Should I try overnight mash?

[Monkhouse]

I’ve never done it before but I really want to brew tomorrow but don’t have the time to devote most of the day to brewing. I thought I could put the mash on last thing tonight and then just sparge and boil in the morning.
I’ve got an sS brewtech 10gallon InfuSsion mash tun so I don’t know what sort of heat loss I would be expecting.
The beer will be a sort of Duvel clone. Could anyone tell me the pros and cons of overnight mashing and tell me of anything I should be made aware of if I’m using this method?
Cheers guys

 

[MashBag]

YES

 

[MashBag]

Mash cold overnight at 20c.
Start a temp uplift about early in the morning. Aim the end of mash to arrive at the same time as your first coffee

Warning. You may never go back to brewdays.
I dropped sparge & chill and my beer has only improved.

For 2000w and 29liters I allow 1min for 1°c increase in the temp. That isn't absolute, but it is vf close.

I use the 5 braumeister mash steps as a timer.

 

[MashBag]

Boil @ say 08.00
= Mash @65 for 60mins starts @ 07.00
Temp uplift from 20c to 65c =45m
So start temp uplift starts @ 06.15

Shout up if you need my spreadsheet.

 

[Monkhouse]

Thanks for all that mashbag but unfortunately it doesn’t apply to my set up/ it’s an infusion mash tun, not electric ️

 

[The Baron]

I used to do them on a regular basis unlike MashBag I could not set my AIO to come on a timer so I used to heat up and mash before bed - literally just turn on mash in and leave,
I then had 2 options I would wrap really well to keep the heat in and leave while the morning or I have been known to leave it on the mash temp setting all night.
" things to watch for your Eff will climb a bit so account for this in the grain bill and if you wrap do not leave the mash too long as if the temp drops to 50c or below you risk lacobacillus.
I did this once and the mash smelled cheesy and did not go any further with that one.
They certainly can save family time as the mash is done while in bed and a quick sparge then boil and its done

 

[RichK]

It's definitely worth trying. Worked really well for me with my old induction biab setup. Just wrap it up well to keep the temperature above 50C.

 

[Monkhouse]

Hmm that’s interesting. Hadn’t thought about bacteria. I’ll put a few litres of boiling water in my tun now and measure the temp drop over the day.

 

[MashBag]

Thanks for all that mashbag but unfortunately it doesn’t apply to my set up/ it’s an infusion mash tun, not electric ️

Yeees. I had just noticed I was googling the your brewtech when you replied. Bugger

OK... other end of the scale, don't sparge and do a no chill? Done earlier?

 

[MashBag]

Hmm that’s interesting. Hadn’t thought about bacteria. I’ll put a few litres of boiling water in my tun now and measure the temp drop over the day.

Dig out the spare quilt too

 

[The Baron]

If you wrap @ about 10pm on a night and wrap well with old duvet and Towels etc it will be ok for a 7 0'clock start as a rough idea.
I usually start about 6.30am and the mash out sparge with boil can be done before 9am.
You do not even have to chill if you just let it no chill thats what I do every time even if just doing a normal brew day.
I would say give it a go if it does not suit at least you have the experience

 

[Clarence]

I’ve never done it before but I really want to brew tomorrow but don’t have the time to devote most of the day to brewing. I thought I could put the mash on last thing tonight and then just sparge and boil in the morning.
I’ve got an sS brewtech 10gallon InfuSsion mash tun so I don’t know what sort of heat loss I would be expecting.
The beer will be a sort of Duvel clone. Could anyone tell me the pros and cons of overnight mashing and tell me of anything I should be made aware of if I’m using this method?
Cheers guys

I do it all the time, @Monkhouse . I use a picnic cool box for mashing in so you'll possible need to adapt to your system. If I want to mash at, say, 66C, I bring the mix up to that temperature, throw a towel over the lid (the lids are not insulated) and then correct the temperature with boiling water 15 minutes later, replace lid and towels and leave it.
In the morning it's quite cool and may even pong slightly where the lactic acid bacteria have been having a field day. Nothing to worry about, you'll lose that in the sparge and any lactic acid has improved the mash pH infinitesimally.
Drain, sparge and boil as normal. You'll probably find you attenuation is a bit more than your recipe predicts (FG is lower) but it doesn't seem to be to the detriment of the beer.
Does it make good beer? I've won competitions using this method!

 

[Monkhouse]

If you wrap @ about 10pm on a night and wrap well with old duvet and Towels etc it will be ok for a 7 0'clock start as a rough idea.
I usually start about 6.30am and the mash out sparge with boil can be done before 9am.
You do not even have to chill if you just let it no chill thats what I do every time even if just doing a normal brew day.
I would say give it a go if it does not suit at least you have the experience

What do you mean when you say you dont have to chill?
I use a plate chiller after my boil to directly cool the wort to 20c as I pump it into the fv.

 

[Monkhouse]

I do it all the time, @Monkhouse . I use a picnic cool box for mashing in so you'll possible need to adapt to your system. If I want to mash at, say, 66C, I bring the mix up to that temperature, throw a towel over the lid (the lids are not insulated) and then correct the temperature with boiling water 15 minutes later, replace lid and towels and leave it.
In the morning it's quite cool and may even pong slightly where the lactic acid bacteria have been having a field day. Nothing to worry about, you'll lose that in the sparge and any lactic acid has improved the mash pH infinitesimally.
Drain, sparge and boil as normal. You'll probably find you attenuation is a bit more than your recipe predicts (FG is lower) but it doesn't seem to be to the detriment of the beer.
Does it make good beer? I've won competitions using this method!

So the wort isn’t ruined if it does drop below 50c over night?

 

[The Baron]

What do you mean when you say you dont have to chill?
I use a plate chiller after my boil to directly cool the wort to 20c as I pump it into the fv.

I and some other brewers do not chill our wort down but let it cool naturally. It saves time and in my opinion is not detrimental to the beer it means you can boil then leave to chill down. You can either run it into your FV whilst still hot(let it cool enough so it does not affect any plastic FV's) or just leave in the boiler to chill then transfer to the FV.
I never chill my beer with a chiller

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Yep used to do it all the time but as kids have got older I have more time to myself.

Very similar to @the baron , I'd set the mash temp and leave overnight. It does definitely lessen overall brew time. It also increases efficiency, sometimes quite dramatically! Anecdotally, I think it also gives the beer more body. Don't let the mash drop below 50c as stated.

 

[MashBag]

I and some other brewers do not chill our wort down but let it cool naturally. It saves time and in my opinion is not detrimental to the beer it means you can boil then leave to chill down.

Yup. Works a treat for me. No chilling setup or wash-up.

 

[MashBag]

I have even pitched a little high at 25c and let the fermentation chiller sort it out.

 

[Clarence]

So the wort isn’t ruined if it does drop below 50c over night?

No
Absolutely not.

 

[MashBag]

No.