Squeezing grains after mash

[dmbnpj]

In my case, after I mash in my keg mash tun (keggle) with a false bottom, if I press on the grains with some sort of mashing paddle or whatever, will that help extract more of the sugars from the grains?

....therefore, improving efficiency?

 

[nickmv]

Be very gentle when doing this. From what I understand, if you take it and put a bunch of pressure on it, you'll extract a lot of tannins (responsible for bad bitterness) from the grain. I usually just press a finger gently against a few areas to get stuck water out of it, but I never put a bunch of pressure on it.

 

[Hermit]

I do brew in a bag and wring the bag pretty hard. Tannins are not extracted through mechanical squeezing as far as I know. At least not at the level of squeezing I am doing on the bag it would seem.

 

[wyzazz]

Squeeze your bag all you want (so to speak), you won't extract tannins that way, it's one of those brewing myths.

 

[Yooper]

I don't think you'd harm the beer, but I don't see the advantage in pressing the grains if you're mashing in a MLT with a false bottom. You could squeeze some liquid out, but then it would just reabsorb a bit during the sparge. I don't think you'd be able to squeeze any sugars out- they should be fluid in the liquor in the vessel.

 

[DuffManMississippi]

I hang mine above the pot for about 10 min. Also i thought you only got Tannins in your beer from to much heat while steeping.

 

[KeithMoonsLiver]

is squeezing the tannins out anything like shaking the yeast to death when making a starter

 

[Fletch78]

It seems to me that hanging the grain bag is almost the same thing as squeezing. The force of gravity essentially 'squeezes' the grains in the bottom of the bag, 10 pound sor more of pressure on them, compressing them, squeezing, per se.

 

[phishfood]

I do a variant of brew in a bag, using a separate dunk sparge. I squeeze the everlovin' heck out of the bag after the mash and after the sparge. I have yet to notice any astringency problems.

 

[Fletch78]

Also Sprach Zarathustra

 

[cino101]

I have since moved to all grain but my buddy who still does kits loves to squeeze the crap out of his grain bag. Its almost a tradition now, he must be giving himself 2nd degree burns every time he does it but its funny to watch.

 

[Bizoune]

I doubt that you'll get a better eff. I'm getting about 78% from batch to batch. Consistency is way more important then efficency as far as I'm concerned.

 

[MaynardX]

I would believe you get more volume then eff. All you will be doing is squeezing more juice from the lemon.

 

[roger.quiet]

It seems to me that hanging the grain bag is almost the same thing as squeezing. The force of gravity essentially 'squeezes' the grains in the bottom of the bag, 10 pound sor more of pressure on them, compressing them, squeezing, per se.

You would think so, wouldn't you. I hung mine and got drops. Then I started twisting the bag aivit was essentially squeezing itself and got lots more. I just stopped when I gotbl 5 gallons out of five I put in.