Any old hand here done a decoction before?
Hear that it makes the brew very different from the usual infusion mashing.
Decoction...anyone done before?
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steve_flack
I had a go once on a Weizen. That was my worst brew day ever. The decoction was a right pain, took ages and then I got a stuck sparge and the last straw was when the amount of protein in the wort from the wheat coated the boiler element and made it cut out.
It was at that point I decided I would only ever make Weizens from wheat malt extract
It was at that point I decided I would only ever make Weizens from wheat malt extract
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PieOPah
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steve_flack
It's where you do a steeped temperature mash by taking out a portion of the mash, boiling it then adding it back into the mash to raise the temperature as a whole. It was designed to cope with high protein malts and it's still widely used in Germany I believe - mostly out of tradition. It does alter the flavour of the beer as you get some darkening and caramelly, malty notes. You could probably get a similar effect with appropriate recipe formulation.
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steve_flack
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mysterio
Many brewers say a decoction increases melanoiden content, which increases the maltiness of the final brew. Of course it's much easier to alter your grain bill with something like Munich or Aromatic malt to achieve this. It also increases your extraction efficiency which is attractive to big breweries (this is one of the main reasons it's done commercially). I toyed with doing it for my Oktoberfest Marzen but I couldn't be bothered. I would still like to try it as an experiment - I personally don't think unconverted starches would be a problem unless you're doing a decoction for the mash out step.
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PieOPah
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BigEd
I like the method and do a lot of decoctions. Necessary?, probably not but to me it adds a subtle complexity and depth to the flavor of the beers which just cannot be obtained any other way. Here is my basic take:
DECOCTION, What is it?
Decocting is a method of multi-temperature mashing that utilizes removing and then boiling and reincorporating portions of the mash to raise the temperature. It is said that the method developed centuries ago in central Europe many years before the invention of the thermometer. Decoctions were also a way for these early brewers to deal with the poorly malted grains of the time and obtain good starch conversion.
WHY SHOULD I BOTHER?
Well, you don't have to if you don't want to. Unless specifically designated all modern malts are well converted and will mash successfully with a single temperature infusion. However, there are those of us in the decoction underground who feel that there are positive side effects on the taste of the beer which decoction mashing provides, not obtainable with other methods.
During the boiling of the mash portion (the decoction "pull") a couple of significant changes take place. First, the heat and mechanical action of the boil break down the granules of starch making them more easily accessible to the conversion enzymes. This breakdown of starch particles will usually mean that a decoction yields a bit more conversion efficiency than an infusion mash on the same malt.
Second, via the Maillard reaction sugars and proteins undergo a process that creates melanoidins and other tasty compounds. This is very similar to what happens when sugar is caramelized in a saucepan or a steak is grilled. These melanoidins provide the subtle enhancements in flavor and color that only a decoction can give you.
HOW DO I DO IT?
You will need a decoction vessel, a stirring tool and a burner, preferably with an accurate flame control. The decoction vessel can be any non-reactive cooking pot large enough to comfortably hold the pulled mash. I use a 20 quart stainless steel stock pot and a large wooden spoon to stir. A scoop of some kind will also be needed to remove mash from the tun. I find a plastic-handled stainless steel strainer works well. A small pan or ladle can be used but a strainer allows the liquid to easily drain from the pulled mash when scooped.
Mashing in thick with a decoction is the way to go. I use a 1 Qt: 1 Lb water:grain ratio. The mash will thin out as you go and chances are you will add some water during the process. With a 1:1 ratio the total weight of the mash will be 2/3 water and 1/3 grain. For me this simplifies measuring the amount of mash to be pulled for decoctions. The ROT is 1/3 of the total mash by weight but in practice a little more, say 40%, is what I generally use.
Commercial breweries doing decoctions use steam heated kettles. The direct flame of a homebrew system does increase the chance of scorching and burning, things to obviously avoid. To take out some anti-scorch insurance I like to start the decoction vessel with a couple of quarts of water and bring it to the boil. This also adds a little bit of a heat fudge factor as you may be likely to undershoot your temps some on your first try. It is also probably a good idea to have both boiling and cold water on hand for quick emergency temp adjustments.
