Okay! Here goes! I have been brewing for almost a year. I got tired of extract brewing pretty quickly. I moved onto a 5 gallon all-grain system that used a manifold. Currently, I am doing 3 gallon batches BIAB with a five gallon mash tun. For Christmas I am getting a 10 Gallon mash tun with a false bottom. I want to then start decoction mashing now that I have a couple favorite recipes/home made recipes. So, with decoction mashing should I remove all of the wort or just part of the wort? I would think it would be easier to just remove all of it, heat it to the desired rest temperature, and then put back into the mash tun. How long do I hold the rests at the different temperatures? Does anyone have a chart of the different rest temperatures, and what the purpose of each rest is?
Go to http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php/Braukaiser.com and scroll down to read about the different types of decoction mashing, also there is an excellent you tube video that he created to show you how to do it.
Do you mean decoction mashing, where you remove part of the thick mash, heat it to a boil to caramelize (well, technically, maybe not caramelize, but create Malliard products), and add back to the mash to reach your next temperature rest? The braukaiser youtube video is good. Or do you mean step mashing, where you heat your whole mash from one temperature rest to the next? If I misunderstood and you are not confused on these two different techniques, I apologize. If you are a bit confused, I'll also suggest the chapters on mashing at howtobrew.com. Chapter 16 is where you go to dive right in. Chapters 14 and 15 too, if you want more background on mashing
The process you describe is step mashing, not decoction. Before you jump in make sure you know the process and understand why you want to decoct. I won't open a can of worms with the debate on whether it is worth it or not, but make sure you have an idea why you want to do it and decide for yourself later on if it is worthwhile for you.
If you have a false bottom, and do step mashes, just apply heat to the bottom, I recirculate from bottom to top to even out the temperature. For decoction you pull about 1/3 of the mash to another pot and heat that to 158, rest for conversion, then take it to a boil for 10-15 minutes, the return to the main mash. The removal and reintroduction of the decoction should be gentle, try not to splash. Braukaiser is my go to site for decoction mashing. Read it, try and understand the procedure and what is happening. Come back with questions if you still need answers.
I am definitely referring to step mashing! My bad! I was probably confusing myself...I have read alot over the past few months, and I am sure that is not the first term that I have or will confuse!
