Steeping vs. Mini Mash = Gravity Points??

[Grinder12000]

Is there, in theory, if done correctly, any difference between Steeping and Mini Mashing when it comes to the contribution to the wort?

 

[Yooper]

Yes, and if you do a large enough partial mash, you should be able to really reduce the amount of DME or LME you use. You could do a mash of, say, 6 pounds and reduce the DME by as much as 3 pounds. (I'd have to calculate it out, by that's my guestimate, depending on what you were actually mashing). If you find a recipe that you want to try to do as a partial mash, brewing software like Beersmith really helps. That's what I used when I went from extract to PM to AG using the same recipes.

 

[Bobby_M]

Just as a quick comparison, a pound of DME to make a gallon of wort would be 1.045. A pound of mashed two row at 90% mash/lauter efficiency would be 1.033. You can easily see why all grain brewing gets cheaper and why mini mashes get cheaper as you use more grain and less LME/DME. Don't forget that a pound of DME is about $3 when a pound of 2-row is $1 or less.

 

[Orfy]

Simple rule.

Steeping adds flavour and colour only. (it will not add to the fermentables)

Mashing adds flavour, colour and fermentables. (i.e gravity points)

 

[Grinder12000]

Reason for the question is that I was figuring out how much LME to add into the wort at the start and how much to hold back until flame out.

With

1.055 OG

0.75lb Munich
2.5lb 2-Row
6oz Crystal 90L
6oz Caramunich
4oz Chocolate

= 4.25lb of "steeping/Mini Mash"

That gives me 34 gravity points so 1.75lb of the 5.5lb LME goes in to the pot. (Approx)

 

[oberon567]

It doesnt matter when you add the LME, as long as it has 10 minutes or so to sanitize.

You need some sugars in there during the boil, but not a lot of them. Since you are have 2.5 lb. of 2-row in the mini mash you shoudl be fine to add the LME during the last 10 minutes, I would think.

 

[timothywilliam]

How much as a rule would you say you should have for sugars in the boil?

 

[david_42]

It depends on the specialty grain, crystals and chocolate malts give you more points if you mash. Very high Lovibond grains give the same results either way. Some, like brown and dextrine malts add very little steeped. Oats can add mouthfeel if steeped, and wheat the characteristic haze starches. Neither will give you any fermentable sugars.

Most others don't add anything unless they are mashed.

Grinder - you wouldn't need to add any of the LME to the boil until the end. What you have from the mini-mash will be enough.