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Mashing

Hazard

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Hi, a partner and I are doing a mashing competition. The objective of the competition is to have a higher OG than any other group. I'm looking for some ideas on how to achieve this? We weren't really given any other specifics for the competition.

Cheers
 
Is this highest gravity after conversion? So, just the first runnings? ...Or highest gravity after sparging to a set volume? ...Or????

If it's just about mash efficiency, this article has a lot to learn from.
http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Troubleshooting_Brewhouse_Efficiency
 
He didn't give us that information. Just told us our goal was to reach the highest gravity possible from our mash.
 
I'm puzzled by this competition. Surely there is more to it than simply acheiving a high mash gravity, which is quite easy to do with a lot of grain.
Ultimately, you want to make something drinkable. Yes?
 
No. It's simply to achieve the maximum sugars out of the grains. We are not worried about it's taste or anything like that. After we measure it it's over, we're only using a cup or so of grains.
 
I think that the secret to this will be holding mash temperature accurately!  That small of a volume will drop temperature very quickly in a cooler! 

I'd first select the grain with the highest potential...then...I would get a great insulated thermos, and get your mash temperature dead on in the thermos.  I'd preheat it several times with mash in temp water so that your strike water and grain aren't affected by the thermal shock of a cold thermos interior.  I'd then mash in at my strike temp in the thermos with my grains, close it tightly and shake the crap out of it.

You'll be able to hold temperature through the entire mash time.  I'd then strain it out through cheesecloth to collect my wort.
 
This is missing some parameters. There should be a standardized volume yield for comparison.

...since there doesn't seem to be one...

Do a couple of test runs at home, first. Use Scott's idea of a preheated thermos, that's a great way to hold temperature.

Mill the malt into near powder, if possible.
Acidify the water to pH of 5.8
Dough in to 0.25:1 liquor to grist ratio to hold at 135F Hold for 10 min.
Infuse water to 0.8:1 ratio to hold at 148-151 for 30 minutes.

You should get mere drops of wort, but it'll be at the highest gravity possible because you'll have liberated more starches that will convert, plus proteins that'll show as additional gravity.

Good luck!
 
Another idea would be sparge until runnings are 0 then boil down few gallons if boiling is allowed.
 
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