"Traditional" Belgian Step Mash?

Here's some discussion on the subject (not Moortgat specific):
https://beerandbrewing.com/belgian-beer-youre-probably-doing-it-wrong/

Some topics listed are questionable to me, however the idea of step-mashing the less modified Continental malt probably has some merit. Not sure we can even get that stuff over here. You figure on becoming a maltster?

 

According to http://edsbeer.blogspot.com/2015/05/duvel-brewery.html, they use a simple infusion.

There are other posts on that blog in May, June and August covering other Belgian breweries (*cough* Orval *cough*) that he visited on the same IBD "study tour", some of which also have information about mash schedules and other interesting process stuff.

 

Regarding "well-modified" or "fully-modified".... I believe the terms we should be using in the States is more like the difference between "well-modified" and "extremely-well-modified". It's really, really, really difficult to source any malt here that is anything less than "moderately modified" IMO.

Furthermore, well, I could be a devil (I'm good at it) and question whether any beers these days here really benefit from step mashing at all, or why/how it's any better than single infusion. But nevermind that, I'm not saying that here now.

 

A Belgian bar will not serve a beer unless it's in the Brewery's proprietary glass. If they run out of glasses for a particular beer they will politely tell you they are out of that beer. The famous 't Brugs Beertje in Brugge has 1600 beers and 1300 glasses. What does that have to do with step-mashing? Probably nothing . . . but it's how they think.

 

I completely agree with the first part!. The second part not so much.

 

Something like dough in at 55c, rest for maybe 10
Step to beta ( actual temp depends on gelatinization temp of malt) 62-65c. for 20-40min
Step to alpha 72c for 20-40min
Step to mash out 77c for 10min

You always step mash as per the malt, and not for the beer.. common misconception.

 

Infusion mashing is what step mashing is called. Single infusion or British brewing is completely different. It's either infusion or decoction.

 

Using the Hartong index on the malt analysis sheet. Here is a little write up about gelatinization. http://www.lowoxygenbrewing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/pddvxvf.pdf
http://www.lowoxygenbrewing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/pkjdf.pdf

and for sure on the clarification part.

 

You've taught me well! On some stuff, but not on others.

 

Most British breweries didn't use a single infusion in the 20th century. The commonest mashing scheme was an initial infusion at 146-148º F for 40-60 minutes after which hotter water was added from the underneath to raise the mash temperature 3-4º F. That's effectively a step mash.

Only in Scotland was a single infusion then sparging common.

 

I would have assumed that he means "just one rest". As you say, a lot of people use "simple infusion" that way - in fact, a quick Google suggests quite a few technical sources as well as hobbyists and homebrew writers, but I'm willing to be corrected on this if you've got a more authoritative reference than "five minutes googling".

That would seem like a plausible explanation - BLAM was published in 2005 (and presumably researched over a few years before that) whereas Ed's blog post was from 2015, and that period includes quite a lot of changes at Duvel Moortgat.

 

You certainly aren’t the first person to suggest it! I think the best retort I’ve heard to that hypothesis went something like, “If step-mashing really was wasteful of resources, inefficient, and a total waste of time...do you really think Germans would be doing it?”

 

I am under the impression that German brewers brew as per what they are taught at brewing school (e.g., Weihenstephan). If as students they are instructed to conduct a step mash that is what they will do as professional brewers.

Do you have any science to support that with today’s well modified malt there is need for conducting a two step mash? Or is it the case of “my father brewed using a two step mash and therefore that is how I brew as well”?

Cheers!

 

From what I understand, many Germans don't.

 

Alas! I am not a malt scientist. But basically unless this is something you consider yourself an expert in (I know I’m not!), you are either taking the word of the maltster that ‘their malts are so modified, a step mash is unnecessary’, or you are taking the word of the German brewer that their beers benefit from a step mash.

Whether with cask treatment, mash schedules, whatever, I always have a ‘listen to the creator’ philosophy. If German brewers say it’s important, it probably is.

I also think that they are much less susceptible to the, ‘My father did it this way...’ mentality. This isn’t French wine. Germans have shown adaptability for the sake of brewing efficiency countless times. The slow move from the very traditional decoction to the step. The embracing of stainless and conicals, the use of hop products.
Continuous innovation and increased efficiency is the name of the game in german brewing.
Nothing in the reinheitsgebot about step mashing. I’m sure if it was a waste of time it would have been phased out by now. Yet it is still SOP.

AFAIK, it’s still the modus operandi at the good breweries. A buddy of mine who recently returned from aforementioned Weihenstephan Uni confirmed this.

 

I am not a "malt scientist" either but a few days ago I had numerous conversations with representatives of numerous malting companies at HomebrewCon 2018. Out of curiosity I asked a number of folks if under-modified malts are available today for sale. I received a consistent answer of "No". I personally am willing to accept the answer from the "experts" which are the maltsters in this specific case.

Larger breweries conducting a step mash can have the benefit of an incremental increase of extract from the malt depending on the specifics of the malt being utilized. I have zero knowledge (despite searching) that there is any science which indicates that there is any improvement of the quality of the resulting beer (e.g., beer flavor). If you have some technical, scientific papers here I would enjoy reading them.

Or it is a case of this is what I was taught in brewing school.

Your personal opinion on this matter is noted.

Cheers!