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how many people mash out.

bummer47

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i mash out at 168 for 10min. but lately Ive been told by some fellow brewers.its really not necessary.can any one shed some light on this? thnx
 
I don't think it any more "necessary" than all the other things that some do and others don't.  IMO, the big reasons to try it would be 1) to improve lautering efficiency; and 2) to stop or "fix" the sugar profile of the mash. 

A mash that starts at 152F may slide to 150F by the end, and then keep slipping downward during the lauter, hurting efficiency.  Simultaneously, conversion continues anytime the mash is between 145F and 168F, so the beer profile is changing too.  If only for consistency, always stopping the enzymes from further conversion would seem worthwhile, and you'd get better lautering as a free side benefit. 
 
Necessary? Maybe, Maybe not. There is some sound reasoning behind the concept as MaltLicker stated. And as I have said before "It's your hobby". If you feel it is worth it, So be it. If not that's fine to. Sometimes I skip it because I  don't have enough water for a good sparg, so I will skip it in an effort to get more water for sparging.

Cheers
Preston
 
I'll disagree a bit with MaltLicker here, but only a little.  And sorry for the word games that follow.
Consistency is determined by your brewing technique, not your brewing "methods".  If you choose to not mash out and you are consistent with the timing and order you perform your technique, you will be consistent.  Two brews with the same recipe and the same mash profile, one with, the other without a mashout will certainly produce different beers, most likely the one without a mashout will have a drier finish/ lower FG (held longer at enzymatic temps), the one with a mashout will likely have a higher OG and FG (better rinse and higher efficiency). 
The purpose of mashing is to achieve the sugar profile in the wort that we wish to have to produce the beer we want to make. 
Using a Mashout is one tool we can choose to either use or not use, awesome beers are brewed both ways.  Necessary?  No.

you are the brewer so it is your choice.

Fred
 
+1 Bonjour +1 MaltLicker
(((Warning))) More word games follow : :eek:

IMO the words, technique, procedures, and Method are all interchangeable and relate or make refference to the same thing. A plan or set of step's to be followed (My words)

Technique is the body of specialized procedures and methods used in any specific field
Method is a procedure, technique, or way of doing something, in accordance with a definite plan
Procedure is a particular course or mode of action

If you choose to not mash out and you are consistent with the timing and order you perform your technique/procedures/methods, you will be consistent.

So the disagreement may be smaller than we all realize.  ;D

Cheers
Preston

 
I had actually thought about consistency as Fred described, but then thought about things outside the "method etc." such as ambient temperatures.  Same brewer, same method in January may get different (sugar profile) or worse (lauter eff.) results than in July due to the weather cooling down the mash quite differently.  So a mashout may reduce that particular risk.  And consistency aside, trying a mashout may help those brewers that think their extraction efficiency is not where it should be, and then they could do the mashout when they felt like it.  So it becomes like most things, each brewer making his/her choices. 
 
I increased my efficiency dramatically by mashing out.  Big time.  Like taking 60% to close to 90%. 

Get those sugars nice and soluble before washing them off the grain and they come right off, you just don't want the grain hot enough to leach out astringent tannins.

Mashing out allowed me the same yield from 8lbs of grain as I was getting from 11lbs.

As seen on tv if you order now you'll get....  I know I sound like a commercial but mashing out really makes a difference.
 
Maine Homebrewer said:
I increased my efficiency dramatically by mashing out. 

The combination of mashing out and using my own grain mill, Barley Crusher, I went from about 65% to about 80% efficiency.
 
I have to say, I don't find it a necessary step as long as you are sparging well, and with enough water. This is because it may just not be practical to remash or mashout, IE if you are using a cooler style mash-lauter tun, perhaps the mashout will lead to longer boil times in order to reach your desired volume.
Personally I DO mash out, but I use a heated mash tun so I save on the water issue. Even when I used a cooler I still performed a remash, but didn't sparge. My efficiency was not that great!!!
I say if what you are looking for is met by you procedure then keep it up. Consistency is important whether you mash out or not.
 
Mash Out will improve dramatically you efficiency and stop the enzime reactions giving you better control of your wort SG and removing some off tastes.
 
How does a mashout "Remove" off-flavors?  That is a new one for me

Fred
 
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