Method 4: Craig's Hybrid
This is one of four mash methods Bard's documented in 2018 while adapting its production process to homebrew scale, run on a Robobrew — a recirculating single-vessel electric system (why that equipment class matters). These are working notes from real sessions, not a validated homebrew protocol. Values are starting points; the scale-translation warnings apply to all four.
The run sheet
| # | Step | Target | Time | Additions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Mill | — | — | Sorghum at 1.5–1.8 mm; 10% rice hulls |
| 1 | Mash in | 122°F | — | 1.25 L/kg; pH to 5.4–5.5 |
| 2 | Dose | 122°F | — | 20 mL Termamyl SC DS + 40 mL Viscozyme, in the foundation water |
| 3 | Low rest | 122°F | 25 min | — |
| 4 | Raise and hold | 163.4°F | 95 min | — |
| 5 | Cool | 145°F | — | Cool water addition |
| 6 | Conversion rest | 145°F | 100 min | 20 mL SEBAmyl L |
| 7 | Ramp and run off | 168°F | during ramp | Start vorlauf, sparge, and lauter as the temperature rises |
Target extract: 15.0°P (1.061).
A later revision runs it hotter and thinner
A second pass at the hybrid in the archive changes the middle: mash in at 2.2 L/kg (not 1.25), ramp 153°F for 20 minutes then 203°F for 60 minutes — borrowing the old traditional method's cereal-cook logic instead of the long 163.4°F hold — then cool with ~0.5 L/kg cold water, set pH 5.0–5.3, add the SEBAmyl, and recirculate at 132°F for exactly 100 minutes. Both passes are documented; neither has published results. If you run one, say which.
The rest of the brew day, as documented
The notes carry the full schedule past the mash — the only one of the four methods that does:
| Stage | As written |
|---|---|
| Boil | 60 minutes; bittering hops at the start |
| 45 min in | Hops, Whirlfloc G, and a gluten-free yeast nutrient (check yours) |
| 57 min in | Late hops |
| Boil end | Target 16.0°P (1.065) |
| Ferment | Cool to 70°F, pitch; ferment at 65°F to 2.7°P (1.011) |
| Condition | Cool to 45°F, transfer to secondary; then 32°F for 14 days with a chill-haze stabilizer |
| Package | Carbonate and serve |
What makes this one different
Viscozyme. A viscosity-reducing enzyme blend in the low rest — the only method of the four that reaches for one. Sorghum mashes get thick and gummy; this attacks that directly instead of managing it with water and hulls.
A specified mill gap. 1.5–1.8 mm is the only crush number in the whole document, and it matters: it's the coarse-grind approach that lets 10% hulls carry the bed (why coarse first).
Lautering on the ramp. Step 7 starts runoff while the mash is still climbing to 168°F, saving time and keeping viscosity low while wort is moving.
It borrows from all three. The 122°F rest is Method 1's, the 163.4°F hold and SEBAmyl conversion are Method 3's, and the discipline about enzyme timing runs through everything.
Watch for
Viscozyme dosing (40 mL is a real dose — follow the supplier's guidance for your batch size, not ours); the long total clock; and lautering during a temperature ramp, which needs attention on both ends at once.
Report back
Nobody has published results for this method at homebrew scale — which means your batch is data. Report efficiency, mash behavior, runoff, gravity against the 15.0°P target, fermentation, and what you'd change. See Research Ask #3 and tell us what happened.