Mash time and temperature Question

[Brian N-]

I was thinking of adding a pound of Vienna grains to the MB Oktoberfest extract along with 8 oz of the LME. What would you suggest as a mash time and temperature? From what I read 150-154 (160 strike temperature) for 1 hour is a good starting point. Should I include a rest first at 115 for 20 minutes? All suggestions and critiques are welcome. I'll thank everyone in advance for their input.

[philm00x]

That's what I would do, too. 152, maybe 154 for a little sweeter, fuller finish. Honestly, grains from commercial maltsters are so well modified that a protein rest isn't necessary. Just a single infusion at your desired mash temp. You can do a mash out if you want, but I would just drain the mash tun (or pull the grain bag out if doing BIAB style), and then sparge. Munich or Vienna would be my choices for that style of beer so you're lookin good. I would also boil a touch of German noble hops in the wort from mashing the Vienna so that the MB doesn't turn out too sweet.

[mashani]

That's what I would do, too. 152, maybe 154 for a little sweeter, fuller finish. Honestly, grains from commercial maltsters are so well modified that a protein rest isn't necessary. Just a single infusion at your desired mash temp. You can do a mash out if you want, but I would just drain the mash tun (or pull the grain bag out if doing BIAB style), and then sparge. Munich or Vienna would be my choices for that style of beer so you're lookin good. I would also boil a touch of German noble hops in the wort from mashing the Vienna so that the MB doesn't turn out too sweet.

RE: the hops - I'm not disagreeing with you totally but honestly, it depends on what you think is too malty. If you have ever had a real Oktoberfest, most American implementations are too bitter in order to cater to American beer tastes.

The Mr. Beer HME at around 21 IBUs it might come out more like some of the really traditional Oktoberfest's without any hops and extra malt added because honestly the Mr. Beer Oktoberfest straight up doesn't have enough malt to be an Oktoberfest and would be considered overhopped for the actual graviity. Even adding 1# of Vienna doesn't really bring it up to true Oktoberfest gravity, and at the base Oktoberfest gravity, 20 IBUs is enough.

Now if you are going to overfill the volume, the yes, most certainly add some hops, as that will lower your IBUs quite a bit. Volumes is directly correlated to IBUs. But you can totally *ignore* QBrew when it tells you that your IBUs would be 19 or 18 or whatever because of the extra malt (but NOT extra volume), because it's assuming you are going to BOIL HOPS to get there, and lowering your utilization due to boil gravity, and you are NOT DOING THIS. You are using a pre-hopped HME as a base, and IBUs are IBUs... they are already extracted/utilized, and at 2.15 gallons they are 21 regardless of how much malt you add.

(understand how this works is a big part of being able to make good beer using HMEs as a frankenbier base and getting the results you want).

[Brian N-]

Thanks -Exactly the information I was looking for. I was not going to add any hops. The 8 oz of LME plus the pound of Vienna should give it a good malty flavor and more body than the MB extract alone.