recirculating mash + coarse crush = better extraction?

[m00ps]

Ive seen a couple different threads floating around concerning how the grain crush effects efficiencies in re-cirulating brew systems. Migrating from BIAB, I was in the camp that you want to have a fine a crush as possible to get the best overall efficiency.

From what Ive read, it looks like the opposite may be true. Using a mill gap of 0.050, it seems the flow through teh grain bed is much faster and you end up getting more sugars extracted than with a fine crush

some people on the threads either didnt get any difference or their efficiencies went down. Does anyone have any experience trying out a coarse crush? FWIW I have a COFI Brew Boss system. I currently cant do anything over 1.070 OG or so because there isnt enough room in my COFI cage. I guess I can always add DME, but id rather just get an efficiency closer to where I was with BIAB.

 

[m00ps]

shameless bump sorry I gotta grind the grains by tmorrow

 

[kh54s10]

I always thought that you get the best results from a fine crush. You want to shred the husks as little as possible and getting all the endosperm crushed. The balance is going as fine as possible without getting a stuck sparge. With BIAB it is usually said that you can mill finer because you don't sparge the same way as with a traditional mash tun.

My question is since the Brew-Boss is BIAB, though recirculated, why are you getting a difference from traditional BIAB. It seem your efficiency should be better without any other changes.

 

[joebob296]

I always thought that you get the best results from a fine crush. You want to shred the husks as little as possible and getting all the endosperm crushed. The balance is going as fine as possible without getting a stuck sparge. With BIAB it is usually said that you can mill finer because you don't sparge the same way as with a traditional mash tun.

My question is since the Brew-Boss is BIAB, though recirculated, why are you getting a difference from traditional BIAB. It seem your efficiency should be better without any other changes.

Every system is different. Regardless of process, changes in equipment mean different variables that you need to account for. I.E. boil off rate, mash temp deviation etc...

 

[m00ps]

I always thought that you get the best results from a fine crush. You want to shred the husks as little as possible and getting all the endosperm crushed. The balance is going as fine as possible without getting a stuck sparge. With BIAB it is usually said that you can mill finer because you don't sparge the same way as with a traditional mash tun.

My question is since the Brew-Boss is BIAB, though recirculated, why are you getting a difference from traditional BIAB. It seem your efficiency should be better without any other changes.

thats what i thought too when I bought it. The COFI system recirculates continuously from the center of the mash. I figured I'd be at like 80% (was 75% with regular BIAB) now Im at like 65%. I can definitely tell the flow through the grains is hard to navigate. I get random spurts directly up from the top of the COFI mesh container

Ill give the coarse grind a try I guess and report back

 

[kh54s10]

I guess too fine would make the mash dough like and make the recirculation through the grains tougher. I will be interested in your findings. The Brew Boss is something I am interested in.... If I ever come into some extra cash!

 

[kh54s10]

Every system is different. Regardless of process, changes in equipment mean different variables that you need to account for. I.E. boil off rate, mash temp deviation etc...

Of course I know that.........

 

[m00ps]

lol. well I already crushed my grains tonight for my fri and sat brews the fri one i used a ~0.022 gap. the sat one i set it to ~0.045. Well see the difference between expected efficiencies.

Sorry, didnt have the patience or time to compare 2 same recipes side by side. I got 8 beers on my docket as it is. Weighed out and ready to go save the yeast

 

[wobdee]

Something else you may want to try is conditioning your grain. It allows a finer crush and leaves the husks intact.

 

[m00ps]

Conditioning malt? Never heard of it.

So I did 2 batches At about 0.045 and 2 at around 0.025 and basically got the same efficiency on each. I guess the increased circulation from the coarse crush helps about the same as a finer crush. Maybe there's some optimum point in between to get my efficiency up....

 

[wobdee]

Conditioning malt? Never heard of it.

So I did 2 batches At about 0.045 and 2 at around 0.025 and basically got the same efficiency on each. I guess the increased circulation from the coarse crush helps about the same as a finer crush. Maybe there's some optimum point in between to get my efficiency up....

http://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/01/16/malt-conditioning/