Is crushing steeping grains essential?

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aidan

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As I was watching a YouTube video it just reminded me that I totally forgot to crush my 250g of medium crystal that I used in my American Pale Ale recipe that I brewed up last week. Does crushing the grains actually make much difference in the amount or quality of extraction during steeping?
 
Yup you gotta crush em...if you don't have a grain crusher you can just use a rolling pin and a zip lock bag. Just fill the bag so that you have a single layer of grains. Just role the rolling pin over it to crack the grains. You don't want to pulverize it into flour.
 
if you don't crush it, you can't extract anything out of it.

I tasted the grains before steeping - they tasted sweet. I tasted the spent grains after steeping and there was no sweetness at all. So I must have at least got something out of them, right?
 
did you get your grains from a bulk source or were they in one of those little pre-packaged bags? some of those bags come pre-crushed
 
no, I specified uncrushed so they would keep longer

Uncrushed grains do keep longer- much longer. But they have to be crushed when you use them.

Using uncrushed grains would be like using a tea bag still wrapped in the cellophone, if I may give a (not great) analogy. The grains' husks have to be broken to give the good stuff out of them.
 
secondary it with your favorite fruit, like raspberry or blueberry, and throw in a campden tablet after a week as a suggestion (ONLY if you keg). not sure how it'll turn out
 
Uncrushed grains do keep longer- much longer. But they have to be crushed when you use them.

Using uncrushed grains would be like using a tea bag still wrapped in the cellophone, if I may give a (not great) analogy. The grains' husks have to be broken to give the good stuff out of them.

Yep, I knew I was supposed to crush them, just forgot to write it in my step by step instructions that I had prepared in advance and then didn't think of it once I got busy with the brewing process. Oh well, a lesson learned and hopefully the beer will still be good.

The steeping water did get pretty dark so I would guess I got a lot more than 10% extraction of them but maybe not...
 
I bought and crushed some grain last week. I wasn't able to brew, and the grain may sit for about 10-12 days. Will that grain be ok, or should I go get some more?
 
If you have more grain or could get it in a reasonable time you could always steep more in ~1/2 gal, boil, cool and add it in...
 
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