Setting for Barley Crusher

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gcdowd

gcdowd

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Finally got some HB equipment for Christmas so I can go all grain and am wondering what I should set my crusher to to maximize my efficiency without risk of getting a stuck sparge. Current factory setting is 39, and honestly I'm not quite sure if that is about right. My mash tun is the "Cheap and Easy 10 Gallon Rubbermaid MLT" per Flyguy's post. Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 
gcdowd said:
Finally got some HB equipment for Christmas so I can go all grain and am wondering what I should set my crusher to to maximize my efficiency without risk of getting a stuck sparge. Current factory setting is 39, and honestly I'm not quite sure if that is about right. My mash tun is the "Cheap and Easy 10 Gallon Rubbermaid MLT" per Flyguy's post. Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

That setting will work pretty well, especially if you have a tendency to get a stuck mash or sparge.

I've tightened mine up a bit, and then a lot, and then went back, trying to get a great crush. It turns out that mine seems perfect at .035", but in retrospect the factory crush was really just fine!
 
Thanks yoop. I'll start with the factory setting and check my efficiency and adjust accordingly
 
I tightened mine to around .35 and i started to get 85% eff but stuck sparges without rice hulls so i went back to factory setting.Trial and error;)
 
I use 0.038" on Flyguy's MLT and it works great. No stuck sparges and 78% efficiency. If you're not already, use feeler gauges to get an accurate measurement of the gap.
 
Ok awesome, thanks for the responses. Also, I have fairly hard water...any suggestions on what I may need to add to the mash to get the pH in line? Anyone use that 5.2 stuff?
 
gcdowd said:
Ok awesome, thanks for the responses. Also, I have fairly hard water...any suggestions on what I may need to add to the mash to get the pH in line? Anyone use that 5.2 stuff?
Click to expand...

Don't use that 5.2 stuff! It doesn't work anyway, and it can cause some flavors to your beer. I'd recommend sending a water sample to Ward Lab (about $20) for a water report and that can give you all the info you need.
 
I left mine at the factory setting and now have been getting consistent 79% efficiency with each batch that I've run all the grains through. One batch, a Wit, I got 74% efficiency but I didn't run the flaked wheat through since I'd read it was not necessary. Gonna run it through next time though for the heck of it.


Rev.
 

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