Easy Large Batch Mashing

Production methods from starch to sugars.

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dukethebeagle120
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by dukethebeagle120 »

shes all covered up and sleeping since 10
we`ll see what happens :thumbup:
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by dukethebeagle120 »

just checked the temp
its at 171.
i should be good for 149-150 by morning. :)
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by Shine0n »

sounds like good one duke, what did you do for the buffer?
Did you get some picking lime to raise if needed?

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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by dukethebeagle120 »

i got 50 lbs of oysters shells
gonna check in the mornin
got anything to sugest
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by dukethebeagle120 »

8:15 am
temp is at 163.
gonna get it out of bed and drop the malt in
keepin u posted
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by ShineonCrazyDiamond »

dukethebeagle120 wrote:8:15 am
temp is at 163.
gonna get it out of bed and drop the malt in
keepin u posted
Dont drop it until 150!

Good luck!
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by Shine0n »

+1 w/SCD
163 dentures the malt
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by dukethebeagle120 »

well mixed results.
at 8 am i checked the temp.
it said 163.
but the bottom of the barrel was quite a bit cooler.
so i gave it a quick mix and checked again
needless to say it was below 148.
it was aound 142
i use my own green malt that i freeze and grind
so when i added the malt the mash was to cool.
and the cold malt cooled it more.
so conversion was less then ideal.
i ended up with 1.045.
i let it to convert what it could and went to cut firewood.
returned home and checked it and there was a 2 inch cap sitting on top bubbling away
hmmmm
lesson learned-
1-gonna mash in on friday night so i have the day saturday to tend to it.
2-my malt is gonna have to be ground then left a while to warm up.
3-when i check the temps gonna reverse stir the mash before checking.
the all day mash fooled me
the all day and night mash is not good for me because i can`t be sure when i wake up the temp is gonna be right.
i need to be able to monitor a bit more.
i want to perfect this process so i am not discouraged.
i`ll get it right sometime.
atleast i got something to ferment
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by dukethebeagle120 »

Shine0n wrote:+1 w/SCD
163 dentures the malt
yes i know.
i was gonna stir it to get it to temp.150
but read the above for the rest of the story
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by nerdybrewer »

BTDT
If you had some low temp enzymes...

dukethebeagle120 wrote:
Shine0n wrote:+1 w/SCD
163 dentures the malt
yes i know.
i was gonna stir it to get it to temp.150
but read the above for the rest of the story
Cranky's spoonfeeding:
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=52975

Time and Oak will sort it out.
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by dukethebeagle120 »

i thought of that when i saw 142
i should get some low temp enzymes just as insurance
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by dukethebeagle120 »

well before i added yeast it was up in th mid 1.050s
so the cold temps made conversion slow but never the less it converted acceptably for me.
i added yeast and back stirred with a paint stirrer.
truckinbutch was right,you can hear the air being sucked in.
the mash fermented out in 3.5 day to an even 1.000
thanks crazy diamond for sharing your technics.
a bit more practice and a tighter mash protocol and i will have it down packed.
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by Truckinbutch »

Glad I could help . This AG is fascinating . Enjoy your journey .
If you ain't the lead dog in the team , the scenery never changes . Ga Flatwoods made my avatar and I want to thank him for that .
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by dukethebeagle120 »

theres one thing i need to know
i grind fine
my mash temps are on the money
i do have a problem with p.h though
my house water is soft
i tested it today out of the tap and it was at 9.8
i always seem to have problems getting over a 1.050 or so
is it my p.h.
conversion always happens
but its seems always low
i got a batch ferming now
55 lbs corn
14 lbs wheat malt
13lbs barley malt
36 gallons of water
gelled well and at 148 i added malt
started converting instantly
i left it for a day and checked
1.051 again.
thats always my ballpark
do you think its the p.h
someone here wrote that high p.h causes low conversion i thought
its bubbling away at a 5% pace so its better then nothing.
but i would like to rectify this :thumbup:
my goal has always been 1.060
should i up my corn bill hmmmm
just need help to get that extra .01.
thnx boys :D
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by HDNB »

i would like to enter my objection to the title of this thread.

i started a large batch at 830 this AM. it's 4:45 PM.

my steam generator needed cleaning. I could not find a bungee i use to hold insulation in place.

The roller mill was being a temperamental bitch and i dropped the EFFING thermometer in the mash again.

my wort chiller sprung a leak (to go along with two other leaks that have been plaguing my reservoir system) and now i'm relying on fans to cool the wort.

except one of the fans just quit.

i hope it gets down to mash temps before bedtime, it's pretty warm here today so air cooling isn't optimal.

if this was easy everybody would be doing it.

did i mention the air compressor sounds like it's on it's last legs? I noticed that just after i found the auto-oiler leaking on my air stirrer.

