Mash-out and batch sparging

Question

Mash-out and batch sparging

CDspace

2015年3月23日 19:58

Brewing all grain, my mash tun can't hold my full sparge volume. So I step it, a few gallons at a time. I've read that the sparge water should be 170 F to stop the enzyme reaction. But when stepping my sparge, do the later steps need to be 170, or just the first step to stop the enzymes? Can the enzymes restart between steps?

Per the comments, by step batch sparge I mean a batch sparge of 5 or 6 gallons, in steps of 2 or 3 gallons, repeated to get to the boil volume.

Topic batch-sparge sparge temperature homebrew

Category Mac

jsled · Accepted Answer · 2015年3月23日 19:21

I'm going to assume you're basically doing "batch sparging" (adding the sparge liquor in batches due to capacity), not that you're "step mashing" (using hot water infusions to move the whole mash through a set of different temperature "steps").

Once the enzymes are denatured, they are … denatured. :) They will not return or restart their ability to convert starch to sugar once they get too hot and are destroyed.

That being said, only your first infusion would need to be a mash-out infusion. Assuming you've already mashed at the appropriate temp (145-156) and for an appropriate length of time (45-60 minutes), you can then do a mash out, and your subsequent batch sparges are just going to rinse the already-converted sugars from the mash, not do any more conversion.

I will note that doing a mash-out is an ideal practice particularly for repeatable results and promoting lower mash viscosity, but certainly not required.

Mash-out and batch sparging

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