# Biab. Grain Crush Using A Blender.



## chefeffect (23/6/11)

I have done 3 BIAB's now and have finally nutted out the volume ratios and ways to change a recipe to suit, many thanks to Pistol Patch, this forum, and BIABrewer.info. The only issue I am having now is my grain crush, I am using a food processor that we use in kitchens to blend seeds and spice for cooking. My issue is my first BIAB I grinded the crap out of the grain to almost a flour but I had so much trub in the kettle after the chill I was concerned allthough I reached my target OG. The second batch I didnt grind as much but I did'nt hit my target OG. How much blending is too much? does it really matter if you turn your grain to flour for BIAB?


----------



## kelbygreen (23/6/11)

Ok I found yes it does matter. I done like BIAB for this fact! its personal preference and I am not sure if it affects the final beer or not, but I get my grain crushed at the LHBS they do a crush for BIAB or what they use in bigger breweries to get better efficiency. Now the crush has alot of powder but the husks are full but totally broken open. 

I will explain my process a little bit better I guess but to start I find BIAB brews even crushed at LHBS the wort in the kettle is cloudy really cloudy at that. Ok now what I do I use the bag but have a copper manifold in my esky it comes off the threaded rod and bends down and sits prob 1-2mm from the bottom of the esky. Its one piece of copper with slots in the bottom and the end hammered closed. I treat it like a typical mash tun so I recirculate till worts fairly clear then drain, add my batch sparge in 1 lot (as I brew in a 19lt pot) and mix leave for a few mins as its also like a mash out and drain. Seems to work for me but its a bit of everything.

I have done it with just the manifold but got a few stuck sparges prob from just the 1 pipe. I can stop it by running the wort off slow but its a pain. I need to work on it a bit more to get it right


----------



## felten (24/6/11)

BIAB is always going to be cloudier, and you're always going to have more trub than other systems where you can utilize a vorlauf. Sure the fineness of the grain crush is related to your mash efficiency, but if you're leaving the trub behind in the kettle then there's probably a limit where you could be affecting your knockout volume. And opinions differ on whether transferring trub to the FV negatively affects the beer, it's best practice to minimise it though.

I've used a blender and spice grinder before, they do work but they are far from optimal, and a major PITA compared to even the cheapest proper brewing mill.


You should be able to get a decent efficiency without turning your grain bill into flour, but you won't be able to change that if you're reliant on just a blender.


----------



## Maheel (24/6/11)

I converted a pasta maker to a mill (really quite dodgy) using a hack saw blade to score the rollers and powering it with a old drill.
but it seems to crush the grain well and not turn it to flour, i am only comparing the crush to some that CB did for me.
it seems to work ok but not sure how long it will last, but at $12... if i can get 10 brews out of it i will then buy a MM2 or something
the hopper at this stage only takes about 500g but it rips through it in about 1 min 

i tried my food processor but it only made the grain dizzy and did not break it up

if you want some pics i can go grind some grain.....


----------



## chefeffect (24/6/11)

Ok Thanks guys,

I will look into getting a mill as I would prefer consitancy over being cheap, I was just hoping I could get out of it for awhile as I have just bought a truck load of other bits and pieces. 

Nice work on the pasta roller Maheel that some pretty awwsome ingenuity lol I can see it working.

Cheers,

Chef


----------



## Ryan WABC (30/6/11)

Has anyone had any luck using a coffee grinder?


----------



## Shed101 (30/6/11)

Ryan WABC said:


> Has anyone had any luck using a coffee grinder?



Do a little search on this one mate... gets a bit funny


----------



## Nick JD (30/6/11)

Ryan WABC said:


> Has anyone had any luck using a coffee grinder?



I've put about 200kg of grain through a little Kambrook coffee grinder. Still going strong.

Takes about 3 minutes to do a kg. 

I've thought about upgrading to a mill, but 15 minutes every week is probably less time per week than I spend wiping my ass - and I'm not in the market for a bidet.


