Hi All
I'm planning my next brew and have decided on a Czech dark lager, but all the recipes I've been looking at so far either have a decoction mash or step mash required. This will only be my second all grain (and will be a small batch BIAB) and fourth overall, so I'm a baby brewer.
I've done a bit (lot) of reading and posts from 8-10 years ago go through the decoction theory, but then effectively say, that with modern malts, or by replacing a percentage with melanoidin malt, you can by pass the decoction.
Then some seem to go on about step mashing. I'm getting my nickers in a twist about all this. If I'm honest, I don't think I want the faff of a decoction, especially since the need seems not to be there anymore.
So a couple of questions to you please:
At the very worst, if I just did a "standard" one step, one temperature, single infusion mash - would it make good / great beer?
If I do a standard mash, what should the temp be?
A stepped mash doesn't sound too difficult, but there are a couple of different techniques. Is there a simple one to follow e.g. the method described in James Morton's book seems pretty straight forward (40-50-60-70) but doesn't supply times for raising the temp and time to hold at each temp.
As ever, I appreciate your time.
Cheers, Phil
Oh - the grain bill is:
47.4% — Pilsner
42.1% — CaraMunich I
5.3% — Carafa II
5.3% — Munich Light
. . . unless anyone disagrees.
I'm planning my next brew and have decided on a Czech dark lager, but all the recipes I've been looking at so far either have a decoction mash or step mash required. This will only be my second all grain (and will be a small batch BIAB) and fourth overall, so I'm a baby brewer.
I've done a bit (lot) of reading and posts from 8-10 years ago go through the decoction theory, but then effectively say, that with modern malts, or by replacing a percentage with melanoidin malt, you can by pass the decoction.
Then some seem to go on about step mashing. I'm getting my nickers in a twist about all this. If I'm honest, I don't think I want the faff of a decoction, especially since the need seems not to be there anymore.
So a couple of questions to you please:
At the very worst, if I just did a "standard" one step, one temperature, single infusion mash - would it make good / great beer?
If I do a standard mash, what should the temp be?
A stepped mash doesn't sound too difficult, but there are a couple of different techniques. Is there a simple one to follow e.g. the method described in James Morton's book seems pretty straight forward (40-50-60-70) but doesn't supply times for raising the temp and time to hold at each temp.
As ever, I appreciate your time.
Cheers, Phil
Oh - the grain bill is:
47.4% — Pilsner
42.1% — CaraMunich I
5.3% — Carafa II
5.3% — Munich Light
. . . unless anyone disagrees.