When you're selecting the temperature for your mash-in, you'll have to decide if you want to have a thicker mash or a thinner mash, as well as the temperature.
- If you're brewing a stout and you mash a bit thicker, and at a higher temperature, you're going to pull out some of the notes from the specialty grains and the caramel notes than you would from a thinner mash.
- If you're going for a crisp Pilsner, you'll want a lower temperature, thinner mash, which will give your beer a cleaner finish.
- This will also affect the amount you will sparge with later on. The more water you run through your sparge, the more husk flavor you'll extract, and a thinner mash will mute some of those background base grain flavors.