----------



## wombil (30/6/11)

Coffee grinder works ok for me.
EL Cheapo woollies,$34. Forget the brand.Small but does the job.


----------



## going down a hill (30/6/11)

Nick JD said:


> I've thought about upgrading to a mill, but 15 minutes every week is probably less time per week than I spend wiping my ass - and I'm not in the market for a bidet.


You make it sound so appealing!


----------



## Nick JD (30/6/11)

going down a hill said:


> You make it sound so appealing!



Don't get me wrong - I'd love a few hundred dollar mill, but it's just not that much of a hassle to put the grain through a grinder as I only make a 19L keg every week or two. To be honest, certain limitations on my brewing volume might be the only thing between me and cirrhosis; I'm embracing these limitations. Wiping one's ass is something that should never be rushed. 

Brewing for me is a source of enjoyment, creativity and relaxation - I'm not about to try and streamline it. At the moment I'm knee-deep in a overly complicated decoction mash that could probably be avoided with some melanoidin. But this beer will taste like a Czech Supermodel's nipples, I tell you.


----------



## ekul (30/6/11)

I use a mill but i found when i first got it that if i crushed really fine that i got heaps of trub at the end, i biab btw. A coarser crush sorted this out for me. For the amount of time that you will have a mill i reckon they are well worth the money. I use a hand crank, it takes a little while but its only once a fortnight so its not that bad.

With brewing, i've found that the cheapest way to do something without sacrificing funtionality has generally already been found. Most people on here use a mill, whether it be at the lhbs or at home...


----------



## Ryan WABC (30/6/11)

Thanks for all the info, guys. I'm really only looking at steeping some grains to begin with, so would a coffee grinder suit this? When I up my quantities, I'll look at getting a mill.


----------



## HeavyNova (30/6/11)

Nick JD said:


> But this beer will taste like a Czech Supermodel's nipples, I tell you.


HAHA. So good!


----------



## bignath (30/6/11)

Nick JD said:


> this beer will taste like a Czech Supermodel's nipples, I tell you.



Mmmmmmmm, nipples.

you got a recipe?


----------



## felten (30/6/11)

ekul said:


> I use a mill but i found when i first got it that if i crushed really fine that i got heaps of trub at the end, i biab btw. A coarser crush sorted this out for me.


I've found this to be true as well, agree 100%. 

You don't need a very fine grist to get a decent efficiency either, which is another thing I've read here a lot.


----------



## McFeast (30/6/11)

felten said:


> I've found this to be true as well, agree 100%.



You're talking about this, (right?):



Nick JD said:


> But this beer will taste like a Czech Supermodel's nipples, I tell you.


----------



## felten (30/6/11)

if only


----------



## Bribie G (30/6/11)

Regular use of psyllium promotes trouble free wiping. I see that ALDI stores still have stocks of coffee grinders at the moment, fairly cheap.


----------



## esssee (2/7/11)

Just adding my two cents worth.

I have followed Nick JD's guide to BIAB for my first two BIAB's.

I followed his advice, and used a Coffee Grinder on the Middle setting for coarseness.

First one, when I had time to worry about Second Runnings, got an efficiency of 85%.

Second one, when I didn't have time for Second Runnings, only got 75%.


----------



## DU99 (2/7/11)

from what i have read burr grinders do a better job
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee_preparation


----------



## Ryan WABC (13/7/11)

Seeing that I don't have the cash to splurge on a mill, I just ordered this online for $45.00 delivered.

I'll let you know how it goes when it arrives.


----------



## chefeffect (17/7/11)

Ryan WABC said:


> Seeing that I don't have the cash to splurge on a mill, I just ordered this online for $45.00 delivered.
> 
> I'll let you know how it goes when it arrives.



Sweet I would be very interested to see how that goes, as it should be perfect with the 17 grind selections.


----------



## Wolfman (17/7/11)

So what width do you set your mill on then?


----------

