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Partial Mashing

Mashing is the process of breaking down starch into fermentable and non-fermentable sugars through temperature controlled steeping in water. Rather than just dissolving the existing sugar from the barley kernel as in steeping, you must actually develop the proper conditions for enzymes to break down starch into sugar. To do this, temperature is critical as is the proper time allowed for the conversion to take place. The following is a general outline for the use of grain as a partial total of a recipe and not intended to be used as instructions for all-grain brewing.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

1. Use about 1 quart of water per pound of grain that you intend to mash.
2. Remember that temperature is critical, so you must use a thermometer.
3. These guidelines are for the single temperature infusion method so you will not have to raise temp during the mashing process. You will only heat the water to one level and add grain, and hold it there for one hour.
4. Use about 1/2 gallon of water at 170 degrees to sparge each pound of grain.
5. Follow this method for any grain with a starchy white center and for all recipes requiring the use of flaked barley, oats, or wheat etc.
6. With any grain combination it is a good idea to use at least 50% 2-row pale malt to ensure enzyme activity and proper conversion during mash.

PROCEDURE

1. Put water into pot and heat until you reach 168 degrees. Use water amount indicated by principle #1
2. Turn off heat and add grain either in grain bag, or loose if you intend to strain with a strainer.
3. Stabilize temperature of water between 150-155 degrees either by adding cold water or adding heat. Your temp should be approximately 150-155 without doing too much, just adding the grain to the heated water usually drops the temp about 15 degrees.
4. You should now try to maintain this temp for a full hour. If the temp drops you can add heat carefully so as to not over heat the mix. By raising the temp one degree then turning off heat will usually cause the mix to raise several degrees as the temp reads slow on most thermometers. Just be careful not to heat the grain mix much higher than 158.
5. During the one hour mash period you should be heating your rinse water (sparge water) which you will pour over the grain to wash out the sugars and flavor . This water should be heated to 170 degrees. Use water amount indicated by principle #4.
6. After an hour of mashing and you have your sparge water up to temp, lift the grain bag up so it is dripping into the pot and begin raining the sparge water slowly over the grain allowing the drippings to fall into the pot. Do this until most of the water is run through and then discard grain. Do not wring out grain as this will cause harsh tannins to be extracted. Because you sparged, or rinsed the grain, there will be little flavor or sugar left anyway, so there is no point in worrying about the water absorbed in the grain. If you are not using a grain bag then you will need to pour the mix through a strainer into another container and then sparge the grain left in the strainer by pouring the sparge water over the grain collecting the runnings.
7. To this mixture you can now add your malt extract syrup or dry malt extract and dissolve it completely.
8. Bring this to a boil and add hops as usual.