Crushing Grain

[pcmfisher]

I am looking at experimenting with some steeped grains.

I don't want to have to run off to the HBS for a few grams of grain for every brew.

Would it be ok to buy a few kgs of various grains getting the shop to mill them for me, and using them over a few weeks or months if they are stored properly? I know ideally they shold be milled fresh.

On the other hand could I get them unmilled and belt them with a meat tenderiser to crack them open as I need them?
Efficiency problems maybe.

Which would be the better option?

Thanks

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

You can buy the Xtals and choc malts, Roast barley etc pre crushed and keep them in an airtight container without any real drama,s


You cant do this with base malts like Pilsner/munich/pale malts....

 

[razz]

Yep you could do both, depends on how well you can store the grain. Uncrushed will most likely last longer. I've had a bag of crushed grain I ordered a couple of years ago and didn't get to use it for about 8 weeks and it was fine. Ideally you could keep it vacuum packed with a food vacuum and it would last for ages.

 

[pint of lager]

BYO article on storage of ingredients.

Kept dry and cool, crushed grain will keep a few months. Uncrushed it will keep a year or longer.

You can use a food processor to crush small amounts of grain, such as quantities for specialty steeping. Other methods such as hammers and rolling pins can be used but they are messy and time consuming.

 

[J.T]

Guys , Do you think an old hand mincer similar to this one would do the job?
Has anyone tried it?

 

[Fatgodzilla]

Guys , Do you think an old hand mincer similar to this one would do the job?
Has anyone tried it?

I'd bet a bottle of homebrew that NO, it wouldn't work. This mincer pushes meat / dough through the outlet holes. There is nothing in it to crush / crack a grain.

I've tried the rolling pin / hammer crush technique with such limited success, it wasn't fun or funny. Get a mill or get your supplier to crush for you.

 

[kook]

Depends on the mincer - If it can be used as a flour mill - then yes it will work. Though it will tear the grain rather than crush it. Not ideal but fine for steeping.

 

[Tony]

Ive said this before and i will say it again

DONT BE A TIGHT ARSE! BUY A MILL

Financial rundown!

It costs about $10 to brew a Carton of beer AG style. It costs $40 min to but it from the bottlo.

a 23 liter batch saves you $75.

3 batches and the grain mill has paid for itself.

and you can adjust it to crush the grain to hoy YOU wnat it and what suits YOUR system...... not what you get from the shop.... not saying the supliers dont do a good job, but the will crack it to the slightly courser side of thends so you dont get stuck mashes but you will get lower effiniency as a result.

and it smells great to crack the malt yourself. You get to know what different grists smell like whin you crack them. I like to crack all my darker grain seperatly to smell it all mixed up together and then know what it tasted like. This is how i learn and develop recipes.

cheers

 

[Aaron]

I wish I had that video of Kai cracking grain with a rolling pin.

Will be fine doing small quantities with something like that.

 

[albrews]

Guys , Do you think an old hand mincer similar to this one would do the job?
Has anyone tried it?

hi, give it a try and report back to us.

cheers, alan

 

[J.T]

hi, give it a try and report back to us.

Yep, will do!

 

[wedge]

Yep, will do!

Guys,
i have a Barley Crusher mill which i have never adjusted. Has anyone move the spindles around if so what did they find the best gap was?

 

[matti]

JT!
The end of that mill needs a rotating crusher bit. Sorry that I have no picks ATM.
Though these rotating crushers tend to tear the husk a part which not ideal as you this may release unwanted tannins and into brew.
As for small quantities use a rolling pin.
Saying that,
I stored cracked Pilsner malt (3 kgs) in airtight bag in an airtight glass jar with moisture pads placed in jar.
3 months later the husks still tasted good and I ran a moisture test and only 4.75% moisture recorded in that time.
Mind you it was winter time then.
Vacuum pack may work better for storage.
Good luck.

 

[matti]

Wedge is that barley crusher one with a handles similar to meat mincer?

 

[J.T]

The end of that mill needs a rotating crusher bit. Sorry that I have no picks ATM.

I have taken a couple pics of the one that i have, to show what they look like inside. Unfortunately i dont have any grain at the moment to test it. Id be keen to see the inside of a 'real' one if anyone can post one up.

DONT BE A TIGHT ARSE! BUY A MILL

It's convincing my minister of finances, that may prove tricky!

But if this idea doesnt work i will be looking at getting one.

 

[Mitternacht Brauer]

I have just finished my own Grain mill in time for my 1st AG on Monday . Here are some Pics to drool over . Any improvements or suggestions will be well taken .

 

[Murcluf]

I am looking at experimenting with some steeped grains.

I don't want to have to run off to the HBS for a few grams of grain for every brew.

Would it be ok to buy a few kgs of various grains getting the shop to mill them for me, and using them over a few weeks or months if they are stored properly? I know ideally they shold be milled fresh.

On the other hand could I get them unmilled and belt them with a meat tenderiser to crack them open as I need them?
Efficiency problems maybe.

Which would be the better option?

Thanks

Getting back to the actual question and the fact that your are at the experimental stage with stepping grains I suggest buying 500g to a 1kg of specialty grains each of your choice cracked and store them in resealable plastic bags in the fridge they will last for ages. Saves you the beating them to death with the tenderiser or spending hundereds of dollars on a grain mill as some suggest, while you are only experimenting steeping grains.

Personally if you are going to go into doing AG then for sure get yourself a good mill, if you are only going to be steeping specialty grains then get you LHBS to do all the hard work for you. A Good LHBS's should be more then happy to do this for you..... Enjoy experimenting!!!!!!

 

[pcmfisher]

Murcluf -
Thats what I will be doing for the next couple of batches.

But for my first experimental batch I bought 500g of crystal malt the other day and cracked about 200g with a rolling pin. Was a bit messy but I think it worked.

Steeped this in 1 litre of water at 65deg for 30mins and sparged with another litre.
Boiled with 750g ldme & 250 dex for another 30min
10g cluster at 30min & 10g cluster at 10min
Added coopers draught kit

I chose draught because I know what it tastes like and hope I can improve on it.

Its just been bottled and smelt really quite good thru the air lock.

Might try different yeast next time as well.


Cheers

 

[Pumpy]

I have just finished my own Grain mill in time for my 1st AG on Monday . Here are some Pics to drool over . Any improvements or suggestions will be well taken .


View attachment 18224View attachment 18225View attachment 18226

How deep was your cross hatch Knurl Buster ?


pumpy