Mashing

Mixing the malt grist with water is known as mashing. The aim of the entire mashing process is to separate the malt starch contained in the malt from the malt and to convert it into sugar with the help of the enzymes contained in the malt. The various enzymes act at different temperatures, which is why the process undergoes different temperature levels.

Mashing in

First, fill the vessel with 12 L/ 23 L/ 55 L of brewing water. The malt pipe is not yet inserted. The markings on the tie rod indicate the filling level of 8 L, 10 L and 12 L/15 L, 20 L, and 25 L or 45 L/50 L and 55 L. Press Select to acknowledge that the water has been filled. This switches on the pump and the heating. The pump switches on and off several times for the purpose of venting.

The pump and the heater are switched on until the programmed mashing-in temperature has been reached. The (P)ump and (H)eating symbols illuminate in yellow colour The target and actual temperatures are shown on the display. The upper status display indicates for instance Automatic3. This means that the brew automatic mode with recipe 3 was started. Subsequent, a message appears indicating the current program phase.

When reaching the mashing-in temperature, a signal will be sounded and the lights will be blinking. This must be acknowledged by pressing the Select button. This switches the pump off. Now, follow the instructions of the brew control.

The malt pipe can now be inserted into the vessel, with the seal facing downwards. Ensure that the pipe is in the centre and sitting flat on the bottom Then insert the first sieve screen (tubular sleeve upwards) into the malt pipe and place the first fine sieve on the screen. Now pour the entire roughly crushed malt into the malt pipe using a shovel and stir in thoroughly. Ensure that the malt is carefully added to the malt pipe so that nothing falls into the vessel, as this could block the pump. Then insert the second fine sieve and the second filter plate (tubular sleeve upwards). To secure the malt pipe and clamp it down, fasten it with the bow and the wing nut while pressing it down.

Once you have filled the malt, acknowledge it by pressing the Select button. For safety reasons, you will receive the prompt “Malt filled in?” And by pressing Select the actual brew process commences with the Braumeister. The pump and the heating switch on. The wort rises up in the pipe and overflows. The cycle has begun and the malt is washed out by means of transfer pumping in the next phases.

Protein rest:

In the protein rest, the large protein molecules in the malt are split into small components. Protein rest is important for purification and full body, but especially for foam stability and carbon dioxide binding capacity of the beer. The temperature is around 52°C, and is maintained for 5-20 minutes, depending on the recipe programmed. In order to achieve a better stability of the foam, some recipes omit this phase.

The display now indicates the rest, target, and actual temperature, and the target and actual time. After the target temperature has been reached, the countdown starts. All other phases are processed fully automatically. The display indicates in the respective times and temperatures.

By pressing in the Abbort button, the brewing process will be interrupted. Subsequently, a prompt will be displayed asking whether the Automatic process shall be continued or if the entire process shall be cancelled. During this time, the red light is blinking.

Maltose rest.

In the second phase, the maltose rest, starch molecules are converted to fermentable sugar with the help of additional enzymes present in the malt. This phase is an important stage in the brewing procedure for alcohol formation, as the largest quantities of sugar are formed here. Extending the rest means gaining more sugar in the wort, which leads to a stronger beer. Shortening the time results in beer with a fuller body, due to the increased dextrins. The temperature is around 63°C and is maintained for a period of approx. 35 minutes. As is the case in the first phase, the control shows the relevant data in the display. All following processes (phase 2 to phase 5) are handled fully automatically by the control system. During the entire mashing process, the pump is switched off briefly every 10 minutes (pump break), to reposition the malt and thereby achieve a better yield. The lid of the Braumeister is in place to save energy.

Sugar rest 1:

During the third mashing phase additional starch components are split with the help of enzymes active at this temperature level, and liquefied in the wort. The temperature is approx. 73°C and will be maintained for approximately 35 minutes.

Sugar rest 2:

In the last phase the residual starches continue to saccharify, thereby forming even more unfermentable extracts, which give the beer slightly more body. The wort is heated to 78°C under continuous transfer pumping and then maintained at this temperature for 10-20 minutes. An iodine test can be used to determine whether the wort still contains residual starch. For this, allow a little wort to drip onto a white plate and add a little iodine. If the sample turns brownish red or yellow, sufficient saccharification has taken place. If this is not the case, the temperature level must be maintained for a longer period of time.