Mash capping – One of my often-quoted techniques is to hold back the dark grains, dark malts, and crystal malts until after the mash has finished. Add the grains to the mash and let them steep for at least 15 minutes before lautering. I often perform this while heating to mashout temperature, and while I am doing a vorlauf (recirculation) to simulate sparging and encourage color and flavor extraction. Using the grains this way reduces the harshness in a beer since the husk materials are exposed to hot water for a much shorter time. There are other benefits as well that a