hbr2547 said:
Excited to try my first double decoction. Read thru posts and watched online videos...to confirm thick part of mash for all but mash out decoction which is thin part?
Also, any tweaks to recipe ct? Thanks in advance this beer looks amazing!!!
No expert on decoction mashing, but I just did my first (for a different beer) and shortened to a single decoction. Here are some tips.
1.) plan for plenty of ADDITIONAL time during the brew day, three extra hours is not unreasonable.
2.) get a long handled ladle that holds 16-32 oz to make decoction a easy to pull without making a mess. I got one at amazon 32oz, SS under $20
3.) if you recirculate your mash, with direct fired mash tun, be prepared for the main mash to stick while you are waiting for conversion on the decoction. Consider use of rice hulls. Oh and also, when you are recirculating your mash prior to run off and sparging, you might need to "cut" the mash due to the probable massive amounts of teig that will be covering the grains, like a thick blanket of goo. Next time I intend to add some rice hulls to mine. Be sure to pre soak them so as not to lose efficiency, or add them first or while heating the dough in water.
4.) took WAAAYYY longer to convert the decocted THICK mash than said in recipe, perhaps because my decoction was too thick? I added back a couple quarts of the main mash liquid (which contains the enzymes) to promote faster conversion. Took over an hour. For me, and that was before brining the decoction to a boil.
5.) be sure to boil that decoction for a good 30-45 minutes. YUM! Stir to prevent scorching.
6.) when adding back to main mash, if you've scorched any crud in the decoction, try to leave that behind. Watch those temps as well. Beersmith did not accurately model my temp changes from the decoction and I needed to add ALL THE decoction back in plus heat it some to get to proper temp.
7.) you may need to adjust your main mash temp (like I did) so keep some boiling water ready just in case, unless you can directly heat your mash tun.
All in all, some reasonable tips that might save you some time. Be prepared for some extra efficiency!
For me, since my first decoction was so massive, quite nearly all the grains, I opted to cancel the second decoction (for mash out) and just did my recirculated mash with direct fire mash tun. Plus I got started late and was exhausted.
Good luck!
TD