Grain steeping volumes.

[evilsoc]

I was scanning a BYO magazine troubleshooter and I noticed they say a possible culprit for astringency is steeping speciality grains in too much water. This is news to me. I steep in as much water as possible and any astrigency in young beer always ages out. Does anybody keep strict steeping volumes for this reason or any other?

[evilsoc]

No reasons given as it was troubleshooter easy-to-read chart. I havn't googled it yet I thought i'd consult the mass sentient mind that is JBK first.

[mysterio]

Sounds like BS to me

[evilsoc]

Just for completion the chart is here. The numbers they give are no more than 3 quarts per lb of grain, so about 3 litres per 500g. I'll carry on as I was anyway.

[andyp]

I wonder if it's linked to the 1010 limit (ish.) to stop sparging. Same thing as having too much water in relation to everything else?

But what do I know

[Graham]

As Andyp alluded. It seems that it is based upon AG mashing volumes and temperatures; the max temp of 170F that is stated coincides with typical sparging temperature. The water volume is probably on some similar sort of assumption. I personally do not see any merit in either assumption.

[anomalous_result]

I wonder if it's linked to the 1010 limit (ish.) to stop sparging. Same thing as having too much water in relation to everything else?

But what do I know

The difference there is that you're washing the grains with a flow of water rather than steeping them. Through sparging you create a diffusion gradient that will draw almost everything soluble out eventually.

If you put the grain in a swimming pool amount of water it will have a similar effect as the solution will be so dilute as to have a similar gradient provided by sparge water.

Not knowing anything I find it difficult to comment on whether extraction is dramatically different with slightly more water, I would add this though (if it's relevant) If you soak a ham in some water you draw off x amount of salt. Say you soak an identical ham in twice the water, you might draw off twice the salt, but you've used twice the water so it won't be any more salty.