Changes

==Mashing==[[image:Mash_tun.jpg|right|thumb|A Simple Mash Tun]]''Mashing'' is a step in the [[Processes|brewing process]] that combines crushed [[Malts]] with hot water in a [[Mash Tun|mash tun]] to convert complex starches into simple sugars that are more readily fermented. There are many variations of mashing, but the ''single infusion mash'' described below is easily done with home equipment, and suitable for most popular beer styles. During the [[Malting Process|malting process]] barley grains develop many enzymes that are needed for mashing. These enzymes, when heated with water in the ''mash'', react with the starches in the malt and produce ''maltose''. Maltose is a favorite food for yeast during fermentation. A related After the mashing process called ''lautering'' runs , hot water through the grain bed after the mash is used to extract the sugars and from the grain in a process called [[sparging]] to produce a sweet liquid called ''[[wort]]'' for brewing. ==Types of Mashing==The most popular mash profile among homebrewers is the single infusion mash, but several methods can be used to mash and all are accessible by the homebrewer.

The Single Infusion Mash, also called the ''British Infusion Mash'' is the simplest mashing method for homebrewers to use. In an infusion mash, room temperature crushed grains are combined with a premeasured amount of hot water at a fixed temperature. By accurately calculating the volume and temperature of the water, one can reach a target temperature for the combined mash in the 148 to 158 F range(64.5-70 C). Infusion is typically done at a water to grain ratio of around 1.25 quarts per pound of grain(1.3 liter per 500g of grain). The easiest way to calculate the proper infusion volume and temperature is with an infusion calculator or brewing software such as [http://www.beersmith.com BeerSmith]. The mash is then held at that temperature usually by keeping the mash in an insulated cooler for 45-90 minutes. At this temperature, the mash will readily convert starches into sugars. You can test for conversion of sugars using an ''iodine test''. Simply draw a small quantity of mashed grains out, add a few drops of iodine to it. If the iodine does not turn blue, then the conversion is complete.

Though a single infusion mash is suitable in 95%+ of cases where modern well modified malts are used, some precooked adjuncts and undermodified malts require protein rests at lower temperature before the main ''saccrification'' (sugar conversion) step in the mash profile. These protein rests help to break down complex starches in preparation for saccrification. Infusion, temperature and decoction steps may be combined to achieve multiple step mashes. For example a complex three step decoction mash might start with an initial infusion step to an acid rest at 105 F, followed by a protein rest at 122 F, and a saccrification step at 155 F. In many mash profiles, a ''mash out'' step is used to raise the temperature of the entire grain bed in preparation for sparging. The mash out step helps to halt saccirifcation, and also helps ensure an efficient sparge by extracting sugars at a higher temperature.

===Sparging=Mash Temperature==After the The temperature of mash process is completesteps, particularly the grains, water and main sugar are still in suspension in the mash container, conversion (called the ''[[Mash Tun|mash tun]]saccrification''step) can have a significant effect on the character of the beer. The Lower temperature conversion - around 148-152 F will take longer but will produce a more complete conversion of complex starches to sugars are separated from the grains resulting in more fermentation and a process called ''sparging''clean, lighter tasting beer. The mash tun typically has A high temperature conversion of 155-158 F (68.5-70 C) will result in less starch conversion leaving a false bottom or screen at the bottom beer with more unfermentable dextrines. This will create a spigot that allows beer with a full body and flavor. Middle mash temperatures (153-156 F / 67.69 C) will result in medium bodied beers. The [[Acid Rest]], a step done early in the brewer mash around 95F (35C) is performed by some traditional brewers to draw run-off from lower the bottom pH of the grain bedmash. Hot This was primarily done in very soft water at approximately 178 F is slowly added locations like Pilsen that lacked minerals needed to acidify the top of the grain bed, run through the bed, and drawn off the bottom through the false bottom and out the spigot mash. However modern brewers using most waters do not need to the boiling vesselperform this step. This extracts sugars from the Proper minerals and pH adjustment, highly modified grains , and produces sweet liquid wort a much better understanding of water chemistry have largely eliminated the need for boilingan acid rest. The initial runnings (first few quarts) drawn during  ==Sparging==After the sparge mash process are recirculated back through the grain bedis complete, as the early runnings often contain grain husksgrains, crushed material water and other undesirable elements. After sugar are still in suspension in the initial runnings, the grain bed will act as a filter and reduce the cloudiness of the runningsmash tun. Sparging is best done slowly so that a maximum amount of sugar can be extracted The sugars are separated from the spent grainsin a process called ''[[sparging]]'' (alternately called ''[[lautering]]'') to produce [[wort|sweet wort]]. The sparged wort is transferred to a boiler where hops is added and the mixture then [[Boiling|boiled before cooling for fermentation]] and [[Fermentation|fermented]] to produce beer.