Factory Setting Crush

[darkstar79]

How does this crush look? Ive only used this Barley crusher twice now and I want to make sure the crush is good.

 

[Cape Brewing]

I got the tip from Babalu87 to use a credit card as a spacer for crush settings. I condition my grains and then tighten my mill until i can just barely push a credit card between the rollers. Crush has been money ever since.

 

[Catt22]

How does this crush look? Ive only used this Barley crusher twice now and I want to make sure the crush is good.

It's hard to tell from that picture as it's kind of fuzzy, but it looks to be a little too fine IMO. The conundrum is that you want it as fine as possible, but not so fine that it causes a stuck mash and inhibits draining the mash tun. The best way to view the grist is to spread it out in a single layer on a black background of some kind. Ideally, you want to smash the malt and end up with about 10% fines. The factory setting of the BC should get you very close to an ideal crush. I think they set the gap at about 0.039". You could easily check it with a set of automotive feeler gauges.

This is what I think a good crush should look like:

 

[BrewBeemer]

I got the tip from Babalu87 to use a credit card as a spacer for crush settings.

The best thing you can do is run all your credit cards thru a crusher, pay cash no intrest.

 

[Hemsworth]

I started conditioning my grains on the last couple of batches and was able to set the gap on my BC at 0.030". Now I get a great crush and the husks don't get pulverized.

 

[azscoob]

I condition as well, the gap on my BC is .025". I get a ton of flour and intact husks, since this change in my process I have never been remotely close to a stuck sparge even when doing wheat beers, and I average 88% efficiency to boot! Come to think of it, I had slower running sparges before I started conditioning, and efficiency was 75%.

 

[Hemsworth]

.025", eh. I thought I was stretching it with .030". I guess the "grain crush glove slap" has been administered. Off to the brewery to set mine for .024"!!

 

[azscoob]

I cannot recall who, but someone on here had their mill set to .022", I might venture tighter, but I like the results I am getting currently. give it a whirl and post your results!

 

[Hawgbranch]

I condition as well, the gap on my BC is .025". I get a ton of flour and intact husks, since this change in my process I have never been remotely close to a stuck sparge even when doing wheat beers, and I average 88% efficiency to boot! Come to think of it, I had slower running sparges before I started conditioning, and efficiency was 75%.

Are you re-circulating your mash?

 

[azscoob]

Are you re-circulating your mash?

Nope, just a basic mash, I split the sparge, and also my mashout is just the absorbed volume, I bring it to a boil and stir in, this brings my grainbed up to 168°-170°. nothing fancy here!