Step Mash question

[Rats]

I want to make a lager and the recipe ask for a step mash(50°C for 30 min and 65.5°C for 60 min).
My mashtun is cladded in wood without an element. Is their a work around or how can I accomplice it?
Thanks in advance 

[DEMPSEY]

The only way you can do it is to add hotter water to raise the temp. This is how some commercial brewers do it. You can do the calculations in Beersmith AFAIK.

[Jacob]

The only way you can do it is to add hotter water to raise the temp. This is how some commercial brewers do it. You can do the calculations in Beersmith AFAIK.

Well, it's not the only way
You can also do decoction or use immersion heater.

[nigel_c]

You could drain some wort into a second kettle or put and pump it back into the mash till you hit the temps you need. This was the way I was looking to go in the new year on my rebuild but have decided to go with steam injection instead.
I yeah you can also do steam as well. Have seen people using a pressure cooker to generate the steam. Looks pretty easy to do and a lot more efficient than adding water back.

[Hop Bomb]

Do a decoction. Its pretty easy & if you use beersmith & know your setup numbers its even easier. Just take out x amount of mash & bring it to the boil on the stove. Then add back to the mash & stir. You should get to within .1 or .2 of a degree of your desired temp.

[Rats]

@Nigel my system is an outside one(3 kegs)
Found this:
"If you are using a picnic cooler for your mash tun, multi-rest mashes are a bit trickier. You need to start out with a stiff mash (e.g. .75-1 quarts per pound of grain), to leave yourself enough room in the tun for the additional water. Usually only 2 temperature rests are possible with this method because the amount of heat necessary to change the temperature of the mash increases with each addition. Reaching a third rest is possible if the change in temperature is only a few degrees. For example, raising the mash temperature for 8 lbs. of grain from 150°F to 158°F at a mash ratio of 2 quarts per pound would require approximately 2.7 quarts of boiling water."

Will play around with the numbers and see what happens.

[Jacob]

Brewed few batches of Gratzer using picnic cooler with 3 steps: 50C,65C and 78C so it's doable
If you select infusion here's the ONLINE CALCULATOR allowing you to calculate amounts of water needed.

[DEMPSEY]

Thanks book marked that calculator. Does anyone do this in Beersmith

[Rats]

Brewed few batches of Gratzer using picnic cooler with 3 steps: 50C,65C and 78C so it's doable
If you select infusion here's the ONLINE CALCULATOR allowing you to calculate amounts of water needed.

Thanks I have that App on my phone(Brewer's Friend)

[Jacob]

Thanks book marked that calculator. Does anyone do this in Beersmith

Personally I prefer the online one.
BS will tell you how much water you need and at what temp, but you can't specify infusion water temp. and calculate amount needed.

[mcgrath]

I was told that you only have to step mash if you get your grain from Germany/Czec etc.. That those conversions are done by the malting company if bought here or UK.
Anyone else hear that? Means you just mash at 65degC Would like to know if its true..

[mr hoppy]

Only poorly modified malt needs a step mash.

This guy puts it better than I could:

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/malt-modification-how-read-malt-analysis-sheet-143252/

I think this is the article he's linking to:

http://morebeer.com/brewingtechniques/bmg/noonan.html

From what I've seen discussed I think that these days the only malt your likely to come across that really need a protein rest is Bohemian Floor Malter Pilsener malt. Some wheat beer recipes also call for a step mash but in these cases the yeast is more important.

[magnethead]

A link for the Steam method mentiond by Nigel_C for stepping your MASH up  ....... Very interesting Indeed

http://morebeer.com/brewingtechniques/library/backissues/issue2.4/jones.html