mrgreen4242

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Got shipment with all my initial equipment and ingredients today. Want to do a batch of Graff... I requested that my grains (some 60L and torrified wheat) be crushed, but they don't look very crushed. I'm not sure how crushed they are supposed to be, I guess, is the problem. So, how can I be sure these are milled properly and that they didn't send me uncrushed by mistake? Is there a good before after picture showing what it should look like?

TipsyDragon

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i would think this would be obvious. do they look like whole seeds or irregular chunks. if your worried get a rolling pin (or similar object) and run it over the grain a few times.

mrgreen4242

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Well, the 60L has lots of what looks like whole seeds but also a lot of husks and bits floating around. The wheat is mostly cracked in about halves with some full pieces in there. I thought it would be obvious as well, but, well, obviously it isn't as I had to ask.

The fact that they forgot part of my order, despite a "packer and picker" both checking it off the list and signing the packing slip made me slightly doubtful of their abilities to send the right items...

TipsyDragon

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ok i think i see your source of confusion then. sounds like maybe they had a course setting on their crusher. i still stand by my rolling pin suggestion.

mrgreen4242

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I appreciate the input - I was also unsure of whether it was possible to over-crush them so to speak. I think they are crushed, though. I found the DVD in my little kit and popped it into the computer. The guy mentions that the grains need to be basically cracked and not ground or powdered, and these are cracked, which not being what I would have called crushed... I will probably still give them a light hit with a rolling pin just to be on the safe side though!

Thanks again!

JonK331

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It might help if you post a quick picture of your grains just to be sure.

mrgreen4242

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Hm, I think I am too much of a newbie to post pics on the forums, so I will to take them, upload them somewhere else and post a link... might take a moment, but I appreciate you offering to help!

TipsyDragon

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to me "over crushed" is when they can't be held in a grain bag without sifting through the mesh. the more you crush the more the water can get at the grain and dissolve the sugars. but there is a point when it is too fine and cant be held in a grain bag during steeping.

mrgreen4242

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OK, this should work... (sorry for the low quality cell phone pic)

TipsyDragon

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ok i definitely see what your saying now. i wouldn't call those crushed either. to me those look like whole grains. hit them with the rolling pin.