Grain Crush for All-in-One

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E J Gumby
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Grain Crush for All-in-One

Post by E J Gumby » Sun Sep 06, 2020 5:21 pm

Hi,
I've upgraded from simple stove-top BIAB to a Klarstein Maischfest and I'm having trouble hitting my OG targets.
Should I be using a standard malt crush as per, say, direct from Get'erBrewed, or should I use a fine crush, as I did with the BIAB?

All suggestions gratefully received.

f00b4r
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Re: Grain Crush for All-in-One

Post by f00b4r » Sun Sep 06, 2020 9:52 pm

What are you using to calculate your OG?

E J Gumby
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Re: Grain Crush for All-in-One

Post by E J Gumby » Mon Sep 07, 2020 11:22 pm

Nothing, as such.
Just going by the recipes.
(Mainly Greg Hughes' "Home Brew Beer")

nickjdavis
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Re: Grain Crush for All-in-One

Post by nickjdavis » Tue Sep 08, 2020 11:27 am

Well...given that grain is relatively cheap it should be easy to test if a finer crush gets you to our OG targets but there are a lot of variables involved. FWIW I find that any of the standard grain crushes from all the major homebrew retailers are perfectly adequate to deliver good efficiency.

At the end of the day you have a new brewing system...it takes three or four brews before you start really getting an idea of how it compares to your old "system" or brewing methodology.

It may be your sparging methodology needs to be adjusted with the new system to ensure you are rinsing all of the available sugars from the mash. It could be the boil isn't evaporating as much wort as the recipe "assumptions"...leaving you with a thinner wort of lower OG.

The recipes in the Greg Hughes book will all assume a certain mash efficiency...that efficiency number might be different to what your system gives you.

Like I say....you can try a finer crush...it may solve your problems, but if it doesn't then you are back to record taking, careful measurements, checking volumes in order to determine where you are at. It may well be that you cannot achieve the assumed efficiency figures and will have to use more malt in the mash...or scale down your brew length if its not possible to increase the size of the malt bill.

It may take a few brews yet to iron out your issues...good luck!!

f00b4r
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Re: Grain Crush for All-in-One

Post by f00b4r » Tue Sep 08, 2020 4:45 pm

It may be that you have the same mash efficiency as but now have to account for dead space in your new system, without measurements it’s very hard to tell what is happening.

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Eric
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Re: Grain Crush for All-in-One

Post by Eric » Wed Sep 09, 2020 11:28 am

The finer the crush, the greater will be the potential extract, while a more coarse crush provides better flow through the mash. I doubt if a finer crush would improve efficiency by any meaningful amount and could cause more unwated particles to pass into the boil.

To improve the efficiency from my Klarstein I did the following:-
At the end of the mash period the wort was drained into another vessel with the malt tube left in position. Then slowly sparged to the required volume, again run through to the second vessel with runnings measured to monitor and control the amount and rate of extraction The tube was then removed and the Klarstein upturned to remove debris, then refilled and heat applied. Lower gravity runnings from draining the malt tube were collected separately and boiled for yeast starters.

I'm not convinced it is essential to go to this extent to achieve the 75% efficiency assumed in many recipes. Not surprised you have difficulty achieving adequate efficiency from your Klarstein by following the given method. I don't think your problem is crush, the difference isn't that vast in theory and in practice the equipment will determine the type of crush, but is the eternal problem of rinsing enough sugars from the grains in the time allowed.
Without patience, life becomes difficult and the sooner it's finished, the better.

E J Gumby
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Location: N London

Re: Grain Crush for All-in-One

Post by E J Gumby » Wed Sep 09, 2020 11:32 pm

Thanks for all the replies, guys.
I agree. I think the sparge may be the problem.
Going to see if i can sort it out on my next batch.
I've just got a new load of standard crush malt from Get'erbrewed and I'll let you know how I get on.

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