Hi guys, i want to hear your experiences and preferences in regards to mash ale beers.I know if you want to respect a given style you must mash at a certain temperature,but when you go outside lines of a given style,do you like to mash at higher temps?.I like to mash higher to get some dextrines and then counteract the sweet flavor with a heavy qty. of hops.When i mash for lager beers i prefer to mash lower.Wish to hear your opinions
Depends what I want from the end product. I mashed my Old Ale high, even though I wanted better attenuation from 1968 because of the high amount of simple sugars (treacle and Demerara). I mash my porters at 153 to sit the difference. Today's CAP was 149 because I want it dry. It's not just style, it's what I want the final beer to be.
I tend to mash low (~150 or possibly less) unless I'm adding a lot of simple sugars as I prefer a drier beer. I've found that porters/stouts benefit from a bit higher of a mash temp to counteract the roast flavor. That pretty much covers the range of what I brew (stouts/porters, APAs/IPAs, various belgians and weizen inspired). I also do a 120min boil, which creates more melanoidins, as well.
