Crushing Grain with a Mortar & Pestle

[maltoftheearth]

I don't own a traditional grain crusher and my local home brew store is a 2 hour round trip journey. I recently got my hands on some hard winter wheat that needs to be crushed. Any reason why I can't I do this with a mortar and pestle?

 

[chefmike]

effort and consistency would be the reasons cited against. If it is just wheat, your are not trying to keep hull intact, so grind away. Rolling pin also works. Or clean coffee grinder in batches, hitting it a few times.

none of these methods are GREAT for barley though. most arent even good... but just wheat? :rockin:

 

[RugenBrau]

....not to mention the time it will take

 

[maltoftheearth]

Just wheat so that is great news. And yes, it will take a while. I have about 5lbs straight from the field.

Should I wash it, dry it and then mill it?

 

[JonM]

I tried this a couple of times and only with a couple of leftover ounces of grain to add to a batch that I milled at the LHBS. A few ounces of roasted barley and black patent work sort of okay in a pinch because they're so brittle, but everything else is a PITA. You press the mortar (or is it the pestle?) down and all the grain just scoots out of the way without being crushed.

 

[weirdboy]

5 lbs of wheat with a mortar and pestle????


I would try a food processor or blender...

 

[maltoftheearth]

5 lbs of wheat with a mortar and pestle????


I would try a food processor or blender...

I was just going to ask about that. I like my food processor so much, I would hate to risk ruining it. I would hate worse to spend two hours grinding grain.

 

[weirdboy]

Two hours? I think you are underestimating the amount of time it would take with a mortar and pestle.

 

[BigEd]

Just wheat so that is great news. And yes, it will take a while. I have about 5lbs straight from the field.

Should I wash it, dry it and then mill it?

As that is raw wheat you will also have to cook it or do a cereal mash with it to gelatinize the starch before adding it to the main mash.

 

[whyrat]

Second what BigEd replied. If this is unmated wheat it's not ready yet for brewing. There's threads (and you tube videos) on malting... Wheat needs to be malted just like barley does.

Unless you have a BIG mortar and pestle, I'd go with a rolling pin. If you have a food mill (aka hamburger meat grinder) that is the same basic thing as the LBHS grinder. Just make sure it's clean and test for the level of grind. Needs to be small enough to break the grain, but you don't want the husk to get pulverized or it will end up in your wort (in stead of in your mash tun / grain bag where you could remove it after the sugars are extracted).

Since its 2 hours to your LHBS... Ask your neighbors? Food mills are uncommon, but not THAT uncommon.

 

[zepolmot]

Might another option be a coffee grinder? The coarsest grind might not be too bad if you're doing BIAB.

 

[pd230soi]

I have tried;
mortar and pestle (grains kept flying everywhere, lots of effort for little gain)
Blender (zero consistancy),
Food Proc (grain scratched plastic bowl), and
rolling pin (plastic bag tears, lots of effort - but may be best if in a jam).....

I now own a Barley Crusher. Love it.

 

[maltoftheearth]

Wow. Maybe it is just time for me to suck it up and buy/make a grain mill.

One more option available. We have a brand new two tank brewery in our area, about 15 minutes from here. They are small enough that they might grind my wheat grain for me.

Thanks everyone. I think I have been talked off the ledge and won't be trying to grind my own by hand.

 

[pd230soi]

go ahead and try...... you will just love your grain mill all that much more!

 

[pjj2ba]

As it is unmalted why not just make it into a gruel first? Put water in a pot, add raw wheat, cook until soft, THEN cool and grind (with the water) in a food processor, etc. Add to the rest of the mash.

 

[maltoftheearth]

As it is unmalted why not just make it into a gruel first? Put water in a pot, add raw wheat, cook until soft, THEN cool and grind (with the water) in a food processor, etc. Add to the rest of the mash.

I like this idea. I still need to let the grain partially germinate first, that is going to be a colossal PITA.

One question, are you suggesting that I cook the grain at the same temperature I would mash? Or bring to a boil and then simmer? I guess I am curious as to how bringing it to a boil might affect conversion.

 

[pjj2ba]

I was operating under the assumption that you would be using some barley malt as well, which would take care of the conversion.

If this is the case, then cook it like your would cook anything else, maybe a good simmer or slow boil.

If this is your only grain source, then yes, you would need to malt it first.

 

[BrewingRob]

I have crushed several pounds of grain multiple times for partial mashes. Although I wouldn't go over 4 lbs, my marble rolling pin and stoneware tray (about 1x2' with a lip) work fairly well. I crush about 1/4 lb at a time, and it takes up to 5 minutes per batch. The consistency is sketchy, but it works. Even so, a mill is in my future.