Don’t dream about taking that next step in homebrewing to making your brew completely from grain . . . find out how easy the mashing process in homebrewing can be.
Intermediate homebrewers often fantasize about making beer completely from grain, but many are intimidated to get started. Some worry that advanced homebrewing takes too much effort and creates too much room for error. These individuals often talk about making the leap, but few are willing to take the chance, even though they are fully aware of the many benefits that all- grain brewing will bring to the taste and quality of the finished product.
In reality, however, the Advanced homebrewing process is not as difficult as it may seem. One of the important steps for making all- grain is mashing the grain and this step is actually much easier than it first sounds. First, you need to have the proper equipment and that includes a large, seven to nine gallon brewing pot, a mill, a mash tun, and a water cooler. With the necessary equipment in place, you are ready to begin.
Crushing the grain in the mill begins the mashing process. The grain should be ground up finely, but the husks should be generally intact. Next, water needs to be heated in the brewing pot to a temperature of about 150 to 155 degrees Fahrenheit. The ground- up grain should then be added to the mash tun along with the hot water. Alternating back and forth between water and grain, the mixture needs to be kept at a constant temperature. It is best to not take any chances and check the temperature periodically by inserting a thermometer. Seal the top of the mash tun and let the mash temperature settle for about ten minutes. Then, continue to mix the mashed grains periodically and make sure the temperature remains steady. The mash mixture should then be left alone for about 50 minutes to ensure that the sugar conversion has run its course.
As you can see, mashing isn’t necessarily a difficult process and it shouldn’t intimidate. It requires investment in some new equipment, which can be purchased at your local homebrew supply shop or online. Probably the greatest risk with mashing is making sure the grain and water mixture is maintained at the proper temperature. As long as you can maintain this temperature, you are well on your way to making a delicious batch of homemade, all- grain beer.
The next step is Sparging, and look for that article to be released.
To view the mashing process – you can skip to about the 5 minute mark in this video the beginning is interesting also with a set up and recipe – or you can go straight for the mash.
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