Grain crush pros and cons

[agroff383]

Hey all, I have a grain crush problem/idea. I get my grains from my LHBS. Been going there for 6 months and have gotten as good as 80 percent efficency and that was with BIAB. Sometimes I get close to that but lately it has been much worse. Today I brewed a Cali Common and got 45 percent efficency. Yeah. Awesome. I hit mash temp dead on at 152 for an hour and stirred well, and sparged at 175 batch-style. Wort was crystal clear and I thought I had to hit 75 at least. I do the same process everytime and I have a digital thermometer that has been calibrated, and it said I was right at 152 at the beginning of the mash and 151 at the end...

So I am looking at the grains and I would say at least 40 percent of them are whole. Not even molested. Just like I put them from the bin into my bag. So great I just bought almost 28lbs of grain the same day as the cali common grain bill, for an epic barleywine im doing tommrow. I am sure it will end up at 8 percent abv and not 15 abv like I want it to be. The grains in those bags looks slightly better but not much. Still at least 3 out of 10 grain pieces are whole.

So basically what do I do?
Call the store and ask them if anyone messed with the mill? They have had the same setup for a long time and I have nailed efficency before. I spend a lot of money there and I am there weekly paying 1.60 a pound for base malt.

Do I run my grains through twice? What is the disadvantage to that? I dont think I will get a stuck sparge but not sure. Thanks for any input.

 

[android]

absolutely call them and tell them what happened. i would definitely run those barleywine grains through their mill again. make sure you are happy with the crush before you leave. maybe there is something wrong with the mill... after running god knows how much grain through that, perhaps it's getting wider and they don't know it. no big deal if you run it through twice, a lot of people do that anyway.

 

[spriolo]

The barley crusher at my LHBS has two adjustment dials (front and back). The front one is jammed in one position, and the back adjustment flops around like wet fish. It's an awesome LHBS but that crusher has left me with 45% efficiencies too. I've had to run it though twice and jack with the only working dial so the grain will actually go through many times.

I can imagine that at your LHBS has similar issues and the person who ran your's through was careless. I'd go back before you tried to brew anything epic. Talk to the person there, but make sure you don't talk to the dim-wit who just about ruined your epic barleywine; get the guy who knows what he's doing.

At a buck sixty a pound, you deserve to have a good crush (that's like $45 in grain!).

 

[babalu87]

Run em through again

Grab some rice hulls while you're there and tell them to stop monkeying with the mill

 

[samc]

Go back get it fixed and then consider the investment in your own mill. It is a must have for a serious brewer IMO>

The cost of the mill is recouped rather fast if you are brewing regularly and start buying base grains in bulk.

 

[azscoob]

I completely agree, go back and crush again, then blow some scrilla for a mill of your own, I bought a mill and it is bar-none the best thing in my brewing arsenal, I get 83%+ efficiency on every batch and I now buy bulk grains for way less than a dollar/lb.

 

[agroff383]

I would like to buy a mill next year, but I still see a problem somewhat.

You guys buy two row in bulk and then go to LHBS for specialty grains and just mill your whole batch? As much as I have been brewing I can see the economy of it all by buying 50 lbs at a time. Just worried about storage and keeping everything in good shape. I still would take over a month to go through 50 lbs at my current rate. Still, I can see why people mill their own. I would love to set up my crush right and not have anyone screwing with it but me. I know it must have been messed with at the LHBS because when I first started going there the crush was perfect, judging by other pictures on here. No whole grain pieces anywhere in the grist.

I am obsessed with efficency because it is how much moneys worth I am getting and I want to hit the recipe exactly, so I finally understand why all of these variables are so important.

 

[azscoob]

A 50 lb sack will fit into two 5 gallon homer buckets, sealed in buckets will keep the grain pretty safe from outside influences like moisture and bugs. I buy several sacks at a time of my usual base grains, as for the specialty grains, I buy 20 lbs at a time on the common ones. and 5 lb on the less used ones. It makes it convenient to be able to brew on a whim.

 

[steveo929]

The good thing about uncrushed grain is that it will stay fresh for over a year if stored in a cool, dry place. I just bought 3 sacks of base malt that I will probably be using over the next 6 months!

Like you said I just go to my LHBS for the specialty grains and try to reuse my yeast. It's ridiculously cheap to make good beer once you have a good system in place.

 

[agroff383]

The good thing about uncrushed grain is that it will stay fresh for over a year if stored in a cool, dry place. I just bought 3 sacks of base malt that I will probably be using over the next 6 months!

Like you said I just go to my LHBS for the specialty grains and try to reuse my yeast. It's ridiculously cheap to make good beer once you have a good system in place.

I agree. I told swmbo that I refuse to go out and buy 45 dollar cases of craft beer any more. It is crazy. I can make twice as much beer for less than half of that price for one case. I have made most of my big purchases. 15lb barley crusher is on my list!

Also did see that austin homebrew does free shipping on orders over 100 bucks so that will be where i get the grains from. unless someone does a local buy around lancaster pa area.

 

[android]

you might want to check with any local breweries you have, sometimes they will sell you base malt at a killer price.

 

[Bentpirate]

I agree. I told swmbo that I refuse to go out and buy 45 dollar cases of craft beer any more. It is crazy. I can make twice as much beer for less than half of that price for one case. I have made most of my big purchases. 15lb barley crusher is on my list!

Also did see that austin homebrew does free shipping on orders over 100 bucks so that will be where i get the grains from. unless someone does a local buy around lancaster pa area.

Recheck the Austin free shipping; typically bulk purchases are exempt. As far as Lancaster bulk buy, keep me in mind!! I am looking for a bulk buy-in.

 

[babalu87]

+ whatever to your own mill and buying in bulk

Barley in the form that we use it in is VERY stable if kept dry.

 

[Bensiff]

Get you a good mill and a few air tight containers (I like the Vittle Vaults) to keep the air and rodents out and you will be saving money and have consistent results.

 

[shroomzofdoom]

"So I am looking at the grains and I would say at least 40 percent of them are whole"

That gap is way too wide IMO....

 

[devilishprune]

Recheck the Austin free shipping; typically bulk purchases are exempt. As far as Lancaster bulk buy, keep me in mind!! I am looking for a bulk buy-in.

I just ordered from there today, and I bought a 50 lb sack of 2 row, and shipping was still free on it.

 

[rugman]

eeegads.... 1.60 for 2row! i hope it was import

i paid .57 lb for great western and .88 LB for castle Belgium pilsner

get a mill buy in bulk

 

[starrfish]

take 'em back! show them the grind get store credit for low efficiency brew... lawn mower beer may be nice but not what expected! your trusting them to get a decent crush... i crush fine with my corona... had similar issue several years ago... guy ground wheat at a different setting and forgot t change back to 2 row. unfortunatly it was my first partial mash... nightmare! made me go back to extract for several more years!