Beer Forum

What is the point in steeping Two row malt when making an Extract recipe with grains? Does this add some complexity to the wort? I can understand steeping more specialty grains for color or maybe wheat, rye etc... for taste. It just doesnt seem like Two Row malt is going to add much.

If you're steeping within the enzyme active range for amylase, you may get something out of it...

Ok, the recipe says to steep at 152F for 45min, so that must be the intention. Thx.

You (or the recipe author) may be conflating "steeping" and "mini-mashing". I would define steeping as soaking grains in water with no conversion taking place (e.g. with roasted malts, or the grist ratio being too thin for conversion). Mini-mashing I would define as soaking grains in water but using a grist ratio and temperature to promote starch conversion. Using these definitions, one would not steep two row, munich, wheat, etc. as they will leave unconverted starches. They must be mini-mashed. Some things, such as unmalted wheat and oats, will not convert by themselves, as they do not have the amylase enzymes present. A minimash recipe using these will thus also have two-row (or other base malt) included to provide the necessary enzymes.

If your recipe calls for you to steep two row and only two row, I would save yourself the time and just use extract. You will be hard pressed to tell the difference between a quality fresh extract and grain in a blind test.

I was looking at the Alesmith IPA clone recipe in BYO. It definitely says steep.

Not to discount the above, but it does add a nice fresh 'grainy' flavor as well. Usually not a huge amount, but that may also be that I live a few hours away from a malting house - it's actually the largest building in the state of Montana.

If this is the recipe . . . . http://hbd.org/discus/messages/34426/38888.html . . . . then “steeping” 2 row at 152 is really forcing you to perform a mini-mash. Out of the five specialty malts, only the crystal and honey malts can contribute by steeping. The carapils, munich and wheat need to be mashed in order to add anything meaningful to the party. I also think that mashing may offer more from the very small amounts of those grains.

I think the question is whether an honest steep of 2-row, wheat, etc... will do good. If you are steeping them in the 2.5-5 gallon batch on the stove, even if it is at 155 degrees which is right for conversion, the ratio of grain to water is way too high to allow conversion. Therefore saying that steeping them at the right temp is the same as a mini-mash is false.

So the question remains is there ANY benefit to steeping base malts. I think Ozwald is making a case for steeping base malts because it does add a complexity to the flavor. And in an honest mini-mash you have to have base malts to allow for conversion.

Sounds like an extract brewer with a good process down should do a test!