Grain Mill..

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joecast

Eat, drink...and drink some more.
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got my grains today and borrowed a grain mill from the HBS free of charge.

started milling and adjusted the distance between the two plates. its got a twist knob on the end but when i adjust it to crack most of the grains i get quite a bit of a fine flower type powder as well. i am hoping this is just the insides of the grain and isnt going to be a problem. the trouble is if i increase the distance between the plates i get a lot of grains passing through untouched. am i worrying about nothing (i hope)?
joe
 
Cant say for sure but I have a Porkert mill which sounds similar (two plates) and I also get a bit of 'flour' when I crush the grain. Hasn't caused me any drama's now that I have a manifold in the mash tun ... If you have a dodgey lauter tun I think it can make it easier to get stuck sparges.

I wouldn't loose too much sleep over it as long as the husks of the grain are still in reasonably big chunks (1/3 - 1/2 of the grain size) you should have no worries. Just try and work out your efficiency so you can see the effect down the track of any changes you make to your setup.
 
Flour is great for maximising extraction - so long as you don't get a stuck mash - (then it's awful). I'm currently crushing on the second finest valley mill setting - this produces a very find grist. I also use plenty of rice hulls.

cheers
reg
 
You say the grains were uncracked. Very possibly if you pick one up you will find the grain has been cracked but the husk is intact.

Best settings depend on your system, even the grain being crushed. What causes stuck mashes on one system works fine on another.

I am not one for getting every last bit of extract and stop sparging when the runnings are 1020 but if you want to ectract the last bit of extract set the mill so you get a bit more flour and broken grains, and hope you don't get a stuck mash.


Jovial Monk
 
why do you stop at 1020 JM. Is this to stop and tannin flavours? Do you stop at to 1020 or once the liquid is less than 1020
 
look

don't be a Rambo brewer, OK?

I stop at 1020 or 1025, not just cuz i want to avoid tannins and crud like it

The early runnings are rich and flavorful

Runnings below 1020 are evil and thin and stuff and contribute little flavor even if you do use acid in the spargewater etc to avoid tannins:- this sounds awfully like megaswill, no?

I just work the recipe out like I am gonna get 27L in the fermenter from 29L postboil
then collect the usual 25L postboil

efficiency schmefficiency

you want to make good beer, no?


Jovial Monk
 
jm i gotta catch up with you in your shop in 04 and pick your brew brains.
efficiency is one thing i reckon a new ag brewer like myself could get too hung up on instead of worrying about the true meaning of brewing beer.
that is its for ME AND ME ALONE AND MY TASTE BUDS and some chosen mates if there worthy.

cheers
big d

sorry bit off topic :blink:
 
I get 80+ % efficiency, but just calc all my recipes at 70%.
That way my last runnings are usually around 1.020 + too.

Beers,
Doc
 
all grain brewing>>>>>>>>>>>>
the deeper i delve the more info and confussed i get...
im chomping at the bit for the first ag i do.total bumbling confusion leading to a brew i gotta wait a few weeks minimum for then will probably be totally blown away with the quality.
i hope.

cheers in the ag journey
big d
 
big d, it is a date, you bring the flowers?

Lots of brewers get hung up on efficiency
it is the TASTE is important

Look just do a AG batch or two
the results will be drinkable (have some iodine handy to make sure coversion is complete)

After you have done that, reread a good book like the CAMRA guide "Homebrewing"

after another dozen batches, Ray Daniels "Designing Great Beer" will become a bit more relevant

let you in on a little secret (don't tell anyone, shhh!) my first (part)mash was not efficient, enough starch to leave a nice big scorchmmark in my brewpot

but brew, brew brew and gradually the mists will lift




Anytime you are in Adelaide, give me a buzz the day before, and we can get pissed on AG brews while discussing AG brewing!


Jovial Monk
PS do NOT order any crystal malt, bwahahahahaha!
 
a date it is jm
ill bring the cones...errr mean the flowers /hops whatever and an empty skull to fill and an empty stomach.

look out 04

cheers big d
 
Jovial_Monk said:
Look just do a AG batch or two
the results will be drinkable (have some iodine handy to make sure coversion is complete)


Anytime you are in Adelaide, give me a buzz the day before, and we can get pissed on AG brews while discussing AG brewing!
hey JM, two things.

did my first ag yesterday and was using iodine to check for starch. being my first time i had no other way of knowing when i got "full conversion". well, 3 hours later and still starch was present, i went ahead and sparged anyway. tasting the runnings, i could detect a bit of harshness. did i mash too long? (started at 66C up to 70C) i asked around on another site and one guy said the iodine test is not very reliable. if so, how do we know when/if all starch is converted?

is that an open invitation to all?? thanks
joe
 
Joe,

Make sure you are only taking some liquid out to do the starch conversion test. If you test the bits of grain as well you will probably always have the iodine change colour.

Chances are you will be fine. RDWHAHB, and welcome to the wonderful world of grain brewing.

Beers,
Doc
 
Doc has it right

Only WORT should be tested, grains will ALWAYS have starch. Use a white china plate, paper plates have starch in them too!!

Your beer will be fine, remember I often mash overnight, 8-9 hours of mashing? Just ensure you sparge at the correct temp and if your water is a bit alkaline acidify your sparge water with lactic or phosphoric acid.

Yup, if ever in Adelaide I will be ready to drink some beer and talk brewing


Jovial Monk
 
Jovial_Monk said:
Doc has it right

Only WORT should be tested, grains will ALWAYS have starch. Use a white china plate, paper plates have starch in them too!!
<snip>
JM / Anyone else - quick question...


I'm doing a part mash LCPA clone.

Can I do an Iodine test using IODOPHOR? I was thinking of testing some wort on the old dinner plate and just using one or two drops of IODOPHOR into the sample? :huh:

Cheers,

TL
 
Yup, iodophor will be OK

one drop should do it

The ideal is, the iodine should not change color

blue/black means starch
red means still traces of starch, mash another 10 mins

Jovial Monk
 
would mind a valley mill


i usaually mash for and hour and half i also dont do an iodine test as i cant be bottered
 
does mashing for extended periods of time (5 or 6 hours instead of 1) cause the grains to absorb more water?
joe
 
IIRC the grains will only absorb their own weight in water. And according to the default Promash calc 1kg of grain will absorb 1.01 litres of water.

I don't see this changing over an extended mash period.

Beers,
Doc
 

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