Partial mash beer brewing, also called mini mash, is the bridge between extract brewing and all grain brewing. Partial mash beer brewing is the next step beyond steeping grains. What makes partial mashing the next step past steeping and just short of full mashing are two things.
It goes beyond steeping because you are adding mashable grains to the steep. If you add base malts and specialty grains together, you must mash them, you cannot (or don't want to at least) steep them together. Keep in mind, specialty grains are perfect for steeping because they have been mashed (the fermentable sugars have already been extracted). Base malts have not had their sugars extracted yet, and mashing is the process to accomplish this.
Partial mash is not all grain simply because you are still using malt extract. When you introduce base malts to steeping, you will need to make sure you adjust your process so that you will be mashing and not steeping. If not, the starches will not be converted to sugars, and this will affect your beer's clarity. You will also have wasted the fermentable sugars in your base malts, and that will lower your efficiency. Assuming that you adjust the process accordingly, and you mash instead of steep, you will have added fermentable sugars to your brew in addition to the added flavor and colors of the specialty malt(s).
This will also give you a taste of all grain brewing, and the only difference is that with all grain, all of the fermentable sugars are obtained from the grains, none come from extract. With partial mash, you will get your fermentable sugars partially from the grains and the rest comes from the malt extract. Partial mashes are preferable to steeping simply because they open up more options as far as ingredients you can use, as well as recipes.
There are a wider variety of malts (and adjuncts) available which gives the home brewer more flexibility as far as types of beers one can brew, and also allows the brewer to have more control over the flavor profile of the final beer. Partial mash can also be more cost efficient by replacing some of the malt extract required.
One other thing that makes partial mashing attractive to extract brewers is that it does not require any additional equipment to buy. You get more choices as far as available ingredients that can be used, and this opens up much more possibilities as far as recipes you can try, and styles of beer you can produce. Also, because you are using less malt extract, you can also reduce the costs of beer brewing. Although you still have to buy grains, you can purchase them in bulk to save money. Partial mash/mini mash also allows you to further explore the world of beer brewing, and it can help progress you towards the world of all grain beer brewing.
It goes beyond steeping because you are adding mashable grains to the steep. If you add base malts and specialty grains together, you must mash them, you cannot (or don't want to at least) steep them together. Keep in mind, specialty grains are perfect for steeping because they have been mashed (the fermentable sugars have already been extracted). Base malts have not had their sugars extracted yet, and mashing is the process to accomplish this.
Partial mash is not all grain simply because you are still using malt extract. When you introduce base malts to steeping, you will need to make sure you adjust your process so that you will be mashing and not steeping. If not, the starches will not be converted to sugars, and this will affect your beer's clarity. You will also have wasted the fermentable sugars in your base malts, and that will lower your efficiency. Assuming that you adjust the process accordingly, and you mash instead of steep, you will have added fermentable sugars to your brew in addition to the added flavor and colors of the specialty malt(s).
This will also give you a taste of all grain brewing, and the only difference is that with all grain, all of the fermentable sugars are obtained from the grains, none come from extract. With partial mash, you will get your fermentable sugars partially from the grains and the rest comes from the malt extract. Partial mashes are preferable to steeping simply because they open up more options as far as ingredients you can use, as well as recipes.
There are a wider variety of malts (and adjuncts) available which gives the home brewer more flexibility as far as types of beers one can brew, and also allows the brewer to have more control over the flavor profile of the final beer. Partial mash can also be more cost efficient by replacing some of the malt extract required.
One other thing that makes partial mashing attractive to extract brewers is that it does not require any additional equipment to buy. You get more choices as far as available ingredients that can be used, and this opens up much more possibilities as far as recipes you can try, and styles of beer you can produce. Also, because you are using less malt extract, you can also reduce the costs of beer brewing. Although you still have to buy grains, you can purchase them in bulk to save money. Partial mash/mini mash also allows you to further explore the world of beer brewing, and it can help progress you towards the world of all grain beer brewing.