To Crush Or Not To Crush Dark Malts

[Superoo]

Hi All,

I am about to brew the Rogue Shakespeare Stout clone for Can You Brew It (Brewing Network).

I am doing it BIAB, 40L electric urn.

I would like to know if I should crush all of the dark malts, or should some just be put straigt into the mash without crushing ?

I also assume I'm not to crush the Flaked Oats ?

Thanks for any assistance...

My basic recipe is...

All Grain.
Boil 28 L
Batch 22 L
3.85 Kg Pale Malt.
0.65 Kg Chocolate Malt.
0.65 Kg Flaked Oats.
0.65 Kg Crystal 120.
0.09 Kg Roasted Barley.

60 Min Mash.

60 Min Boil.

78g Cascade 7.8% 60 Mins.
28g Cascade 7.8% 0 Mins.

Wyeast 1272 American Ale 2 Yeast.

Primary 7 days at 17c.
Secondary 15 days at 17c.

 

[scott_penno]

I'd be saying crush all the different malts together - you need to make sure each grain is at least cracked so that the liquid and enzymes can get access to the starch to convert it...

My two cents worth...

sap.

 

[Bribie G]

You might get a bit out of the grains but would eventually end up with hot wet uncrushed dark grains with the goodness still locked inside them.
I run my flaked goods through the mill, by simply mixing them in with all the other ingredients first and running the whole lot through.

However what you could do with the RB is to mill separately and add at the end of the mash, giving a good stir. Gives a smoother effect with less harsh roastiness.

 

[Dazza88]

Bribie,

Is cold steeping the dark malt overnight another way to reduce the harshness of dark malts?

 

[Tony]

crush the RB and choc seperately.

Mash in the pale, flaked and crystal and add the RB and Choc with 10 to 15 min to go in the mash.

You get a cleaner roast character, and the addition of the dark malts acts as a pH buffer, lowering the mash pH ready to counter the higher pH of the sparge. This keeps the beer smooth and clean also.

Also...... you dont "have to" crush the flaked oats, but i usually run mine (i use flaked barley) through the mill with the rest of the malt to break it up a bit more and try and get a bit more of its creamy goodness out!

 

[Superoo]

Awesome, thanks Lads,

All easy then, will just crush all together on this one, then do a second one with the late dark malt addition to mash separately.

Cheers