Most of my decoctions are "singles" with a short protein rest at ~130F for 15 minutes and then a jump to sugar rest ~152F for 60 minutes. A decoction to mashout is usually added at my brewery too. Typically the rise in temperature from a decoction will be 20 to 22 deg F although YMMV. Once you get the hang of it you may be surprised how accurate the temperature steps can be. Of course if you wanted to do more steps just start at a lower temperature. The "ultra traditional" historic decoction would be mashed in with cold water and proceed to acid rest, low protein, high protein and sugar rests. I've never gone this far but I have done a couple starting at the acid rest temperature of 95F.
OK you've mashed in and you have the decoction vessel ready. Pull 1/3 to 40% of the mash by weight taking as little liquid as possible and add it to the decoction vessel. Keep stirring CONSTANTLY even if you have started with a little water in the pot. Almost immediately you will start to see the color of the decocted mash darken, this is normal. Also don't worry about the beer being too dark. A double or even triple decoction with pils malt still will make a beautiful light colored beer. Keep stirring and don't forget to check the temperature. When the decoction reaches the next rest temp turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 15/20 minutes.
After resting the decoction add more heat and continue stirring until the whole thing starts to boil and bubble. (you can also do a short rest at mashout temp if you want to go nuts) Keep stirring and boiling for at least 10 minutes, more if you want. I usually do 15 to 20 minutes. Kill the heat and immediately add the boiled mash to the mash tun. Mix and stir thoroughly until the temperature is uniform. If the stars were aligned you will be right at your target temp. If not you can adjust down with cold water. If low by only a degree of two leave it or add some boiling water to adjust. If the temp is way off on the low side you probably got scared and didn't pull enough mash for the boil. In that case just pull some more, bring it quickly to boil and dump it back into the mashtun.
That's about it. Everything else you do is just like any other brew.
Cheers!
DECOCTION, What is it?
Decocting is a method of multi-temperature mashing that utilizes removing and then boiling and reincorporating portions of the mash to raise the temperature. It is said that the method developed centuries ago in central Europe many years before the invention of the thermometer. Decoctions were also a way for these early brewers to deal with the poorly malted grains of the time and obtain good starch conversion.
WHY SHOULD I BOTHER?
Well, you don't have to if you don't want to. Unless specifically designated all modern malts are well converted and will mash successfully with a single temperature infusion. However, there are those of us in the decoction underground who feel that there are positive side effects on the taste of the beer which decoction mashing provides, not obtainable with other methods.
During the boiling of the mash portion (the decoction "pull") a couple of significant changes take place. First, the heat and mechanical action of the boil break down the granules of starch making them more easily accessible to the conversion enzymes. This breakdown of starch particles will usually mean that a decoction yields a bit more conversion efficiency than an infusion mash on the same malt.
Second, via the Maillard reaction sugars and proteins undergo a process that creates melanoidins and other tasty compounds. This is very similar to what happens when sugar is caramelized in a saucepan or a steak is grilled. These melanoidins provide the subtle enhancements in flavor and color that only a decoction can give you.
HOW DO I DO IT?
You will need a decoction vessel, a stirring tool and a burner, preferably with an accurate flame control. The decoction vessel can be any non-reactive cooking pot large enough to comfortably hold the pulled mash. I use a 20 quart stainless steel stock pot and a large wooden spoon to stir. A scoop of some kind will also be needed to remove mash from the tun. I find a plastic-handled stainless steel strainer works well. A small pan or ladle can be used but a strainer allows the liquid to easily drain from the pulled mash when scooped.
Mashing in thick with a decoction is the way to go. I use a 1 Qt: 1 Lb water:grain ratio. The mash will thin out as you go and chances are you will add some water during the process. With a 1:1 ratio the total weight of the mash will be 2/3 water and 1/3 grain. For me this simplifies measuring the amount of mash to be pulled for decoctions. The ROT is 1/3 of the total mash by weight but in practice a little more, say 40%, is what I generally use.
