7 replies to this topic

[awall]

ok, say you're doing a braggot and it only calls for like 6 lbs of grains for a 5 gallon batch. would you mash at a 1.25 - 1.33 qts/pound ratio like a normal beer, do your boil with just a few gallons, then add extra water after the boil to make up the volume, or would you mash really thin to get your normal boil volume (~6.5 gal)?

[Wayne B]

I've never done a braggot that thin, but if I were to do it, I'd opt for the smaller mash/boil. Keeping the ratio like that of a normal beer has to help with protein coagulation, and cheapskate that I am, it takes less time and less gas to heat 2 gallons than it does 6!

Edited by Wayne B, 02 April 2009 - 01:16 PM.

[realbeerguy]

I would mash @ 1qt to 1.25qt/ lb., do a full sparge. Should give you a OG in pot of 1.028, boil to 1.033. This accordidng to Beersmith. Treat the lautering the same as making a Mild. I would recommend a full wort boil, although using Wayne's method would work.

[Wayne B]

I'm curious, why the full 6 gallon boil?

[realbeerguy]

I'm curious, why the full 6 gallon boil?

A full wort boil will give less caramelization than a partial and if you are going to hop the wort, better utilization. No problem with a partial, guess it's just force of habit in my beer proceedures. The full boil will also get you from 1.028 SG to your target 1.033 with the evaporation of the boil.

Edited by realbeerguy, 05 April 2009 - 08:39 AM.

[Wayne B]

Ahh... gotcha. And I was thinking that since you're going to get a whole lot of fully attenuative sugars from the honey, that some partial carmelization would be exactly what you'd want in the boil.So it's a case of different strokes....

[realbeerguy]

Agreed. You could do a hot kettle carmelization aka when making a Scottish Ale. Heat kettle then begin to draw wort into the kettle, carmelizing the first runnings.

[Stout_fan]

Another thing you could do is a no sparge mash since you are in effect chapitalizing the beer with honey. It is argued this produces the lowest tannin extract. And to reduce caramelization a full boil would be my preference.Also since the honey is going to reduce body, a higher mash temp might help out improving that.