Partial Mash

Partial mash brewing is used by intermediate brewers who want the extra flexibility of being able to include certain malts and other ingredients, but lack the equipment or time needed for all grain brewing. Partial mash offers some of the simplicity of Extract Brewing while offering some of the flexibility of all grain brewing. Partial mash brewing follows the same steps as all grain brewing, but only specialty grains are mashed with a small amount of pale malt to provide enzymes. After mashing, extract malts are added to provide the bulk of the fermentable sugars.

Partial Mash Brewing Steps

Partial mash brewing includes the following steps:

• Selected crushed malts are mashed in either the brewpot or a separate mash tun by heating them with either hot water or an external source. The grains are held at a temperature of 148-158 F for 45-90 minutes to allow sugars to be converted.
• The heated grains are lautered by running hot water through them and using a screen filter to extract the hot liquid called wort
• Syrup malt extract or dry extract is added to the wort
• Hops are added, and the wort is boiled for 45-90 minutes
• Cold water is added to bring the volume up and the wort is cooled to room temperature as quickly as possible
• Yeast is added, and the beer ferments for 7-14 days
• Priming sugar is added to the finished beer and it is bottled or kegged for consumption

See Also

• Brewing Processes
• All Grain - The next step for partial mash brewers
• Malt

External Links

• How to Brew by John Palmer