Commercial breweries doing decoctions use steam heated kettles. The direct flame of a homebrew system does increase the chance of scorching and burning, things to obviously avoid. To take out some anti-scorch insurance I like to start the decoction vessel with a couple of quarts of water and bring it to the boil. This also adds a little bit of a heat fudge factor as you may be likely to undershoot your temps some on your first try. It is also probably a good idea to have both boiling and cold water on hand for quick emergency temp adjustments.
Most of my decoctions are "singles" with a short protein rest at ~130F for 15 minutes and then a jump to sugar rest ~152F for 60 minutes. A decoction to mashout is usually added at my brewery too. Typically the rise in temperature from a decoction will be 20 to 22 deg F although YMMV. Once you get the hang of it you may be surprised how accurate the temperature steps can be. Of course if you wanted to do more steps just start at a lower temperature. The "ultra traditional" historic decoction would be mashed in with cold water and proceed to acid rest, low protein, high protein and sugar rests. I've never gone this far but I have done a couple starting at the acid rest temperature of 95F.
OK you've mashed in and you have the decoction vessel ready. Pull 1/3 to 40% of the mash by weight taking as little liquid as possible and add it to the decoction vessel. Keep stirring CONSTANTLY even if you have started with a little water in the pot. Almost immediately you will start to see the color of the decocted mash darken, this is normal. Also don't worry about the beer being too dark. A double or even triple decoction with pils malt still will make a beautiful light colored beer. Keep stirring and don't forget to check the temperature. When the decoction reaches the next rest temp turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 15/20 minutes.
After resting the decoction add more heat and continue stirring until the whole thing starts to boil and bubble. (you can also do a short rest at mashout temp if you want to go nuts) Keep stirring and boiling for at least 10 minutes, more if you want. I usually do 15 to 20 minutes. Kill the heat and immediately add the boiled mash to the mash tun. Mix and stir thoroughly until the temperature is uniform. If the stars were aligned you will be right at your target temp. If not you can adjust down with cold water. If low by only a degree of two leave it or add some boiling water to adjust. If the temp is way off on the low side you probably got scared and didn't pull enough mash for the boil. In that case just pull some more, bring it quickly to boil and dump it back into the mashtun.
That's about it. Everything else you do is just like any other brew.
Cheers!
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layangman
decoction explained
Hey BigEd,
Many thanks, I shall remember your instructions and try it out on next brew day.
Cheers!
Many thanks, I shall remember your instructions and try it out on next brew day.
Cheers!
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mysterio
Great tips there BigEd, I've never seen the technique layed out as plainly as that. I'll probably give a single decoction a go for a German pils i've got planned.
One thing I don't quite understand: you said that your protein rest is 15 minutes which is probably the longest I'd want to do with fully modified malt. But won't the main mash be sitting for at least 40 minutes to an hour at protein rest temperatures while heating, resting, and boiling the decoction?
One thing I don't quite understand: you said that your protein rest is 15 minutes which is probably the longest I'd want to do with fully modified malt. But won't the main mash be sitting for at least 40 minutes to an hour at protein rest temperatures while heating, resting, and boiling the decoction?
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BigEd
In reality the time does extend a bit past the theoretical ideal but I have not seen a slightly longer beta rest do any harm in spite of what the naysayers on some of the American forums spout. My cheating method which starts with some water in the decoction vessel allows the pulled mash for the decoction to get to temperature very quickly. I have the water already boiling and the amount of goods in a decoction for a 10 US gallon batch is no match for a high BTU propane burner. The actual time for the rest while the decoction is cooking is probably in the range of 20-25 minutes. No worries in my experience.mysterio wrote:
One thing I don't quite understand: you said that your protein rest is 15 minutes which is probably the longest I'd want to do with fully modified malt. But won't the main mash be sitting for at least 40 minutes to an hour at protein rest temperatures while heating, resting, and boiling the decoction?