Decoction Mash for Weizen?

[coatesg]

Hi all,

I'm looking to brew myself up a weizen in the not too distant future (probably a 60:40 wheat:lager malt with mittelfruh to 12IBU), and I'm tempted (assuming I can find the time) to do a decoction mash to get some rich malty flavours.

Couple of Qs:

1. What decoction method is recommended? I don't think a long protein rest here is advised as it kills head retention, so is a schedule like this OK? (from braukaiser.com):

- Protein rest 55C (133F), 15min
- step infuse to 67C (153F), 1hr
- pull decoction, boil 10-15min, add back to mash out at 75C? (Pull a thick or thin, (or half-way) decoction?)

2. Is there a good calculator that someone can recommend for the calcs?

(I'm wary that I'm not going to be able to pull a massive volume in the decoction as I don't have anything large enough that will sit on my cooker to do it... so some double decoction methods are out).

Cheers

[ncmcdonald]

There is a pretty simple excel calculator here for working out your decoction volumes, I haven't used it personally but it seems to be good.

As for the decoction thickness, whenever I have done decoctions I have pulled them thick because I worry about denaturing too many enzymes but still kept the malt submerged so it doesn't scorch. I guess because you are doing the decoction to mash out you don't need to worry too much about denaturing the enzymes