Tripple Decoction pilsner

[Dan]

The darkest side of the darkside!

I would firstly like to thank brave sir frothy for giving me the inspiration and by doing a TRIPPLE decoction i am not trying to out do him

OG 1.045
IBU's 23

7.5Kg Lager malt (fawcetts)
100g Acid malt (brupacks)

125g Mittlefruh 2.4AA at 60mins
100g Mittlefruh 2.4AA at 0mins

5g Calcium chloride added to mash
10g Calcium chloride added to sparge

doughed in at 16C with 1.8L/kg
rest 15 mins
added 8L boiling water raised to 40C
acid rest 20m
Ph dropped to 5.4

1st decoction 33% raised to 66C over 10m rested at 66C for 10m
1st dec raised to 75C over 5m
1st dec raised to boiling over 5m
1st dec covered and boiled for 5m

returned to main mash quickly, temp increased to 50C
mixed and rested 5mins then pulled next decoction

2nd decoction 40% raised to 66 over 5 min
2nd dec raised to 75 over 15m
2nd dec raised to boiling
2nd dec boiled fo 5 mins

returend to main mash, temp increased to 64.5C
added 2L boiling water temp now 66.5C
rested 20m and checked for starch. strong reaction
rested 60m still some reaction, added 2L boilin water temp 66.2C
rested 90m slight reaction

3rd decoction 50% raised to boiling
3rd decoction boiled 5m

returned to mash, temp 73C (couldnt quite hit mash out)
mash transfered to lauter tun and ran off slow at 600ml/m




















10mins into sparge and a large channel appeard down the side of the mash tun. ive never seen so much flour and such a big casam appear. fearing for the batch i dumped the whole lot out. cleaned the manifold and remashed.

the second time, channeling appeard again, but not to the same degree. I have never experience channeling before in this tun.







can you smell that !






go to the toilet. come back. and look what happens!





a wort sample after colling and resting for 15mins



OMG night time already. 8.5 hour brewday !!



heres one i made earlier


and heres the best part: I accheived a whopping 93% effeciancy out of the mash tun!! to give me a and OG of 1.053
next time i brew a decoction i will definately get a flase bottom sorted. the manifold caused problems that ive never had in a normal infusion mash.

a note for anyone wanting to attempt a decoction mash...
Its very messy and sticky

[delboy]

Wow thats an impressive brew day, did you get any of the lovely smells that frothy noted when doing a decoction.

What yeast are you going to use and what temperature do you plan to ferment at?

[Dan]

i pitched s-23 fermentis at 10C
i brewed virtutaly outside so you sometimes dont get the aromas, but the decoction definately looked, smelled and tasted different after boiling

[Aleman]

We are not worthy!
We are not worthy!

Spectacular going Dan, 8.5 Hour brewday is pretty good for a Triple decoction - Plzen do it in 12 Hours - well thats just the mash, then you add a 3 hour simmer on top


Ok who's up for doing that ?

[Dan]

cheers aleman
12 hour decoction. one day one day...
i'd need a bed in the brewshed

[J_P]

That's ruddy impressive Dan, I don't have the kit (or the patience) to do a mash like that, hat's off to you sir!

[oblivious]

Very nice ,

Do you ever have infection issue with the ice addition?

[spearmint-wino]

Respeck! (as they say around these parts)

[Vossy1]

Do you ever have infection issue with the ice addition?

I questioned this on a recent brew day visit to Dans and I can quite happily confirm, from taste testing, that he definately has NO problems with infections and ice additions

How did you find the thermo box Dan

[Dan]

thermobox was good. better than my picnic box. it still lost a degree but i think thats acceptable seeing as it was outside and around 10C that day