So when you guys say mill very fine...

[urg8rb8]

How fine is very fine? Like flour fine????

 

[Double_D]

My mill gap is set to .032. So, a little flour but generally a nice consistent crush with little pieces and intact husks.

Just saw you posted in BIAB...soo...I actually have no idea what's appropriate for the bags but regardless, that's what works for me.

 

[Smellyglove]

This is how mine ends up looking. There's about 45% Maris Otter in there which has smaler kernel than "normal" continental malt. If this grist would contain some of those other normal malts instead of the MO, it'd be more "opened/split into two" husks than seen. You can mill very fine, but you can't mill to fast/let to much grain fall onto the rollers, or else those husks will be shredded and not as intact as in this pic. If you look closely you can spot the MO.

Edit: I just realized this is in the BIAB forum, so my answer isn't much good in here.

 

[Weezy]

I use a corona mill for biab grinds. I set it by cranking it tight to the point that it makes mostly flour, then back it off slightly, just to the point where the floor turns into tiny chunks.

 

[BudBernerBrewer]

I mill as tight as my mm3 will go. Then double crush. 1/2 " drive, angle drill works perfect so I don't have to bend over and hold drill straight.

 

[tgolanos]

I have a generic malt mill and I always double-crush. I end up with about 50% flour, 50% very fine crush (chunks) with some husk

 

[urg8rb8]

I should have added more detail... I mash the grains in a grain bag, which is why I posted in BIAB.

I also use a Corona style mill.

 

[TexasWine]

On my system, a recirculating eBIAB, I usually go for mostly in tact husks with conditioned mill and a gap of 0.035.

However, over Christmas I did a simple BIAB brew day with the bro in law. Used my Blendtec and turned it in to flour. Literally, I had a bag of flour. Everything went off without a hitch.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Coarse corn meal consistency. All kernels well broken with NO whole kernels remaining. Largest piece remaining would be about 1/3 to 1/2 kernel max....fully obliterated. Does that help lol

Fwiw I crush the same when batch sparging with a braid.

 

[urg8rb8]

On my system, a recirculating eBIAB, I usually go for mostly in tact husks with conditioned mill and a gap of 0.035.

However, over Christmas I did a simple BIAB brew day with the bro in law. Used my Blendtec and turned it in to flour. Literally, I had a bag of flour. Everything went off without a hitch.

Did you get better efficiency?

 

[urg8rb8]

Coarse corn meal consistency. All kernels well broken with NO whole kernels remaining. Largest piece remaining would be about 1/3 to 1/2 kernel max....fully obliterated. Does that help lol

Fwiw I crush the same when batch sparging with a braid.

Yes that helps, thanks!

 

[jtratcliff]

For the Corona mill with BIAB, tighten it until you're scared, then tighten it a little more

On my corona, the grinding plates clatter together quite loudly until I have grain going thru it. I had to add washers in order to be able to crank it down that tight.

I get a rather large proportion of coarse flour, some shredded husks, and *no* intact kernels.

Finer is better for BIAB, IMHO...

 

[TexasWine]

Did you get better efficiency?

No better than what I used to get milling at 0.025 with my standard BIAB set up. Hit gravity and volumes with a brew house efficiency set at 80% I believe.

 

[TexasWine]

I should add that I am not a proponent of going to the extremes of brewing with flour. Actually, due to reading some of the book Technology and Brewing, I am in the camp of folks who believe you should leave as much of the husks intact as is possible. Either that, or remove the husks entirely.

 

[Weezy]

I ran a handful of Munich through the mill this morning:

You can see the flour too, north of the whole grain.

(handy little, old, usb macro camera)

 

[dstockwell]

My first attempt with Corona.

 

[C-Rider]

How fine is very fine? Like flour fine????

Yup, that's what mine looks like after 20 sec in my blender. Don't have a "mill".

 

[urg8rb8]

So I'm assuming that pulverizing the grain to flour does create tannins in the mash?

 

[Weezy]

So I'm assuming that pulverizing the grain to flour does create tannins in the mash?

Tannins are a byproduct of a brew process that's out of whack. pH too high, oversparging (too low gravity) extracting tannins from the husk. Grain size is immaterial.

 

[TexasWine]

So I'm assuming that pulverizing the grain to flour does create tannins in the mash?

Not necessarily. But here's something I read recently in the Kunze book...

"Furthermore, as well as cellulose, the husks also contain polyphenols and other components which create an unpleasant bitter taste and have a negative​ effect on the colloidal stability of the beer."

And he goes on the say this about keeping the husks and acrospire as intact as possible...

"thus increasing the elasticity of the husk. As a result, no damage to the acrospire occurs during comminution, and thus there is no, or at least considerably reduced, release of lipids."

So my goal when milling for my own beer (not my bro in law's) is to leave as much of the husks intact as I can. That's why I condition before milling.

 

[Weezy]

Not necessarily. But here's something I read recently in the Kunze book...

"Furthermore, as well as cellulose, the husks also contain polyphenols and other components which create an unpleasant bitter taste and have a negative​ effect on the colloidal stability of the beer."

And he goes on the say this about keeping the husks and acrospire as intact as possible...

"thus increasing the elasticity of the husk. As a result, no damage to the acrospire occurs during comminution, and thus there is no, or at least considerably reduced, release of lipids."

So my goal when milling for my own beer (not my bro in law's) is to leave as much of the husks intact as I can. That's why I condition before milling.[/QUOTE[

That post isn't helping the newer brewer, bub, without clarification.

Tannins are a polyphenol. The primary source of tannins/detrimental polyphenols is the husk.

Milling, of any sort, is going to mame the husk and leave them in the mash.

In an utopian universe, the husk could be separated from the grain during milling (which is possible with commercial equipment), but we don't live there. Keeping your mash in an appropriate pH range (<5.8) and at a reasonable SG range (say >1.03) will minimize the possibility of tannin extraction from husks.

And I'm ignoring the fact that Kunze is erroneous on many points. CV people need to stop quoting the thing as gospel.

 

[FruityHops]

Aren't the enzymes needed for conversion of starch to sugar located in the husk? I guess you could mash without husks and use pure enzyme additive instead, but...

 

[Smellyglove]

Aren't the enzymes needed for conversion of starch to sugar located in the husk? I guess you could mash without husks and use pure enzyme additive instead, but...

After malting you will find the enzymes in the endosperm.

 

[Weezy]

Aren't the enzymes needed for conversion of starch to sugar located in the husk? I guess you could mash without husks and use pure enzyme additive instead, but...

The choicest commercial grain mills add some moisture to the grain, which improves the quality of the milling by reducing dust/floor plan and better separates the grain from the husk, then the husk is separated. Husks are the leading cause of tannin production.