Did my LHBS overcrush my grain??

[duffman2]

Ok, my LHBS sucks and I know it. But they got some pretty girls there and I do like to support my locals so........

I had the SWMBO pick up my grain bill and when I got home I took a look at my grain sack and there was dust everywhere. The husks were completely shredded, torn open, and empty. They looked pulverized.

I have ordered grains from them before, and when draining my mash tun, I couldn't get the vorlauf completely clear. There was a ton of grain grist that ended up in the boil and I had to strain the crap out of it at the end to keep it out of my fermenter.

So, being that I don't want to rock the boat, and I also am anxious to get my brewing in tomorrow, is there anything that can be done to avoid this junk draining through my MLT?

Any suggestions?

 

[Irrenarzt]

They make a nylon bucket sack/ filter bag that might save you. You'd have to go back to the store with the hot chicks. Complain and maybe you'll get a free sack. I'd consider a grain mill that way you can better control your crush. I always buy uncrushed grains, spread them out on a big tray I have, spray them lightly with a mist of water, then run the mill myself. Never had any issue but my LHBS doesn't have hot chicks.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

I would post a picture but even then it's hard to tell as pictures don't always translate well. I can say that most good crushes do have quite a bit of flour, no whole grain and the husk is consequently torn to some degree. As a mental image, typically when I have a good crush the large majority of the grain is about 1/4 the size of a BB (the type you shoot) and the intact husk is about the size of a piece of rice. But I also use 1/4 pound of rice hulls.

Do you use a manifold, braided SS, false bottom, etc? Some people are more prone to a stuck sparge and I know when I use my SS braieded MLT it sticks a lot easier than my copper manifold MLT.

 

[Bensiff]

I got confused when you said you go there b/c they have hot chicks and then had your wife do your shopping for you.

Trying extending the time of the vorlauf, it should eventually settle down to the point where you are no longer getting husk material. If not use a fine strainer as you run it into your boil kettle to get the debris out. Like Irrenzart suggested, put a grain mill on your wish list (Monster Mill 3 roller are awesome, good guy and sometimes he has scratch and dent) so you can control that aspect and begin buying in bulk.

 

[duffman2]

They make a nylon bucket sack/ filter bag that might save you.

I don't know about this bucket sack/filter bag. Does it filter out all the dust and leave grain behind? If so I might be losing a lot of fermentables out because the whole thing is full of dust.

And I just got my grain mill yesterday, but I've been working a lot and didn't have time to mess with it and adjust it yet to the gap it would need to be so I figured I'd give them another shot. Once I get my mill rocking I won't need them to crush my grain anymore. But I'll still drop by from time to time, just to see how they're doing

 

[duffman2]

I got confused when you said you go there b/c they have hot chicks and then had your wife do your shopping for you.

I know I know. Such is the life of a workaholic! My buddy always told me to never take sand to the beach! That's ok, they have a kegarator there and at least I can imagine them all having a pint of blueberry witbier or two and then maybe settling in for a nice sexy pillow fight before they bag up my grains in their delicates! A guy can dream, can't he?

 

[duffman2]

And I use a SS braided hose on my MLT

 

[Scut_Monkey]

If you have some rice hulls throw them in if you are worried about a stuck sparge. It won't hurt and they are relatively cheap compared to your time of trying to deal with a stuck sparge.

 

[duffman2]

If you have some rice hulls throw them in if you are worried about a stuck sparge. It won't hurt and they are relatively cheap compared to your time of trying to deal with a stuck sparge.

I've heard about rice hulls but haven't shopped for them and don't know a lot about them. Should I just go visit the girls and pick up a bag at the store?

 

[Scut_Monkey]

Rice hulls basically look like the husk of grain after crushing but they are larger. They don't add flavor and are about $1.50-2.00 a pound. From what I've read about 0.20-0.25 pounds per 5 gallon recipe is typically adequate for most setups and grain bills.

I would ask the pretty ladies if you are worried about a stuck sparge.