Hi guys, can any one tell me how long they keep grain for that has already been milled? I am in the process of getting a bulk amount for my first all grain and the shop told me to not buy it milled as will only last a few weeks. Friend in the U.K is buying 50kg of marris otter this weekend that will be milled & reckons it lasts a year or more stored correctly. Will the Aussie heat affect the storage. Any thoughts or advice greatly accepted
Grain Milling
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Tony
Quality over Quantity
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I liken grain to bread.
Leave it whole and it lasts a while
Slice it up and seperate all the slices, it will go stale very fast.
I think as it stales from contact with air, the enzymes die off as well.
From memory the rule was always 2 weeks max once its been cracked. You could invest in a vacuum sealer to store it oxygen free but then you may as well invest in a Mill and use it freshly cracked, which will always be better.
cheers
Leave it whole and it lasts a while
Slice it up and seperate all the slices, it will go stale very fast.
I think as it stales from contact with air, the enzymes die off as well.
From memory the rule was always 2 weeks max once its been cracked. You could invest in a vacuum sealer to store it oxygen free but then you may as well invest in a Mill and use it freshly cracked, which will always be better.
cheers
I get my grain milled when I buy it, get enough for 4-5 brews, sometimes I leave it for a few months before using and have never noticed much wrong with the beer it produced.
I store it in plastic bags with the air squeezed out in a dry dark place.................so long as it doesn't get mouldy I can't see a problem.
The suger's are still trapped in the grains and you have mash them to get them out, so storing them a while in good conditions I have never thought would harm them.
I store it in plastic bags with the air squeezed out in a dry dark place.................so long as it doesn't get mouldy I can't see a problem.
The suger's are still trapped in the grains and you have mash them to get them out, so storing them a while in good conditions I have never thought would harm them.
I agree with Tony I always mill my grain the night before the next day brewing. I have been of the opinion freshly
cracked grain gives off optimum flavours in beer. The aroma coming from the mash tun seems to support the theory.
cracked grain gives off optimum flavours in beer. The aroma coming from the mash tun seems to support the theory.
As im new to this all grain, I was looking for the simplest way to produce my virgin all grain. If i was to buy a mill later down the track how easy is it to mill? Are there certain criterial to crack the grain or is it just a case of running the grain through two rollers?
I guess i will have posted, enough grain for two brews that is already milled, then see if its worth investing in a mill down the track. What sort of cost are they generally? Saw one in a online shop, looked pretty basic for $200. Thanks for the advice guys.
manticle
Standing up for the Aussie Bottler
I crack mine same day or evening before. I reckon the bread analogy is a good one.
No doubt you can make beer from grain which has been cracked and stored well but I have a mill so that method makes the most sense to me.
A mill is high on the list for me too.
Until then I get mine done day before where I buy it !
One here you can borrow
RdeVjun
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Hi Stu, if you BIAB then just about any domestic blender will do in a pinch but really only as a last resort. The extra flour is no biggie, I've BIABed with stone ground malt, fairly coarsely ground mind you, and blendered grain with no dramas. Same with Marga- milled stuff and commercially- milled malts, all seem to work with BIAB.
However for traditional vessel mashing with a slotted, punctured or braided manifold, you'll need the grain to be treated kindly and as intact as possible to facilitate drainage and prevent stuck sparges. Obviously some cracking of the grain is necessary to expose the kernel to liquid but too much will result in lots of flour and can lead to problems with drainage.
To answer your questions, it is pretty easy but the degree to which it needs to be cracked depends on your mashing method. Roller milling seems to be the preferred method, it leaves the husk largely intact to outward appearances but inside it is coarsely cracked. Other methods are fine for BIAB but less than perfect for manifold systems.
Freshly- ground grain is best of course, but sometimes a little bit of storage is necessary- airtight, cool and dark would be the criteria to look out for.
BTW, one of AHB's sponsors has a cheap hand- operated roller mill, about $140 + freight (~$10), is very popular with brewers and I've just bought one myself. Very pleased with it, PM me if you're having trouble finding one that's suitable.
However for traditional vessel mashing with a slotted, punctured or braided manifold, you'll need the grain to be treated kindly and as intact as possible to facilitate drainage and prevent stuck sparges. Obviously some cracking of the grain is necessary to expose the kernel to liquid but too much will result in lots of flour and can lead to problems with drainage.
To answer your questions, it is pretty easy but the degree to which it needs to be cracked depends on your mashing method. Roller milling seems to be the preferred method, it leaves the husk largely intact to outward appearances but inside it is coarsely cracked. Other methods are fine for BIAB but less than perfect for manifold systems.
Freshly- ground grain is best of course, but sometimes a little bit of storage is necessary- airtight, cool and dark would be the criteria to look out for.
BTW, one of AHB's sponsors has a cheap hand- operated roller mill, about $140 + freight (~$10), is very popular with brewers and I've just bought one myself. Very pleased with it, PM me if you're having trouble finding one that's suitable.
benno1973
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Pat Casey
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Two points:
1. Fresh ingredients are always the best. Beer brewed with stale malt will taste stale. Crushed malt kept in a polyethylene bag will start to stale within a fortnight. Barrier bags will keep the malt fresh for two months, possibly more - that's as long as I have tested them for. However, barrier bags are expensive. As a result the only malts I keep pre-crushed in the shop are small amounts for adding to can kits - they are kept in barrier bags. Everything else is weighed, crushed and bagged at the time of sale or a day before.
2. Intact husks are important not only for wort separation. Even though a grain bag can separate the wort from shredded or pulverised husks, the beer will taste harsh and astringent because of tannins and silicas picked up from the shredded husks.
Of course so much depends on circumstances and opportunities, but if you are buying crushed malt only buy enough for two or three brews at a time. Buying more is a false economy. Why go to all the effort to brew the beer if you are going to use stale ingredients?
Pat
Absolute Homebrew
Casey's Beer
1. Fresh ingredients are always the best. Beer brewed with stale malt will taste stale. Crushed malt kept in a polyethylene bag will start to stale within a fortnight. Barrier bags will keep the malt fresh for two months, possibly more - that's as long as I have tested them for. However, barrier bags are expensive. As a result the only malts I keep pre-crushed in the shop are small amounts for adding to can kits - they are kept in barrier bags. Everything else is weighed, crushed and bagged at the time of sale or a day before.
2. Intact husks are important not only for wort separation. Even though a grain bag can separate the wort from shredded or pulverised husks, the beer will taste harsh and astringent because of tannins and silicas picked up from the shredded husks.
Of course so much depends on circumstances and opportunities, but if you are buying crushed malt only buy enough for two or three brews at a time. Buying more is a false economy. Why go to all the effort to brew the beer if you are going to use stale ingredients?
Pat
Absolute Homebrew
Casey's Beer
