Can I crush grains before I smoke them?

[climateboy]

Smoke them over wood, that is.

I want to make a home-smoked ale, but I don't have a mill, and crush 5+lbs of grain with a roller is a pain in the ass. I've read in some places that you should smoke the grains whole before you crush them...but why? Does anyone know if grains must be smoked whole, and the reason for it? What would be the disadvantages of smoking them crushed? I have screens that are fine enough to hold the crushed grain in the smoker.


Thanks,

CB

 

[Fenster]

They're real hard to keep lit.





Sorry, couldn't resist!

 

[giligson]

might wind up oversmoking/burning
how about liquid smoke? anybody ever try it in their brew?

 

[climateboy]

might wind up oversmoking/burning
how about liquid smoke? anybody ever try it in their brew?

I don't fancy that stuff in my beer...and from what I've read it's hard to find it without vinegar, etc.

Fenster...I'll be stalking your threads for payback.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I have some experience smoking grains. I have a write up of my process in my Smokey Boggart recipe thread.

Generally, grains are smoked whole and uncrushed. I am not sure of the science behind this. Disadvantages I can think of:

1) flour would be very hard to contain, even with a very fine screen
2) using a very fine screen will severely limit the surface area available to the smoke
3) stirring and keeping the grains moist during the smoking will be difficult without having a mini mash sticky situation on your hands
4) level of smoke may be more difficult to control due to the varying grain size

I don't know any of these for sure, but that is the best I can do. I do not have a roller either, so for my smoke beers I buy my grain, then bring it back the next day to have it crushed. It is a pain, but it works very well.

Cheers

 

[climateboy]

I have some experience smoking grains. I have a write up of my process in my Smokey Boggart recipe thread.

Generally, grains are smoked whole and uncrushed. I am not sure of the science behind this. Disadvantages I can think of:

1) flour would be very hard to contain, even with a very fine screen
2) using a very fine screen will severely limit the surface area available to the smoke
3) stirring and keeping the grains moist during the smoking will be difficult without having a mini mash sticky situation on your hands
4) level of smoke may be more difficult to control due to the varying grain size

I don't know any of these for sure, but that is the best I can do. I do not have a roller either, so for my smoke beers I buy my grain, then bring it back the next day to have it crushed. It is a pain, but it works very well.

Cheers

Thanks, Kabouter, that makes sense. Actually, my LHBS is reluctant to crush smoked grains because of worries that it will flavor the hopper. He does, however, sell alder chips, which is good. As I'm only doing a half-batch, I think I can stand crushing the 5 or so pounds with a rolling pin. I've done it before!

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Actually, my LHBS is reluctant to crush smoked grains because of worries that it will flavor the hopper.

No problem.

That is pretty silly... some LHBS are weird. Oh well, any way you could use this as an excuse for a new shiny mill? I would think even a $20 corona would be better than hand crushing with a rolling pin... just an idea.

EDIT: I would talk to the LHBS guy. Thinking that smoked grains will somehow taint his hopper is nearly laugh out loud funny.

 

[Revvy]

Thanks Kabouter (Climateboy, I noticed that you didn't get any answers yesterday, so I forwarded the link to your question to him.)

How many pounds of grain in your grainbill are you planning to smoke?

If it's only a couple pounds or less, and you don't get a corona mill, you could consider the oldschool method of a rolling pin or wine bottle in a ziplock bag. I wouldn't recommend it for a huge amount of grain, but up to maybe two pounds, I would have the lhbs grind all the unsmoked grain, smoke my couple pounds and hand crush that and mix together.

5 pounds of grain?? No way, not even if I had gorilla arms...

 

[Evan!]

might wind up oversmoking/burning
how about liquid smoke? anybody ever try it in their brew?

No, no, no. Everything I've ever heard about it is bad. JZ says he's tasted brews that had liquid smoke in 'em, and they tasted like nasty bacon. I've never tried it, but I'm gonna take his word on it.

 

[climateboy]

No problem.

That is pretty silly... some LHBS are weird. Oh well, any way you could use this as an excuse for a new shiny mill? I would think even a $20 corona would be better than hand crushing with a rolling pin... just an idea.

EDIT: I would talk to the LHBS guy. Thinking that smoked grains will somehow taint his hopper is nearly laugh out loud funny.

He is a little strange--no surprise there--but he does give good advice, carries good stuff, and writes great recipes, so on balance that's okay. I think he's worried about my home-smoked grains--and he does carry alder chips for the purpose--and that they are likely to come out much more intensely flavored than Rauchmalt...I agree with him on that. Whether that translates to oils which could flavor his mill, dunno.

Revvy, are you saying I don't have gorilla arms? I once did about 6 pounds of grain with a roller, a handful or so at a time. Not anxious to repeat the experience. Thanks for forwarding the link.

While we're on the subject, what are the disadvantages of a smaller or a corona mill? Is it just a question of throughput? For example, morebeer sells a smaller grill that is for "the extract brewer who wants to use specialty grains." But couldn't you, with sufficient patience, use it for base malts?

 

[Jamo99]

nasty bacon

That is quite the oxymoron!

 

[Revvy]

So whatever happened, did you ever find a local guy with a grain mill to crush your smoked???

 

[climateboy]

I did indeed, Revvy; thanks so much for asking. My LHBS had alder chips, so I'm smoking tomorrow (I mean, later today). I also learned I should probably stay away from the LHBS...I'm like my girlfriend in a shoe store. A simple trip for hops and a few ingredients parted me from a Benjamin.