Malt conditioning issue

[matc]

So i've been conditioning my malt for the last 3-4 brews in order to have a tight gap with my mill (around 0.028"). I've got no stucj sparge issues but if i vorlauf for 3 hours, it seems i can't get a clear wort like I used to have when i didn't condition my malt.

Is it me or the whole husks i get when conditioning provide a greater flow

 

[matc]

Bump....i'm sure i'm not the only here that conditions his malt here !

 

[hafmpty]

I would guess your gap is set too tight. The barley crushed comes factory set at .039. I condition my malt and tighten it to .036. The object is two fold wit crushing.

1) crack the grain inside
2) leave the husk material intact

You are doing no. 2 for sure. But you are probably pulverizing the internals of the grain. You want a mix of flour and cracked grain. Not husk and flour. My recommendation would be to loosen your mill and stop chasing efficiency. If you are getting 70%+ on your efficiency, you're doing great. My 2 cents.


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[Nightstrife]

If your dead set on having that close of tolerance on your crush you can add rice hulls to the mash it will help set the bed so you get a better flow/filter just my 2 cents

 

[matc]

Well i got about 85% on my last mash. I guess i could back it off a little bit. I'll see if this beer turns out clear first.

 

[hafmpty]

You said you vorlauf for 3 hours. Surely that is a mistype. I'm confused though based on your final post. You won't get totally clear wort going into the fermenter unless you do a good whirlpool. And even then you will get some break material. Your beer will eventually clear if you give it time. John Palmer recommends leaving it for a month in primary and then bottling/kegging. As for your vorlauf, are you using a recirculating mash (ie RIMS or HERMS)? With your vorlauf as long as you don't see big chunks of grain or husk but it's just liquid, you are ready to start sparging.


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[ianw58]

The OP actually wrote "...but if i vorlauf for 3 hours..." He did not write that he did vorlauf for 3 hours.

He was saying that he cannot get his wort to clear properly as he used to before vorlaufing his mash.

 

[RoadKing]

I condition all my batches and have my gap at .032 with no problems.
I have a Rims so I am doing a constant Vorlauf.

 

[RM-MN]

The thing that a lot of you seem to be hung up on is the idea that you need clear wort. You don't. The objective is clear beer, not clear wort. My wort goes into the kettle so thick with grain flour that you would be appalled but I get clear beer from it. You "need" to vorlauf enough to get wort without the grain husks and even that could be questionable. Quit worrying about the wort clarity and just make beer.