Hi,
New member here, still building my equipment, but I have a question.
In the master guide here, and in various forum posts, we talk about milling the grain.
I have never heard mention of milling grain in any other brewing forums or books.
Do you only need to mill if you buy whole malts?
The stuff I buy is crushed:
http://www.thehomebrewcompany.co.uk/ind ... ts_id=1447
I suppose this means it doesn't need milling?
Post #2 made 14 years ago
Good Day Dr.B, Milling/crushing Grain is needed if you Buy Un-creushed grain.
IF you can get all your grain crushed/milled you don't need a crusher/mill.
BUT, crushed grains in America cost a bit more, than whole grains.
The LHBS crush should work for BIAB, But many people suggest a finer grind.
IF you can get all your grain crushed/milled you don't need a crusher/mill.
BUT, crushed grains in America cost a bit more, than whole grains.
The LHBS crush should work for BIAB, But many people suggest a finer grind.
Honest Officer, I swear to Drunk, I am Not God.
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- SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From United States of America
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Post #3 made 14 years ago
Okay thanks.
In the UK crushed grains are freely available for pretty much the same price.
I'll give it a go as they are and maybe try a finer grind if needed.
In the UK crushed grains are freely available for pretty much the same price.
I'll give it a go as they are and maybe try a finer grind if needed.
Post #4 made 14 years ago
I think that's a good way to go especially when starting out Dr B. Crushed grain does not keep for anywhere near as long as whole grain so just make sure you only buy what you need for each brew.
Down the track, if you find yourself brewing a lot, then it might be worth looking at buying whole grains in bulk and crushing them yourself.
Regarding how fine to crush your grain, you often hear the expression, "If you BIAB, you can crush the grain as fine as you like." I don't think this is the greatest advice. If you crush super-fine and your bag is coarse, all that flour will end up in your kettle. If you crush super-fine and your bag is fine, you will spend ages draining your bag.
The right crush for BIAB (or traditional brewing) is a sensible crush. A sensible crush is where the grain is squashed and has a few breaks in it. Some mills will give you this with one pass. Others will require two passes.
BIAB is however far more forgiving on the crush. If you do end up pulverising your grain, you won't have anywhere near the risk of a stuck sparge as the traditional brewer would.
PP
Down the track, if you find yourself brewing a lot, then it might be worth looking at buying whole grains in bulk and crushing them yourself.
Regarding how fine to crush your grain, you often hear the expression, "If you BIAB, you can crush the grain as fine as you like." I don't think this is the greatest advice. If you crush super-fine and your bag is coarse, all that flour will end up in your kettle. If you crush super-fine and your bag is fine, you will spend ages draining your bag.
The right crush for BIAB (or traditional brewing) is a sensible crush. A sensible crush is where the grain is squashed and has a few breaks in it. Some mills will give you this with one pass. Others will require two passes.
BIAB is however far more forgiving on the crush. If you do end up pulverising your grain, you won't have anywhere near the risk of a stuck sparge as the traditional brewer would.
PP
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Post #5 made 14 years ago
Dr. B.
The Hopandgrape shop grinds for free in any quantity and you can inform them to grind slightly finer when you place your order. Works like a charm!
The Hopandgrape shop grinds for free in any quantity and you can inform them to grind slightly finer when you place your order. Works like a charm!
Post #6 made 13 years ago
I just did my 4th BIAB and this time I had the brew shop grind the grain twice. In the past, with a single run through the grinder my overall efficiency was around 60% and the OG was usually just below the target.
With the double grinding my efficiency was 70% and I exceeded my OG goal of 1.050 with an awesomw 1.056.
With the double grinding my efficiency was 70% and I exceeded my OG goal of 1.050 with an awesomw 1.056.
Post #7 made 13 years ago
Good stuff Valvefan
A double crush through a mill that has small diameter rollers is often necessary to give a 'good' crush. Grains missed before will get squashed on the second run although I can't work out the logic of why
. Remember though that you don't want flour - a fine crush is not the same as a good crush 
!
Yet another way to get a better crush is to mist the grain with a water sprayer prior to the crush. This means the grain gets a better grip on the rollers and is more likely to nicely 'squash' rather than split. (I think that's the reason but am not totally sure and you certainly shouldn't do this unless you are mashing in within say 24 hours.)
I reckon that now you are heading into your fifth BIAB, you might be interested in looking at your 'Efficiency into Kettle' (EIK) rather than your 'Efficiency into Fermentor' (EIF). These are two different numbers and the first one gives you more valuable information (such as the results of your mashing) than the second one does. EIK is a higher percentage than EIF so don't be surprised if it is ten or more percent higher.
PP
A double crush through a mill that has small diameter rollers is often necessary to give a 'good' crush. Grains missed before will get squashed on the second run although I can't work out the logic of why
. Remember though that you don't want flour - a fine crush is not the same as a good crush ! Yet another way to get a better crush is to mist the grain with a water sprayer prior to the crush. This means the grain gets a better grip on the rollers and is more likely to nicely 'squash' rather than split. (I think that's the reason but am not totally sure and you certainly shouldn't do this unless you are mashing in within say 24 hours.)
I reckon that now you are heading into your fifth BIAB, you might be interested in looking at your 'Efficiency into Kettle' (EIK) rather than your 'Efficiency into Fermentor' (EIF). These are two different numbers and the first one gives you more valuable information (such as the results of your mashing) than the second one does. EIK is a higher percentage than EIF so don't be surprised if it is ten or more percent higher.
PP
Last edited by PistolPatch on 19 Jun 2012, 19:52, edited 3 times in total.
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