Wash/mash thicknesses recommendation.

[BlackSailJ]

Hello there. I have a brewing back ground and when we mash in our malts and adjuncts, it is done at a constantcy of oat meal. The mash has enough liquid to allow easy flow of the amylase enzymes while not having too much liquid to dilute the enzymes. When making washes, (the practice I see often) is to boil water and add it to our corn and other grains.

When you make your mashes for enzyme conversation do you use a smaller portion of water to keep a thick & enzyme concentrated wash or do you boil the entire volume of water for a thinner mash/wash and do it all all at once? Pretty much do you dilute or not. Thanks a bunch for any input.

[Chixter]

I have generally been using 2# grain per gallon but I hold off adding the last 25-30% of the water until I'm just about ready to pitch.

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

...but I hold off adding the last 25-30% of the water until I'm just about ready to pitch.

Make it ice, and use it to cool from mashing to pitching temps.

Almost reccomended that on the HB thread, but didn't know your procedure. Helps cut down waiting time in the passive mashing technique.

[BlackSailJ]

I just did a wash yesterday and took notes on everything. I boiled and added enough water to make a thin wash and used 8gallons of water for 10# of corn meal, which only left 2 gallon remaining. Instead of freezing it for ice I just added it to the fermenter after the amylase rest.

[Chixter]

BlackSail, your losing me here. 8 or 10 gallons of water for 10# of corn is not going to cut it. Recipes here with guys using liquid enzymes are calling for a minimum of 1.8# per gal. Some all corns as high as 3#/gal. What type of amylase are you using? I don't know jack about beer brewing but I do know this is not beer brewing. Why not try one of the tried &true corn recipes scaled to your particular capacities? If I'm reading your ingredients right you aren't going to get anything out of this.

[zapata]

Yeah, that's a mighty skimpy grain bill there. On the thick/thin mash, wait till you boil up corn at 2-3# / gallon....might change your opinion of just what thick means!