There are occasions when even the most dedicated and organized of homebrewers runs out of time to brew. All-grain brewing, especially, can take the better part of a day. But what if you could divide your brew day into two parts? If finding five or six consecutive hours is proving increasingly elusive, then it’s time to consider doing the splits with an overnight mash.
Yes, you read right, and it’s exactly what it sounds like. With an overnight mash, you mash in an hour or two before you go to bed and then sparge, boil, cool, and pitch after you wake up the next morning. Successful overnight mashing means paying attention to a few things.
Attenuation. A long, slow mash tends to produce very fermentable wort. Perfect, say, for bone-dry styles such as saison, but probably inappropriate for a full-bodied British bitter. Make sure you’re prepared for a low terminal gravity when you mash overnight. Or look at it as an opportunity to improve recipes that challenge your normal brewhouse efficiency.