From: arf@ddsw1.mcs.com (Jack Schmidling)
Subject: Re: All Grain brew
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 15:01:28 GMT
Organization: ddsw1.MCS.COM Contributor, Chicago, IL

 
 >I brewed a very simple all grain brew today and having a 
 problem and don't know why.
 
 Rather than try to sort out what you did right from what is 
 either wrong or not clear, I think it would be useful to 
 review the basic all grain process and see how it fits into 
 what you did.  The following article is as good a way as any 
 to do that.
 
 
                    MICROMASHING
 
 In my tireless crusade to convert extract brewers to all 
 grain "real brewers", I have developed a "Mr Wizard" type 
 approach that not only teaches the fundamentals in a way a 
 child can handle but provides a simple and easy way for 
 "master brewers" to test new ideas and disprove old 
 "momilies".
 
 MICROMASHING scales down a batch of beer to a size that can 
 be handled in sauce pans, measuring cups and the kitchen 
 stove.
 
 I have used the system to optimize the spacing between the 
 rollers of the MALTMILL. I have used it to convince myself 
 that decoction contributes zippo to extraction yield and to 
 experiment with different infusion temperatures and adjunct 
 contributions.  As it only takes about an hour to do a 
 "batch", several experiments can be conducted in single 
 afternoon.
 
 Equipment required"
    
     small saucepan   (500 ml beaker)
     funnel
     two inch diameter piece of window screen
     graduated measuring cup
     thermometer (100-200 F range)
     hydrometer (optional)
     balance (optional)
 
 The piece of window screen is pressed into the bottom of the 
 funnel to create our lauter tun.
 
 The batch size is a scaled down from 10 lbs grain to produce 
 6 gallons of wort at a gravity of about 1.050.  This comes 
 to 60 gr. (2 oz) of malt and 300 ml of wort.  If you don't 
 have a balance, 60 gr of uncrushed pale malt is about 1/2 
 cup.
 
 We start by crushing the malt.  You can use a blender, 
 rolling pin, hammer, maltmill or do nothing at all as I did 
 in one experiment.  The yield from uncrushed malt was 1.005.  
 I just had to do it.
 
 Pour the crushed malt in the saucepan or beaker and add 200 
 ml (1/2 cup) warm water.  Stir this gently till thoroughly 
 mixed.  This is know as "doughing in".  Heat this slowly to 
 155F, stirring constantly.  The smaller the pan, the easier 
 it is to control the temperature.  Maintain this temperature 
 for 15 minutes and stir frequently to distribute the heat.  
 I use a beaker and drop it into a styrofoam block with a 
 hole in it but only because I am trying to control it 
 precisely.  This step is know as "saccharification" and is 
 the period during which enzymes are converting starch into 
 sugar.
 
 If you want to add a touch of science here, put a drop of 
 wort in a spoon and add a drop of iodine.  After doughin, it 
 turns black.  After saccharification, it remains the same 
 color as the iodine.  This indicates that the starch has 
 been converted.
 
 The next step is called "mashout".  After 15 min at 155F, 
 raise the temperature to 175F.  Place the funnel in a 
 tumbler or graduated cylinder.  Stir the mash and dump it 
 into the funnel.
 
 In your saucepan, heat 2 cups of water to 180F and add this 
 to the mash in funnel as the level drops.  Keep the water 
 level above the grain level. This step is know as 
 "sparging".  You can stir gently to speed things up.  When 
 you have collected exactly 400 ml (1 1/2 cup) of wort, stop 
 sparging.  (When I say "exactly" I am referring to 
 controlled experiments but if you are just trying to learn 
 the process, nothing is critical.)   If you simply want to 
 know what you have done, cool the wort to room temp and 
 measure the gravity.  It should be around 1.040.  If you 
 don't have a hydrometer, a taste will leave no doubt about 
 what you have done.  
 
 You have just made your own malt extract.  You are now an 
 all grain brewer.
 
 To complete the task, the 400 ml should be boiled down to 
 300 ml to get the proper proportion.  You can add a few hops 
 pellets to get the full ambience if you like and there is 
 nothing to keep you from adding yeast and fermenting it out.
 
 From a practical standpoint, you can save the wort and use 
 it as starter for yeast or add to your next extract batch.  
 You can also mix it back up with the spent grain, add some 
 flour and yeast and bake a few loaves of beer bread.
 
 Have fun,
 
 js