Double crush specialty grains for steeping?

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MarcGuay

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Hi folks,

Any advantages or disadvantages to having specialty grains double crushed for steeping in an extract recipe?

Marc
 
Depends on the crush, if the mill is set up right you shouldn't need any more than one pass.
Doubling it up will result in more flour = higher yield (good) + higher undesirable tannins (causes dry mouth, bitter, taste like strong tea) + higher protein/gluten (cloudy, hard to clear).
Extract batch has no worries on a stuck sparge. Often the higher yield outweighs the negative effects.
 
Thanks. Would it be smart to lower the quantity a bit if the grain is double crushed then?
 
Excess tannin extraction may be a concern if the water is alkaline and above 170F or so. Just to be safe, it may be useful to acidify the water a bit. I like 88% lactic acid for that job. There are many fairly easy ways to test water pH and spreadsheets to help with correct additions. Other than that it should be fine.
 
Doubling it up will result in more flour = higher yield (good) + higher undesirable tannins (causes dry mouth, bitter, taste like strong tea) + higher protein/gluten (cloudy, hard to clear).

If you're looking to create a weizen/wit style beer, a finer grind of your steeping grain will lend itself to a thicker, cloudy haze - if that's what you want.

If you're looking for a bit more clarity, add some pale base malt like Pilsner, malted wheat, (or Vienna if you want a slightly darker tint) to your steeping grain at a slightly lower steep temp. It adds some diastatic boost for a bit more starch conversion in your steeping grain.
 
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