shibolet wrote:sorry, i still don't understand. what happens in the mash after full starch conversion?

Sorry shib, I see now that the link I provided did not give a proper answer. Trough Lolly used to always help me out with technical stuff.

All I can tell you is that since that period, I have never trusted iodine tests. I had tried them several times but always my gravity would continue to rise after the iodine test turned.

So, sorry mate. I can't give you any technical reason here just my experience.

Cheers,
PP

Nikobrew wrote:Got my bags from cabelas today, woot woot! Going to wash some lager yeast, crack my grain to bits (is there something bad about making them flour? I didn't plan on turning them to powder just curious) and brew friday or monday morning.

Good luck with it all niko . Looking forward to hearing how it all goes.

My problem with turning grain to flour is based on the following...

1.) I am not aware of anyone doing a side by side brew with two different crushes - one normal and one extemely fine. (I might do this one day but am not really keen . I would also have to repeat it perhaps another two times before feeeling confident in the results.)

2.) I can't think of any BIABrewers who are crushing super-fine.

3.) I can't think of anyone reporting an increase in efficiency by crushing super-fine. There might be a post or two out there but I doubt the brewer has posted results based on more than one brew.

4.) Some brewers are using bags that are coarser than others. Pictures are not much good when "showing your bag." So, my bag might handle flour while yours might not hold it at all giving you a massive trub problem. (Clear wort is a good aim to have mainly because it is safe territory.)

5.) As hashie mentioned, a fine crush is going to take longer to drain. It might even take so long to drain and retain so much liquid before your boil starts that you could get lower efficiency.

As I said in a prior post here re this, I would fully recommend any new BIABrewer not to do a very fine crush as they will be stepping into an unknown, unexplored and undocumented area on their first brew which increases the risk of something going wrong.

What we need is a heap more BIABrewers with two identical BIAB rigs . That way we can start doing side by side tests and get "instant," feedback. One brewer with two rigs trying something once does not prove a method variation to be true. One brewer with one BIAB rig (or traditional rig) brewing two different recipes (even the same recipe) a week or more apart definitely does not prove a theory.

Make sure you take some pics Niko ,
PP

Great post Siggi, very informative.

Not being a scientist or as well read as yourself, I still agree with what you have to say. The only deviation being cold break, I put my chilled wort, cold break and all into my fermenter as the break is beneficial to yeast health and production. I can do this because I use a conical fermenter and drain (rack) off every day, during primary fermentation. So I have a very slim chance of any nasties getting into my beer from the break material. However, I wouldn't suggest doing this in a carboy style fermenter unless the brewer was going to rack off the trub and yeast cake within 4-5 days of fermentation begining.