes be evident on opening the box in the morning. All of this is driven off in the sparge and subsequent boil, but I wouldn't advise leaving the mash much more than about 12 hours.

I haven't got a Grainfather or any other kind of programmable system. Fair dos to those who use them, but it's not the way I want to do my brewing. So I can't comment on programming steps.
I'm cheap. Just give me beer.

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