To Sacch Rest or Not to Sacch Rest

[Shifty11]

Brewing up a Blonde Ale recipe with a 1.5 pounds of “wheat” in various presentations.

-1LB White Wheat Malt @9.1%
-8oz Flaked Wheat @4.5%

Being a blonde ale, does it make any sense to do a Sacch rest for any period of time? Or should I let it ride with a standard Single Infusion Light Body mash step (148° @75 min)?

Thanks for your thoughts and input.

Total Grain Bill (yes, it’ll have a bit more color than a standard Blonde):
-6LBs 2-Row 54.5%
-2LBs Cara-Pils 18.2%
-1LB Honey Malt 9.1%
-1LB White Wheat Malt 9.1%
-8oz Munich Malt 20L 4.5%
-8oz Flaked Wheat 4.5%

 

[BigEd]

148F is a saccharification rest. Anything from 144-158F will allow the malt's enzymes to convert starch into sugar.

 

[brewbama]

I believe you’re overdoing it for a Blonde. It’s supposed to be a lawnmower beer. But it’s your beer — do whatever you want.

Base + a pound of Vienna malt, + half a pound of Victory malt (or Melanoidin, or Biscuit maybe). Basta. All that other stuff is just muddying the water IMO. I would probably even omit the Vienna but that’s me. Less is more as it were. (You asked for thoughts — those are mine)

I like the 148*F single infusion (aka “sacch” rest) for a Blonde.

 

[Shifty11]

I believe you’re overdoing it for a Blonde. It’s supposed to be a lawnmower beer. But it’s your beer — do whatever you want.

Base + a pound of Vienna malt, + half a pound of Victory malt (or Melanoidin, or Biscuit maybe). Basta. All that other stuff is just muddying the water IMO. I would probably even omit the Vienna but that’s me. Less is more as it were. (You asked for thoughts — those are mine)

I like the 148*F single infusion (aka “sacch” rest) for a Blonde.

For semantics sake, call it a light Pale Ale.

I kept with the Single Infusion at 148°F for 75 min.

 

[Shifty11]

148F is a saccharification rest. Anything from 144-158F will allow the malt's enzymes to convert starch into sugar.

Thanks BigEd. Shoot, perhaps I was thinking of a protein rest. Is that enough Wheat to warrant a protein rest in that recipe (next time, since I’ve already started today)?

 

[Yooper]

Thanks BigEd. poopy, perhaps I was thinking of a protein rest ‍. Is that enough Wheat to warrant a protein rest in that recipe (next time, since I’ve already started today)?

Definitely not! A single step lower temperature saccrification rest is just fine.

(You do have way too much carapils in the recipe, but nothing to be done for it now since you've brewed it. Next time, make sure you cut it in half, or even quarter it for that size grainbill. I'd do the same for the honey malt, but others may not agree with that one if they have a strong sweet tooth and preference for honey flavor).

 

[couchsending]

That grain bill is all over the place. A Blonde Ale (or any low ABV beer for that matter) should be 2 max 3 malts. Plenty of the world’s best are probably made with one malt. Base malt, some dextrin malt, and something for color if you want to be say “gold” instead of incredibly pale yellow.

 

[Shifty11]

I appreciate that, but I’m far less concerned with what others think the definition of a particular style is, than I am if I needed a protein rest or not; which was promptly answered already. [emoji482]

 

[brewbama]

For semantics sake, call it a light Pale Ale.

I kept with the Single Infusion at 148°F for 75 min.

Roger that. Hope it turns out well.

FWIW: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale = base + half a pound of Med Crystal.

But again, your beer. Brew on my friend!