Question about "unique" single-step infusion mash

[Travel by the Pint]

I recently picked up a copy of The Everything Homebrewing Book by Drew Beechum, and I was surprised by their instructions for single-step-infusion mashing. Before I delve into their take, I should mention that I have successfully mashed using the normal single-step method, as well as multi-step. So my question isn't "is this the proper way to do it?", but rather "what benefits could be found by following their A-R-ish single-step instructions?"

The instructions begin in the typical way, but go off the rails at the point the wort is drained into the kettle. Instead of draining the wort directly into the kettle, they instruct that the liquid should be drained a quart at a time, and recycled into the tun where a plate or layer of foil has been placed over the grain bed. They say to repeat this until the liquid is no longer cloudy. Then and only then is the run-off diverted into the kettle.

The authors don't acknowledge that their method is unusual, so they make no mention of the advantage of adding these steps to a "single-step" process. Would it produce a more clarified wort and therefore a clearer beer? I'm game to try this if the results would be worth the extra effort. For the right beer, of course.

BTW, the book is chock full of all-grain recipes for many beer styles - something that most other books in my library barely address.

Thanks!

-Sally

[Rob Martin]

This is one form of recirculation. Instead of using foil, I occassionally run off some wort, slowly pour it back on top of the grain and do this 1-3x until it is clearer. The grain itself with create its own filter trapping fine particles on top of the mash.

Admittedly, I do not do this every time we brew. Sometimes we just run it off and go. I would be interested in reading why some would strongly suggest a form of recirculation prior to sparging.

[JMcG]

I always recirc, just the way I learned (JP and CP). No foil. Here's an old BT article about it.
http://www.brewingtechniques.com/librar ... iller.html
jim

[Jdl973]

This is "normal" for what we do minus the the aluminum foil. We pull off about a gallon or two depending on the type of grain being used. we just gently pour it back in. You will also pull a bunch of grain bits. This will help "set" your grain bed. Make sure you still have about 1 inch of water above your grain bed. If you pull "air" into your bed (water below the grain bed) a suction can be created and compact the grain bed. This can lead to a stuck sparge or channels being formed in your grain bed so when you sparge, not all the grain is getting rinsed equally and your OG will be way off due to your efficiency dropping like a rock.

Jason

[Travel by the Pint]

Very interesting! I have two CP books, and one JP, and the only recirculation mention I can find is in JP's book - and he's talking about the sparge water...
But it's always good to add a few more bullets to the knowledge arsenal! I'll have two chances to try this out over the holiday weekend - one for a California Common, and a second for a Thai basil IPA. Practice, practice, practice!


-Sally

[meisel]

Sounds like you are describing vorlaufing. It is a very standard practice and should be done every time you mash to improve wort clarity.

[Blktre]

Drew Beechum is a integral part of the Maltose Falcons. He is also responsible for giving us a Magnum of their Champagne "Bruit de Nior" for our club to sample many years ago. Good guy. Anyways, what Drew is talking about is using the first runnings as vorlaugh or just plain and simple recircing the runnings, adding back on top of the grain bed until the wort is clear of husk material. Just as the others describe. The purpose of the tin foil is to allow a even spread of the wort when it is dumped back onto the top of the grain bed.

There are different methods/equipment to use to spread the wort back evenly. Tin foil, pizza platter are simple and effective. Others like myself use a manifold on top of the tun and use a pump to for all the wort transfers. But the bottom line is to vorlaugh in any manner that doesn't splash the wort to much until all the grain husk material is gone. Grain husk material getting into the kettle can cause some extra puckering tannin in the beer that is undesirable. Excessive splashing of hot wort can cause HSA (Hot Side Areation) which can cause a stale or cardboard type flavor. Hence another reason of the tin foil.

If you batch sparge and stir the mash in between your sparges, you should vorlaugh again before your next batch of sparge water. There is nothing unique or special about your question other than the fact it is a necessary part of the brewing process. Glad your getting into the brewing as much as you are. Once you go to the Dark Side there no going back!

[Travel by the Pint]

So far my batches have had extremely good clarity, and I haven't detected any off flavors. Just good clean beer. Perhaps that's in part due to the type of filtration I'm using in my tun. The woven stainless steel outer hose, while admittedly a PIA to dislodge from its original rubber inner hose during the original tun construction - does an amazing job keeping husk material out of the wort. That's not to say it doesn't still allow transfer of microscopic particles, but the larger bits do not transfer.

We try something new with every batch - always expanding our skills and knowledge. Today we get to open our first bottle of dry-hopped beer - a double IPA. Fingers crossed it will be worth the extra effort (and $$). The holiday weekend will be spent making a batch of our baseline IPA that includes ad addition of basil macerated in a small amount of neutral alcohol (I'm leaning toward vodka) after it's transferred to a secondary. I'm sure one of our experiments will go dark at some point, but so far so good.

-Sally

[Travel by the Pint]

Update:
We tried the recirculating method at the beginning of the sparging process, and I could see the wort less cloudy in just a few steps. Visible grain has never been a problem thanks to my specific lauter-tun. FWIW, I think the Everything book is one of the better books in my library in that it spells so many of these processes out. Since the other "standards" failed to mention this at all (or have it well-hidden), I've come to the conclusion that more of the art of homebrewing is learned at the knees of other homebrewers than most people realize. Which is why a homebrew club is such an asset - as is this forum.
-Sally

[Blktre]

Update:
We tried the recirculating method at the beginning of the sparging process, and I could see the wort less cloudy in just a few steps. Visible grain has never been a problem thanks to my specific lauter-tun. FWIW, I think the Everything book is one of the better books in my library in that it spells so many of these processes out. Since the other "standards" failed to mention this at all (or have it well-hidden), I've come to the conclusion that more of the art of homebrewing is learned at the knees of other homebrewers than most people realize. Which is why a homebrew club is such an asset - as is this forum.
-Sally

Well said!