German Brewing

https://vimeo.com/164734733?ref=fb-share&1

Shaun Hill's got a copy of Kunze on his desk a couple minutes in. Pretty cool.

Weird how some of the best american breweries, were schooled in Germany, read German brewing knowledge, or know about o2 and the detrimental effects.

He also has a German made Brew system(Braukon), and a Vormaischer.

Yeah, I especially saw the Vormaischer...hmmmm.

I'm not the kind of guy that says "I told you so"....

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=257&hilit=craft+brewers

But as many people point out already, from 1:50-1:58, you can see he's using a BrauKon AlloySius. That's a vortex grist hydrator and about the most turbulent way you mash in. If you were trying to reduce oxygen uptake in your mash, that's not the way to do it unless you're flushing the system with CO2/inert first.

I did take away a few things from watching the video...
1. Using a grist hydrator usually means you're using a hammer mill or some other kind of fine milling system. You'd do this to boost efficiency and the vortex makes sure all the flour is captured and no dough balls enter the tun. Why would he need to boost his efficiency so much?
2. If you go back and watch around 1:30, he's testing the pH of something and drinking it. The pH test comes out at 5.19 from what I can see. Seems way too high for a finished beer, but it would be on the low but acceptable side for mashing. While a pH that low will start to fall out of the favorable range for enzyme action, I do seem to recall it has other positive effects. I don't have a copy of Kunze, but would someone look and see what that would be? I seem to recall from other texts it further reduces tannin extraction and other undesirable off flavors. Perhaps he needs the added efficiency to make up for the lower enzyme activity of a low(ish) pH mash.
3. He's using a mix of Rahr and Weyermann malts. Interesting.

A Vormaischer is a violent way, but its always purged first. I all but bet the farm there is no o2 in there.

That ph could be post boil, or if he is doing single infusion mashing he may be that low to inhibit LOX

I have been using Rahr and Weyermann interchangeably as well. My "unscientific" guess is that the amount of lingering malt character, or the " chewing on fresh malt" taste is not really malter specific, but kilning specific ( i.e. pils malt)

I am trying American Pilsner (Cargill Idaho Pilsner) malt today for the first time (lodo anyways). It reeks of corn (DMS) in the mash samples, and I've never noticed this with German malts. I not convinced that all malts are created equal. I'm leaning towards both the strain and maltster affecting the experience you have.