Mash Temp?

[WaltG]

Ok, going to try the White House Honey Ale. Recipe I found has everything but the mash temp. Any help?

Ingredients Amount Name Type #

5 lbs 11.7 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
12.0 oz Amber Malt (22.0 SRM)
8.0 oz Biscuit Malt (23.0 SRM)
1.5 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.0%] - Boil 60 min
1.5 oz Fuggles [4.5%] - Steep 1 min
1 pkgs Windsor Yeast (Lallemand #-)
1 lbs 0.0 oz Honey (1.0 SRM)


Fairly new to brewing so not sure. I know when in doubt choose 152...lol

 

[RM-MN]

How do you want the beer to turn out? Lower mash temperatures make it more fermentable so you get a drier beer while higher temps will leave your beer with more body. I'd probably mash at 154.

 

[HopsterMacBrew]

I just brewed my first BIAB brew last week. I made several extract and partial mash brews before, but this was the first all grain. Anyway, I was WAY OFF on my mash temp. Rather than 150'-155', mine was 160'-165'. This is something I will be more dilligent next time! As a result, my efficeency was low. I found a formula to calculate how much DME could be added to raise OG to target levels and did so. Batch is now fermenting in primary. Luckily, this was a 2-gallon batch, so if it turns out poorly, not as big of a deal than a 5-gal batch. Anyway, I made a few mistakes and learned a few things that i'll hopefully not repeat in the future. I'll let you all know how it turns out.

 

[Oginme]

The simple sugars in the honey will dry out the finish of the beer quite well. If I were brewing this recipe, I would increase the mash temperature to around 154F to help with some mouth feel to compliment the dryness from the Honey.

 

[WaltG]

So on my last biab it called for a mash temp of 152. I got water to a strike temp of 160, added grains, stirred, etc. Once i put a lid on and a blanket it was about 156. By the end of the hour it was about 150. Is that too long above the mash temp?

Should I be letting it cool a bit 1st then raise the temp when it gets too low? I kind of like the set it and forget it technique.

 

[wilserbrewer]

So on my last biab it called for a mash temp of 152. I got water to a strike temp of 160, added grains, stirred, etc. Once i put a lid on and a blanket it was about 156. By the end of the hour it was about 150. Is that too long above the mash temp?

Should I be letting it cool a bit 1st then raise the temp when it gets too low? I kind of like the set it and forget it technique.

I think you did pretty well. My guess is that it continued to fall from 156 pretty quickly, stabilized at 152-153 after 5 minutes or so, then lost a couple more degrees over the hour.

This is what I see as well!

Best to check the to after ten minutes or so, after the temp has stabilized...just guessing your reading of 156 was false high since the temp was still falling from the grain addition...it takes longer than one would think to stabilize.
Well done!