I wouldn't store shredded grains for more than a week, and that's if they are stored in a tight container (they usually come in a sealed bag) in a cool, dry place. If you want to save money in the long-run, get a mill.
What is wrong with leaving crushed grains in an airtight container for a short amount of time? I have some crushed crystal 60L I bought a lot of and use it from time to time. I haven't noticed any change.
Of course, there is still a minor amount of moisture in the grains, which is why the previous post noticed a decrease in weight. Perhaps I am getting away with it because they are specialty grains? Never even gave it a thought.
It will work for years, but that doesn't change the fact that fresh ingredients will make for a better beer, unless you are specifically trying for something different.
You can get away with it forever, just as ipso posted, but don't count on your yeast being good after 2 years, don't count on your grains tasting fresh after a month in storage, don't count on your hops being good after years of storage.
So, yes, it will work. That doesn't mean you should do it
I've got 2 of these under my belt now... to figure out my efficiency I basically fiddle with the efficiency number in Beer Alchemy until I get my O.G.
I got 55% on my first one, 50% on this one. What's one thing I can focus on next time to try to boost the efficiency? i'm following the steps pretty closely.
I'm using 1.25 q/lb for mash water. Would a little looser mash boost efficiency maybe?
It may have been covered in this thread, but I don't have the energy to read through 87 pages trying to find it, hahaha.
I'd love to try a partial mash for my next batch but I only have one 5 gallon pot. My next biggest pot will barely hold 1 gallon of water. Could I mash in a fermentor bucket and heat my sparge water in my 5 gallon pot? Would there be too much heat loss from mashing in a plastic bucket? What if I wrapped it in blankets?
This is an awesome thread, and I apologize if this has been addressed somewhere earlier in here, but I'm confused about the part where you steep the grains in the ~170 degree water after the primary soak in the ~150.
1: I thought that the purpose of steeping in the lower degree water is to avoid releasing tannins at a higher temp. Wouldn't steeping in the higher temp afterwards release those suckers? It apparently doesn't since you've been using this method for a while, I just wonder why...
2: What does steeping in the hotter water add to the flavor? Is it basically just shocking the rest of the goods out of the grain that wasn't achieved in the 150 water?
Thanks for the awesome thread.. Despite my confusion, I used your method last week on a chocolate oatmeal stout where I needed to get the oatmeal flavor/body with this method. I racked it yesterday and it smells pretty good.
This is an awesome thread, and I apologize if this has been addressed somewhere earlier in here, but I'm confused about the part where you steep the grains in the ~170 degree water after the primary soak in the ~150.
1: I thought that the purpose of steeping in the lower degree water is to avoid releasing tannins at a higher temp. Wouldn't steeping in the higher temp afterwards release those suckers? It apparently doesn't since you've been using this method for a while, I just wonder why...
2: What does steeping in the hotter water add to the flavor? Is it basically just shocking the rest of the goods out of the grain that wasn't achieved in the 150 water?
Thanks for the awesome thread.. Despite my confusion, I used your method last week on a chocolate oatmeal stout where I needed to get the oatmeal flavor/body with this method. I racked it yesterday and it smells pretty good.
"Sparging" is a better term. What you are doing is extracting the sugar from the grains. Higher temperatures absorb sugar better, but if you go too high, then you extract stuff that you do not want, so water that is approximately 170F is what is commonly used.
Temperatures of around 150°F is "mashing"...during this time, the enzymes are working on the starches in the grains and converting them into simpler sugars, which your yeast will later eat. If you mash too high, the sugars will be more complex and much of it will not be able to be consumed (and turned into alcohol) by the yeast. This will leave the beer more "dextrinous" and is not recommended by me. If you want a more "malty" or "sweet" beer, I prefer to use the malts and the yeast to my advantage...rarely do I use a high mash temp (I don't go above 154°F or so.)
Enzymes are killed at about 162°F. The main purpose of the final "sparge" is to rinse the grains of sugars that are ALREADY converted, and therefore increasing your efficiency. Basically, the sugars are ready, but they are stuck to the grain and need to be rinsed off. This is why I also recommend pouring some water through the bag before you dunk it for the sparge.
Temperatures of over 168°F (and possibly lower, depending on the time it sits, the pH and a othe factors) can result in extraction of tannins. If your sparge water is 170°F, it will drop significantly when you add your grain from the mash, so it should hopefully not be high enough to extract tannins.
Temperatures of around 150°F is "mashing"...during this time, the enzymes are working on the starches in the grains and converting them into simpler sugars, which your yeast will later eat. If you mash too high, the sugars will be more complex and much of it will not be able to be consumed (and turned into alcohol) by the yeast. This will leave the beer more "dextrinous" and is not recommended by me. If you want a more "malty" or "sweet" beer, I prefer to use the malts and the yeast to my advantage...rarely do I use a high mash temp (I don't go above 154°F or so.)
Enzymes are killed at about 162°F. The main purpose of the final "sparge" is to rinse the grains of sugars that are ALREADY converted, and therefore increasing your efficiency. Basically, the sugars are ready, but they are stuck to the grain and need to be rinsed off. This is why I also recommend pouring some water through the bag before you dunk it for the sparge.
Temperatures of over 168°F (and possibly lower, depending on the time it sits, the pH and a othe factors) can result in extraction of tannins. If your sparge water is 170°F, it will drop significantly when you add your grain from the mash, so it should hopefully not be high enough to extract tannins.
Awesome, so when you stick the grain into the sparge water, even though it was initially heated to 175, the addition of that large blob of somewhat cooler grain will take the sparge temperature somewhere low enough to not cause tannin release. Thanks LV, and of course Death-B
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