#Mash and boil beersmith full#

That's not a huge deal for me, I have a calculator in the brewing spreadsheet that I use to back out the volume I need before heating the water up.

The 4% isn't in the Mash section, only the boil section to calculate post-boil volume. I think I finally understand what BeerSmith is doing! The 4% increase is built into pre-boil volumes - you can see it on the volumes tab in a recipe - so that volume will match what you expect as the boil begins. Luis, your problem is familiar and I found this a few months ago.īut I realized a few weeks ago, when Luis mentioned something similar, that I really didn't understand what was being said in the thread from the Beersmith forum. Other thing, the Beersmith pre-boil volume takes into account the mash temperature (78C)? With these data, the difference between pre-boil SG and OG is the same in Beersmith and real-life. The only way to get a similar data is to delete the cool shrinkage number (4% to 0%, in liters 1L to 0L) and to increase the trub loss for about 1L (from 2L to 3L). However, what I found is a 2-3 gravity points lower OG in comparison with Beersmith data, with equal post-boil volumes and batch sizes. My pre-boil data is quite the same as stated in Beersmith (SG and volume). I regularly reach mash efficiencies (in Beersmith software) 85%. I use a batch size of 20L and Brewhouse efficiency 77%. If you have a question for the experts or want to share your expertise, email us at or visit our website at Coentrao wrote:I recently made my first No-Sparge BM Mash (thanks to Nesto and all the folks), just loved it. However, I personally would not do a triple-decoction but would instead do a single-decoction if you want the authentic decocted-beer character. Some brewers have tried adding small amounts of melanoidin malt, which will partially replicate the flavor, but to capture all of the character, you do need to do a decoction. However, a unique German malty flavor and character that comes from decocting and boiling the mash can be difficult to completely replicate using an infusion mash.

#Mash and boil beersmith full#

In addition, the full triple-decoction adds several hours to your brew day. It requires a separate vessel and heat source and can be somewhat messy to perform. One reason brewers rarely practice decoction mashing these days is the added complexity and time. It is rare that brewers perform three- or even two-step mashes anymore. Modern malts are all highly modified, so only a single conversion step is needed to convert the sugars in the malt. Drawing the correct percentage of the mash and bringing it to a boil at each step produced a consistent temperature for each step.Ī triple-decoction mash has, as the name implies, three steps, and the extra steps were used in part to aid in the conversion of under-modified malts before malting science had developed to the level we see today. Decoction mashing was developed in the period before thermometers were in wide use. By “decocting” a portion of the mash and heating it to a boil, you can raise the temperature of the mash for each step, much as you would when adding water for a traditional infusion mash.Īs with other mash techniques, the mash may be completed in one or more stages or steps where the grain is rested at different temperatures. A decoction mash includes at least one step where a portion of the mash, including the grains, is removed and heated in a separate vessel to boiling temperature and then mixed back in with the main mash to raise the temperature of the mash. Triple-decoction mashing is a traditional brewing technique used extensively in Europe for brewing beer.

A Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine reader recently asked us the following question: What is a triple-decoction mash, and why would I need to do one?