Do commercial breweries condition their malt?

Does anybody know commercial breweries who wet/condition their malt and if so for what reason?

And what water should be used to condition the malt?

Thank you.

I was just watching a craft brewer video yesterday where they most certainly did. But just a little bit. Maybe DFH on their experimental system?

I am finding that if you dampen the malt ever so slightly before milling... And I mean so slightly that you aren't quite sure that it's even damp, that I get a great whole husk from the barley. Haven't had much of an issue with wort drainage since I added that wee step in.

unionrdr said:

I was just watching a craft brewer video yesterday where they most certainly did. But just a little bit. Maybe DFH on their experimental system?

Click to expand...

Was it before they milled it or was it perhaps a grist hydrator where they wet the already milled grain when doughing in to help prevent dough balls?

I believe only Sierra Nevada and New Belgium use the Steinecker Vario-Mill

Perhaps the new Breckenridge Brewery has one.

If you are interested in what has to be done on a pro level, check out this pdf


Steinecker Vario Mill

Doctor_M said:

Was it before they milled it or was it perhaps a grist hydrator where they wet the already milled grain when doughing in to help prevent dough balls?

Click to expand...

It was before milling, as I remember it...

Wayne1 said:

I believe only Sierra Nevada and New Belgium use the Steinecker Vario-Mill

Perhaps the new Breckenridge Brewery has one.

If you are interested in what has to be done on a pro level, check out this pdf


Steinecker Vario Mill

Click to expand...

Wayne, are you anti or pro conditioning, on a homebrew scale?

I am for whatever works for you.

I tried it once on my homebrew system and just made a big mess and clogged up my rollers.

A bigger difference might be in properly and repeatedly setting the gap on your mills the the malt you are using at the time. Use a set of screens to KNOW what your mill is doing to your grain.

Cheers,
Wayne