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Kitchen Brewing Part 5: Simple Decocotion Mashing

After my general disappointment with the Weizenbock I brewed, I decided to see what would happen if I tried doing a Decoction Mash on the stove. While the Multi-Step Mash I had used improved efficiency, the beer lacked a certain something.

How hard can it be?

My goal here is to do a mash that doesn't require rocket-science (or an all-day brewing session) to pull off, but will give a little extra something to my German beers. But before I go any further, I must give credit where it's due. Mary Samuels' excellent 1995 article Solve the Mystery of Decoction Mashing served as the inspiration for my stove-top technique, so hop on over there if you want all the in-depth decoction mashing details. Also, if you want charts and even more details, head over here. However, if your goal is to cut out the lengthy prose and cut to the chase of brewing beer, please read on.

Single-decoction is the easiest decoction to perform. Since I work with canning pots, I don't have a lot of room to spare, even with a thick mash. Therefore, my single-decoction is used to raise the mash from the Protein to the Saccharification Rest.

This is actually a pretty simple task that's easy to put into steps:
  1. After the Protein Rest, pull roughly half of the mashed grains into a second pot. Leave as much liquid behind in the first pot as possible.
  2. Remove the first pot from the stove and wrap it in blankets and/or towels to maintain the Protein Rest temp.
  3. Heat the decoction in the second pot to roughly 155F. Watch the thermometer, as you don't want the temp going up much faster than five degrees per minute. Keep the grains moving to avoid scorching (Note: I perform the decoction in a heavy-bottomed pot rather than another canning pot to help alleviate scorching issues).
  4. Hold the decoction at 155F for 15-20 minutes.
  5. Heat the decoction again at no more than five degrees per minute until it reaches a boil.
  6. Boil the decoction for 10-20 minutes and remove from heat.
  7. Unwrap the first pot and slowly add the decoction to it.
  8. Monitor the temp in the first pot. Once the mash reaches the desired Saccharification temp, stop adding the decoction and hold the Saccharification temp as you would with a single-infusion or multi-step mash. 
    • If you didn't have enough decoction to hit your target Saccharification temp, add heat or boiling water to the first pot until you reach the desired temperature.
    • If you have some of the decoction leftover, wait for it to cool to the Saccharification temp and then add it to the first pot.
  9. Sparge and boil your wort like you usually do.
  10. Drink a homebrew and congratulate yourself for a job well done.
Until next time, happy brewing!


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