Corona Mill Users -Evaluate my 1st Crush

[nspringstead]

Finished my Bucket Crushing Station with Corona Mill.

Ran 1/3 lb of 2-row. Thoughts?

 

[joeybeer]

looks fine ! Test your efficiency.. crush 3 lbs and make a 1 gallon batch
It takes a min to get a corona dialed in but youre looking close !

 

[bigbeergeek]

Crush it more says I!!!

I like to push my grind to the limit in the name of high efficiency (89%) but to each their own -- that crush looks good!

 

[suprchunk]

Why are only corona users allowed to comment on the crush? :0

It looks fine to me, but I don't use a corona, so take that for what it's worth.

 

[Rivenin]

i'd go a bit tighter, mine looked like that when i had high 60s eff. but everyones brewhouse is gonna be different, so try it with that, test it, go tighter, test it again, see what best fits you!

 

[Revvy]

crush it more says i!!!

+1

 

[BBBF]

I agree with everyone else. It isn't bad, but you can crush more.

 

[Beezy]

Depends on your mash tun tho. I have been stepping up the crush each time. I have a braid but it's reinforced with notched tubing. It refuses to stick so I keep turning. I was getting 78% eff right off the bat. Last batch not sure because I screwed up my preboil reading somehow but I ended up with SG 1.05 on a predicted 1.04. Problem is at that point it's probably not going to taste the way it's supposed to. Would have been better to leave my crush alone. Consistency is more important than achieving 100.

 

[jonmohno]

Looks like 75% eff.to me.Thats what i got with it looking like that.I tightend mine a little more since.I think i got 80-85% today and i sorta had a higher OG than intended,hope coopers ale yeast likes 7.7%abv.in my redrye ipa, got a 1.082 hope it gets at least a little below 1.02.

 

[wyzazz]

I'd go a bit tighter if you're using BIAB, if you're using an actual mash tun then give this a shot and see where it gets you.

 

[BlackJaqueJanaviac]

Looks good to me. But I don't think I'm nearly as picky as 90% of the people on these boards.

Going finer will beef up your efficiency, but will be more difficult to grind and take longer. You have to remember efficiency calculations do not account for your time and effort. Seeing as you've got a Corona, you have the luxury of buying base grains in bulk. That should cost you less than $1.00/lb.

So you have to ask yourself if the extra effort to get 85% efficiency is worth save the $1-worth of grain it would take to reach the same O.G. using the crush setting you already have.

 

[Beezy]

I don't think it's anymore effort. What the handle is a little harder to turn?

 

[wyzazz]

I don't think it's anymore effort. What the handle is a little harder to turn?

Right, because my drill gets tired sometimes.

 

[IXVolt]

I'd crush it a bit more. This is what mine looks like
Notice there's more "flour" like consitency, and the hulls are a little more torn. The grain chunks (technical term) are a smaller as well.

 

[geezerpk]

I'd crush it a bit more. This is what mine looks like
Notice there's more "flour" like consitency, and the hulls are a little more torn. The grain chunks (technical term) are a smaller as well.

That looks close to my crush. Maybe 10-15% flour. I mash/sparge in a bag-lined bucket. I'm not a real wizard at calculating efficiency, but my recipes turn out decently, and the OG is usually close to the pre-calculated number.

 

[BlackJaqueJanaviac]

I don't think it's anymore effort. What the handle is a little harder to turn?

Yes. At a certain point I notice an increase in resistance to turn. But there's also the fact that it just takes more turns to crush a pound of grain when it is set finer.

Like I said, it's up to you to determine how much effort it is worth. If you get 85% efficiency without a noticeable increase in effort, then go for it man.

 

[Beezy]

I am now getting a bit over 80 without the handle being that hard to turn. No I don't care if I get any more efficient than that. Maybe worth trying for 90 just for the fun of it. Other than that...

 

[nspringstead]

Brewed first batch last night with my crushed grain. Got around 76%, as some expected based on the pictures. Not sure if I will tighten it up more since the drill I currently have was really working. I did have half of the grain bill crushed at Northern Brewer, so we'll see once I crush the whole bill myself.

 

[Germelli1]

So you have to ask yourself if the extra effort to get 85% efficiency is worth save the $1-worth of grain it would take to reach the same O.G. using the crush setting you already have.

Yup it is totally worth it! It means with my 87% efficiency, I can fit enough grains in my 7 gallon tun to brew any size beer I want.

 

[Beezy]

Thats why I started with a 15 gallon tun.

 

[Germelli1]

Starting my brewing career in a small apartment had made me have to keep things small. But I really like my little tun, no deadspace whatsoever. I have a 10 gallon cooler waiting for conversion but I think I am goin to wait until I do bigger than 5 gallon batches to convert it!

 

[Rivenin]

I'd crush it a bit more. This is what mine looks like
Notice there's more "flour" like consitency, and the hulls are a little more torn. The grain chunks (technical term) are a smaller as well.

that looks like mine as well, i was nervous to brew with grain like that at first, but only had one stuck sparge (something other then the crush) haven't had once since! you can do it! TIGHTEN THAT BAD BOY UP! (to the OP, not xvolt )

 

[staggerlee]

A different perspective: the water I brew with is highly alkaline and crushing looser seems to have helped me avoid excess tannic character in my beers. If the OP is in a high-pH area I'd say stay where you are (his crush looks a lot like mine and although efficiency is lower flavor is good) but in a lower-pH situation, then go for a tighter crush.