First All Grain Mash

[Nordmadr]

Well, I finished my cooler mash tun the other day and was anxious to do my first all grain mash. Overall, the process went great with one major exception.

First, I inadvertently ordered my most recent grains unmilled and I do not yet have anything for appropriate milling. So I attempted to mill 10 pounds of my two row pale malt by hand. I will not do that again. This certainly contributed to my poor efficiency later in the process. Anticipating poor efficiency I compensated with an additional 4 LBs of 2 row malt that were milled, hoping to achieve a reasonable original gravity. I still ended up low and needed to put additional fermentable sugars into the batch to get where I wanted to be. Other than that, it was easier than I expected, the cooler did not leak and held temperature within 2 degrees (153-155) even with 3 temperature checks. I've now got a happily percolating pale ale in the basement and we'll see how it turns out.

I'm learning all the time.

 

[C-Rider]

Get a good blender if you don't have one. Can turn 10 lbs of grain into flour in like 10 min. Of course BIAB likes flour your set up might not.

 

[PurpleJeepXJ]

Either a blender or food processor will work but will take a LONG time. I too made the same mistake early in my AG career. I milled the grains in a food processor and then doubled my mash time. Actually hit my OG within a point.

 

[C-Rider]

Either a blender or food processor will work but will take a LONG time. I too made the same mistake early in my AG career. I milled the grains in a food processor and then doubled my mash time. Actually hit my OG within a point.

As I said above Can turn 10 lbs of grain into flour in like 10 min. Not very long to do.

 

[BikerMatt]

Little offtopic but a word of caution.

I would not recommend driving a blender for extended perioids dry. I destroyed one OBH Nordica blender once powdering a batch of dried cold smoked chili. There is a nylon bushing around the blade axel that is cooled by the liquid inside the machine, running it dry resulted in the bushing to melt slightly, becoming loose with the axel and starting to leak. Had to buy a new blade unit. Might not apply to all brands but thought I'd bring it up.

 

[Nordmadr]

Thanks all. I will definitely be getting something designed for the job sooner rather than later.

 

[C-Rider]

Little offtopic but a word of caution.

I would not recommend driving a blender for extended perioids dry. I destroyed one OBH Nordica blender once powdering a batch of dried cold smoked chili. There is a nylon bushing around the blade axel that is cooled by the liquid inside the machine, running it dry resulted in the bushing to melt slightly, becoming loose with the axel and starting to leak. Had to buy a new blade unit. Might not apply to all brands but thought I'd bring it up.

I burned one out but it took like a year and a half to do it. I only run it for about 25 seconds to mill about a coffee cup at a time. I buy mine at the local GoodWill store. First one cost like $8 and the second which was brand new still in the box w/all the packing and instructions was $10. It must have been a wedding present that was not needed.

But yea I would not run it dry for any length of time.