Faster Partial Mash: Mash While Boiling

[John Sand]

My buddy is coming over to observe a brew day. I'd like to show him extract and grain brewing. I'd also like to finish in a timely fashion so that we might go sailing. So I'm doing a partial mash Rye Pale Ale. It strikes me that I can mash the grains while the extract and hops are boiling, adding the grain wort late in the boil. A 45 minute mash should be sufficient, the "late addition" this time will be my own extract. I can probably have a three hour brew day. What do you think?

[bpgreen]

I always take the other approach and do the boil with the mashed wort and add the extract at flameout.

I think there has been some recent experimentation that indicates that a 60 minute boil isn't needed for wort from mashed grains, but I still do a full boil with that part of my wort.

If I were in your place, I'd do the mash up front.

[mashani]

I think you can do what you are describing especially if it's a relatively small amount of your bill, but I would be sure to bring it back to a full boil and boil it after the addition for at least 10 minutes. Your grains are full of wort loving bugs. Your mash doesn't necessarily kill them in enough quantity unless you mash or mash out at high temps. Even then I would not guarantee total safety (ie slow building gusher infection). Because pasteurization is not the same as sterilization. And those bugs like fermentation, instead of hating it like pathogens. So boil it for 10 minutes. Even when I short boil, I never short boil less then that.

To save time, I usually do a bigger a BIAB mash, then divvy it up and freeze some of it for later use and set aside in the fridge whatever I need of it for my PM the next day. That lets me use 1 mash as a PM base for 2 or 3 or 4 batches of beer. That doesn't really help you with your demo for your friend though.

[Dawg LB Steve]

I don't see why you couldn't as long as the boil is long enough to kill off the Lactobacillus from the mashed grain as Mashani said. If you can get the mash into the boil by the 30 minute mark I think you should be good.

[John Sand]

I'm brewing this today, I'll report my results. My plan is to heat the full volume of water, when it reaches strike temp, I'll pull off the mash volume. The mash will be in a pot in a cooler, BIAB while the rest comes to boil. I think 15 minutes is plenty to boil the mash runnings, but it might get more depending on where I am in the boil. Cool, sunny, breezy, not a bad day to brew.

[joechianti]

I'm not 100% sure about this, but I believe the extract has already been boiled, which basically takes care of the bugs as well as any possible DMS, at least I think that's what it's called, that needs to be boiled off from mashed grain. That would be my concern. But of course, we're constantly learning that many old time practices are not as critical as was previously believed, and in some cases, not even necessary at all. I'd love to hear how this turns out in the end.

[John Sand]

Hi Joe, nice to see you.
No trouble with the brew day. I have no doubt that even a short boil will kill any bugs. My friend was interested and helpful. We finished in under three hours in spite of a visit that delayed the start of the mash. I'll report the results when the beer is ready.

[Inkleg]

That's great! Do you think you lured him to the Dark Side? We have beer ya know.
Looking forward to the follow up.

[John Sand]

My friend and former police partner John has been enjoying my homebrew for a couple of years. He asked to come over for a brewday, and he plans to start brewing soon at his new home in NC. I suggested that he consider making wine too, as he loves wine. I had an extract kit on hand to show him how easy it is to start. We didn't use that kit, but he read the directions.