With the recent addition of the lagering chest, we have been wanting to make a Traditional Bock. So on Sunday we did just that. Here you can see E stirring the decoction mash. What a Freakin' Stud! We used a 5 gallon pot and removed about 4 gallons of thick mash from the main mash. (It boiled down to about 3.5 gallons.) We stepped it up from 122 to 145 and held it for 30 mins. We then stepped it up to 158 for 30 mins. and finally boiled it for about 20 mins. We returned the boiling mash back to the main mash which in turn raised that up to about 155. (The main mash started at 122, rested for 30 mins., and was rested again at 145 up to this point.) After 20 or 30 mins. we mashed out at 169. This worked pretty well. Next time we may do a double or triple decoction. It all depends on how good this beer tastes. Our OG was 1.069 and the color was a real nice, deep, copper. It should be a very tasty, cock knockin', Bock! If one decoction works out there may not be any need for adjustments other than using a bigger pot and pulling a bigger decoction. (The 25 gal. pot may be too big for this but, we may try that next time.) We will keep you posted.
Freak Out!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Freak E Bock d-E-coction Mashing!
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3 comments:
We don't use direct heat on our mashtun so I have found decocs to be a great "on the fly" way to make adjustments on temp. We brew in the garage so in the winter, it's easy to fall way short on a temp because you don't properly compensate for temp loss.
A quick decoction fixes everything and you are right back on track.
Yeah, I guess I never thought about mashing in a cooler. A decoction would be about the best way to do that. I think E used to mash in a cooler. That must be why he is so familiar with the process. I've never bothered with decoction mashing before but, I will certainly be doing it again. We raised our efficiency from 77% to 82% or better. It doesn't get much higher than that. I won't know for sure until it is done. Should be about 3-4 days until secondary. My brix reading is at 11.1 (it drops about .5 each day) and it will finish between 9.6 and 8.8. It's gonna be a great beer. I can't wait!
IMO decoction imparts a unique flavor to the beer. I can't help but think that the direct cooking of the grains allows for some caramelization you would not otherwise get. Plus with pils and some other grains that are not as modified, you will find a greater efficiency benefit.
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