The Mash Bath is basically an automated water bath that allows precise temperature control and continuous mixing of 16 samples

 IEC 16 pot mash bath

Ground malt is mixed at a defined ratio with water and heated over a two hour process with mixing (called a Congress Mash)

Congress Mash:

  • 30 minutes held at 45C
  • 25 minutes of step increases, 1C/minute, bringing the bath to 70C
  • 1 hour at 70C

The enzymes important to converting malt starches into sugars each have ideal conditions for their action - this step mash allows a window for each to act and results in a maximum or ideal extract for each sample. The Congress Mash is the standard used for Malt Quality Analysis.

 

Mashing is essentially a continuation of the processes which are started during malting

  • Malting initiates germination (breakdown of cell walls and protein matrix), which is then paused by kilning
  • Mashing re-hydrates the malt and allows enzymes to breakdown starches into sugars - which are later converted to alcohol by yeast.