CA_Mouse said:
Tannin isn't being created by squeezing the grains. Tannin already exists in the hulls before they are even modified. Squeezing the grains extracts them from the hulls. The same is true for mashing at too high of a temperature.
Mouse
I'm going to jump on this thread for a similar question about what I did to my specialty grains in my last brew:
I didn't squeeze them, but stirred them. Instead of putting them in a grain bag and tying it off and dunking to steep, I read somewhere else that you can get better (use/flavor/extraction?) out of them by having them in a lower volume of water (than recommended by the kit - Palmer says 1-3 qts per 1 lb of grain; I went down the middle with 2 qts for 2 lbs, or 1 gal total) and having them loose. So I put a 5 gal paint strainer bag in the bottom of my kettle, put the elastic cord around the top, and put the grains in loose after bringing the temp up to 155. S far so good, I think. But then I think I made a couple of dumb mistakes. First, the temp dropped to about 140 after adding the grains (makes sense since they were room temp, and smaller vol of water), so I turned the burner back on. And of course, although I turned it off by 155, the temp got up to about 165ish... Rookie mistake! Second, I stirred the water with the grains in it. I didn't squish/press any of the grains directly or purposefully, but just used a normal stirring motion multiple times during the steep. Afterward, I then lifted out the bag, let drain, then discarded.
Do you think either the slightly higher temp for a bit or the stirring of the loose grain would extract much tannins, from y'all's experience? Sounds like the temp might be the more important factor, based on the above discussion and what I've read. Should I have just left the burner off and let the temp cool from 140 while steeping, or is it important to try to keep it at 155 the whole 25 minutes? Thanks for any comments...
(I'm sure the best answer will be had once I taste it!)