Finn Berger
Brewer
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2022
- Messages
- 62
- Reaction score
- 30
Actually I'm a bit sceptical about decoction, but I'll try anything more than once before I conclude. But I also want to understand why we must boil the wort with the malt. Seems it's the general opinion among decoctioners (if that's a word) that it's only during the boiling of a thick mash that you get maillard reactions. And maillard reactions is why we (today) do decoctions.
Now a maillard reaction is a reaction between a protein and a reducing sugar (and the fermentable sugars in the wort belong to that class). And the wort contains both, so why not just boil the wort? (And that's what we do when we're done mashing, so ...?) What changes when we also boil the malt?
Maillard reactions are influenced by several factors: temperature, acidity, concentration of the sugars and time. The only thing I can think of, is that it is the thickness of the medium that is important. And when you boil a thick mash, you get something akin to gruel. Is that it?
I've tried to find info on this, but have come up with nada. And I would appreciate it a lot if any of you could come up with some scientific backing for the "boil the thick mash" standpoint.
By the way I've tried boiling down the first runnings from a small batch. I reduced it from 8 to 2 liters, and then diluted it back to eight. When i after that added the second runnings, the colour was quite a bit darker than it would normally have been. And I do think the taste had changed, too. I didn't get a sweeter beer, so I don't think I got caramellization. (The temperature didn't get higher than 103C/218F.) My conclusion is that maybe this is a way of achieving the same goal?
Now a maillard reaction is a reaction between a protein and a reducing sugar (and the fermentable sugars in the wort belong to that class). And the wort contains both, so why not just boil the wort? (And that's what we do when we're done mashing, so ...?) What changes when we also boil the malt?
Maillard reactions are influenced by several factors: temperature, acidity, concentration of the sugars and time. The only thing I can think of, is that it is the thickness of the medium that is important. And when you boil a thick mash, you get something akin to gruel. Is that it?
I've tried to find info on this, but have come up with nada. And I would appreciate it a lot if any of you could come up with some scientific backing for the "boil the thick mash" standpoint.
By the way I've tried boiling down the first runnings from a small batch. I reduced it from 8 to 2 liters, and then diluted it back to eight. When i after that added the second runnings, the colour was quite a bit darker than it would normally have been. And I do think the taste had changed, too. I didn't get a sweeter beer, so I don't think I got caramellization. (The temperature didn't get higher than 103C/218F.) My conclusion is that maybe this is a way of achieving the same goal?