Chris Colby on malt conditioning

[babalu87]

The spray and stir method works perfectly for me so far and I didn't notice my mill getting gummed up at all. You're not putting oatmeal through it.

I have a little chart where my brewing stuff is taped to a freezer.

.27 ounces water/lb of grain

Also has the decimal equivalents for ounces, pretty damn handy.

 

[remilard]

I think it has more to do with shredded husks having more surface area and greater propensity to extract tannins.

Bingo. Tannin extraction is greater at higher temperatures and higher pH, but its not like it magically shuts off at a pH of 5.8 or lower or something.

Most people accept that six-row barley gives a different flavor (grainier perhaps) than two-row in a properly conducted mash and sparge. Similarly I would hope that anyone who has had Trumer Pilsner, which is mashed without husks, notices that it has a distinct character.

IMO, if one believes, as most of us do, that the amount of husk material affects beer flavor then it is natural to believe that exposing more surface area for a given amount of husk material is a factor as well.

 

[Bobby_M]

I have a little chart where my brewing stuff is taped to a freezer.

.27 ounces water/lb of grain

Also has the decimal equivalents for ounces, pretty damn handy.

That's pretty close to my guess of 1oz of water to 5lbs of grain.

 

[babalu87]

One day I'm gonna get me one of these:

 

[Cape Brewing]

The spray and stir method works perfectly for me so far and I didn't notice my mill getting gummed up at all. You're not putting oatmeal through it.

it's worked really well for me three or four times but then just this once, it gummed up really badly. As mentioned, I think I just didn't let the grains sit long enough before milling.

I think it's still a valuable point though that "gumming up" is a possibility for folks and if you feel your mill starting to struggle, it's an easy fix.... just stop, clean off the rollers and give your grain a couple more minutes of rest time. And the problem should be solved.

 

[samc]

Tried this method yesterday for the first time. 6 ounces water by weight on 21lbs of Pilsen (first time using this grain). Sprayed on and mixed, let sit for about 25 minutes. Husks were remarkable intact. Overshot my OG by a few points, but I also changed my RIMS method a bit so not a real scientific experiment for me.

Very minor spot or two where grain has stuck to rollers, not a big deal.

 

[Denny]

That's probably true, Denny -- but if I trust my pH meter, it says I haven't had an issue yet.

Well, I guess that answers that!

Regardless, I am still unsure how you think malt conditioning is related to a pH change? When I crushed fine without conditioning, I got shredded husks and some slight off-flavours (tannic, astringent). When I conditioned (with the same crush), they disappeared. I think it has more to do with shredded husks having more surface area and greater propensity to extract tannins.

Sorry, I must not have been clear. I was wondering if the tannins you mentioned were related to pH rather than just the way the husks looked. My experience is that shredded husks really don't matter if your pH is in line. Obviously, YMMV.

 

[FlyGuy]

Denny, honestly it is hard for me to say. I have only conditioned 3 batches, the latter two of which were with the finer crush again. So not much of a sample size to be sure. But it looks like my issues were related to the shredded husks themselves since my pH has not changed much.

I am also mashing pretty thin now, so that might affect things on the sparge (my batch sparge is probably lower gravity than most, and therefore has less buffering capacity to deal with a pH drop). I am not using 5.2 in the sparge water.

 

[Bobby_M]

The interesting thing for me is that conditioned malt through a .030" gap still leaves the husks more intact than dry malt through a .045" gap. I gained 8% efficiency on this batch but it's a complete garbage number because I also fly sparged. Nothing like changing multiple variables.

 

[Denny]

I am also mashing pretty thin now, so that might affect things on the sparge (my batch sparge is probably lower gravity than most, and therefore has less buffering capacity to deal with a pH drop). I am not using 5.2 in the sparge water.

Minor correction...if anything, pH will rise on the sparge, not drop. In multiple testes, I've found my pH to remain pretty constant through a batch sparge.

 

[flananuts]

I just condtioned 12 lbs of grain for an apa that I'll run through my barley crusher at stock setting. I'll grab a couple pics of the crush. I'm going to wait about an hour after wetting the grain before I crush.
I just love sunday morning brew sessions. I'm in the basement brewing while SWMBO is making shepards pie and baking chocolate chip cookies for the oldest who's got a fever. Life is what you make of it.

 

[FlyGuy]

Minor correction...if anything, pH will rise on the sparge, not drop. In multiple testes, I've found my pH to remain pretty constant through a batch sparge.

Yes, that's what I meant. Sorry.

What is your liquor to grist ratio Denny? If it is somewhere around 1.3 quarts/lb and you only do one batch sparge, I would be surprised if your pH budged at all.

 

[Kaiser]

There is an article on malt conditioning in the new issue of Zymurgy. Didn't take the time to read it just yet, but it seems to get into a lot of the science behind the practice.

Is this the March/April issue? I haven't gotten it yet but looked at the web and didn't see anything mentioned.

Kai

 

[Denny]

Yes, that's what I meant. Sorry.

What is your liquor to grist ratio Denny? If it is somewhere around 1.3 quarts/lb and you only do one batch sparge, I would be surprised if your pH budged at all.

These days it runs anywhere from 1.5-1.75 qt./lb.

 

[Kaiser]

Is this the March/April issue? I haven't gotten it yet but looked at the web and didn't see anything mentioned.

Kai

Yes it is

What a coincident that my article on malt conditioning is in the current issue of Zymurgy. Including some pictures that are not on my website. The article is also much better written then what you find on Braukaiser.com. That's courtesy of my wife who cleans up bad style and grammar.

Kai

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Yes it is

What a coincident that my article on malt conditioning is in the current issue of Zymurgy. Including some pictures that are not on my website. The article is also much better written then what you find on Braukaiser.com. That's courtesy of my wife who cleans up bad style and grammar.

Kai

Brother, It's always our wives that make us look better. No matter the context.

 

[babalu87]

Yes it is

What a coincident that my article on malt conditioning is in the current issue of Zymurgy. Including some pictures that are not on my website. The article is also much better written then what you find on Braukaiser.com. That's courtesy of my wife who cleans up bad style and grammar.

Kai

Dont tell me........its in the Geek section :rockin:

This will certainly get interesting :fro:

 

[biertourist]

For the earlier posts that highlight the Chris Colby method vs. the Kai method, the professional brewing literature mentions that another benefit of using steam for the purposes of malt conditioning is supposedly that it "aromatizes" the malt and it may have a positive impact on flavor.

I'm not sure whether the steam option raises the temperature of the malt but I'd imagine that it could in which case you'd need to double-check your dough-in temp for your water infusion downward so you don't mash in too hot.


Adam

 

[biertourist]

For the earlier posts that highlight the Chris Colby method vs. the Kai method, the professional brewing literature mentions that another benefit of using steam for the purposes of malt conditioning is supposedly that it "aromatizes" the malt and it may have a positive impact on flavor.

I'm not sure whether the steam option raises the temperature of the malt but I'd imagine that it could in which case you'd need to double-check your dough-in temp for your water infusion downward so you don't mash in too hot.


Adam