FML.
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by Truckinbutch »

I think y'all approach the problem from the wrong direction . You make it hard on yourselves with this 'easy' passive method . I grind super fine . Big chunks won't cook/gelatanize as well as a fine grind . I keep the paddle mixer running steady to thorouly cook the mash and cool it back to an acceptable low temp via convection . Far from claiming that I got a lock on this .
This coming weekend we will cook a mash following my protocols and everyone can test at any point .
I'd say that we will have established a hands on trial that we all can share on the Forum by next Monday .
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by dukethebeagle120 »

true
but i grind to flour.
so that ain`t the problem
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by Truckinbutch »

dukethebeagle120 wrote:true
but i grind to flour.
so that ain`t the problem
I understand . What I've gathered is that you got to cook the hell out of corn to cook the starches out . Passive cooking of a mash just doesn't develop the starch/sugar conversion that an aggressive cook does .
I know that I'm getting off the wall conversions doing it the way I do it .
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by dukethebeagle120 »

so what ur saying is i need to increase my corn bill.
also how much sugar can expect from 14lbs of malt wheat and 13 malt barley
or should i consider that grain as just grain for conversion
or should i just increase my corn bill and figure 2.5-3 lbs grain to 1 gallons of water
i hope i am being clear sorry
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by Truckinbutch »

duke , best I can tell ya is that I'm using 2 liquid enzymes and real time cooking the hell out of my finely ground grains . I am not depending on malted grains to effect starch/sugar conversions .
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by HDNB »

duke, this may help:
http://howtobrew.com/book/section-2/wha ... imum-yield" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
The reference for comparison is pure sugar (sucrose) because it yields 100% of its weight as soluble extract when dissolved in water. (One pound of sugar will yield a specific gravity of 1.046 when dissolved in 1 gallon of water.) To calculate the maximum yield for the malts and other adjuncts, the percent extraction for each is multiplied by the reference number for sucrose-46 points/pound/gallon (ppg).

For example, let's look at a typical pilsner base malt. Most light base malts have a maximum yield of 80% by weight of soluble materials. So, if we know that sugar will yield 100% of its weight as soluble sugar and that it raises the gravity of the wort by 46 ppg, then the maximum increase in gravity we can expect from pilsner base malt, at 80% solubility, is 80% of 46 or 37 ppg.
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by dukethebeagle120 »

i always figured that 1 pound of sugar was equal to 2.2 pounds of grain
is that wrong
maybe i am not adding enough grain
i thought 1 pound of sugar in 1 gallon of water
would yield 1.032 or so
hmmmmm
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by HDNB »

2.2 pounds will get you over 1.06 at a course grind and shit conversion.

i'm using 300g/litre... (about 2.6lbs/gal?) my last was north of 8% and maybe even 9% (dont have my notes handy)
the one i'm working today i took to 330g...i'm trying for 10% just cause ive never done one that high and i want to see if it goes good.

EDIT: saw you reply. i never vetted the numbers, it was just a copy and paste from the brew site. see what i can find edit /edit: Rad's calcs on the parent site says 1.046 for sugar too.
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by der wo »

I use a protocol without adding enzymes and get always around 10% alcohol:
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =3&t=59760
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =3&t=63464
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =3&t=62973
A bit more complicated and for brewers very strange mashing temps:
-Water 75°C. Shut off the heat. Insulate.
-Stir in the corn.
-Stir in 1/7 of the malt (fine milled).
-Wait at least 1h and stir ocassionally.
-Heat up and boil it.
-With cracked corn I would insulate it now and rest over night. I never tried cracked corn. Probably you get less yield.
-Now either wait until the temp is 73°C or if it is lower heat it up to 73°C again and then stir in again 1/7 of the malt.
-Wait until it is 58°C. Then stir in the rest of the malt (5/7)

10% alcohol with 1kg grain per 3.5l final mash volume or 1kg grain per 3.2l added water. 20% malted barley in the grain bill. All grains fine milled. No lautering.
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by ShineonCrazyDiamond »

With this process, and using 2lbs/gal, I get a consistent 1.065 with corn meal, and1.055 with straight Producers Pride cracked corn. For this reason I usually just mash 2.5 lbs /gallon when doing cracked corn. Sure, there are other methods that will yield better conversion, but the trade off for opening a bag of already ground corn and adding boiling water, then coming back when your good and ready to mash is a no brainer to me. Add $4 more corn to a 40 gallon batch and call it a day :thumbup:
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by Shine0n »

SCD, Where are you sourcing bulk cornmeal? I can't seem to find it or its from a restaurant supply that I can't get it from.
OR is a cornmeal mix which has other crap in it, I've been buying 2 lb bags and I'm running out of excuses. lol
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by ShineonCrazyDiamond »

Restaurant Depot :thumbup:

You don't need a restaurant business license, just any license. Photography license, yard work, any LLC, etc. 50lbs for $15.
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by Shine0n »

I'll see if anyone I know has that close to one, I'm 2 hours from one but have friends in low places. lol
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by Antler24 »

Planning on trying this soon but don't have a drain in the kettle, so I thought I'd use a stainless racking cane and high temp tubing to siphon the water. If I get my water up to boiling, siphon into 5 gallon buckets and dump into the fermenter, you guys think it'll lose too much heat to cook the corn?
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Re: Easy Large Batch Mashing

Post by Oldvine Zin »

Antler why don't you just siphon directly into the fermentor ? that's what I do and have had no issues with heat loss

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