If you are looking to step up your brewing and get into our partial mash recipes then you will notice that they have the addition of grains. It is critical that you steep your grains for the proper temperature. 

These grains are great for adding more complex flavors to your brew and they help you transform a basic HME into totally different recipes. 

The most important thing when it comes to stewing grains is maintaining a consistent temperature. 

The ideal temperature for steeping grains is between 155 and 165 degrees. We usually recommend you hold your temperature right at 160. 

The main reason you want to be in that temperature range is because of off-flavors that you can get in your beer. If your steeping temperature is too high then that will create tannins in your beer. 

Tannins can lead to an astringent or bitter flavor in your beer. They can also lead to a haze in your beer that won’t clear up. 

These are off-flavors that you cannot condition out so you want to make sure you are holding the right temperature when steeping grains. 

So before you go brewing partial mash recipes make sure you have 2 things. One is a bigger pot for longer boils. If you have your 30-minute grains steep plus a hop boil, then you will need more water. 

The second is a thermometer. This is critical to maintaining the right temperature to get off-flavors in your beer. 

So to sum it up, the reason you need to maintain your steep to between 155-165 is to prevent tannins from releasing in your beer. 

Cheers,

Robert