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mnoltimier
Joined: 10 Oct 2011 Posts: 60 Location: Berthoud, CO
Drinking: Big Nut Brown Ale, Sky Pond Pale Ale, Smashin' Punkin, Berlinner Weisse, Vienna Lager, Hopulence IIPA, Helles Angels
Working on: Maude Flanders Red, Gallagher's Watermelon Wheat
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Link Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2014 6:38 pm Post subject: Wet Milling |
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I have my 3 roller monster mill set fairly tight and have dialed in my efficiency to about 85% depending on gravity. I have had some concern about my grist and shredding up the husks. Per JZ and Palmer, a perfect grist should look like you have fully intact husks but when you open them up they are powder inside. It made me look at my milling procedure because I was shredding the husks pretty badly. I never had any sparging/lautering issues but my lhbs was picking up some astringency issues. They suggested I "wet mill". I had heard of this term but never really put any actual thoughts about it. I decided to give it a try. I had a 20 lb grain bill and tossed in about 2 cups of water into the grain before milling. I stirred it up as much as I could. The grain felt moist... but not wet. The results were nothing short of AMAZING! At first I thought I wasn't milling at all because the grain looked fully intact. With a closer look, it was almost perfect. Nearly all the husks were fully intact and all the grain was pulverized inside. I was worried about efficiency changes but I still came in at exactly 85%. I'll put some side by side comparison pictures up on my next brew day. Awesome find.
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kal Forum Administrator
Joined: 12 Dec 2010 Posts: 11121 Location: Ottawa, Canada
Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter
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mnoltimier
Joined: 10 Oct 2011 Posts: 60 Location: Berthoud, CO
Drinking: Big Nut Brown Ale, Sky Pond Pale Ale, Smashin' Punkin, Berlinner Weisse, Vienna Lager, Hopulence IIPA, Helles Angels
Working on: Maude Flanders Red, Gallagher's Watermelon Wheat
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Link Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2014 4:08 pm Post subject: |
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I have my mill set at .034" which isn't too small... try wetting the grain next time to see the difference. I was pretty surprised. It also kept the grain dust to a minimum as well.
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kal Forum Administrator
Joined: 12 Dec 2010 Posts: 11121 Location: Ottawa, Canada
Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter
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rcrabb22
Joined: 23 Dec 2010 Posts: 462 Location: Illinois
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Link Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2014 2:54 pm Post subject: |
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I have tried conditioning my grain and for a 10 gal grain bill (~24lb) I used a spray bottle and maybe 5 oz of water, no where near 2 cups. Of note is to wait about 30 minutes after wetting and mixing before milling to allow the moisture to soften the grain husks. Here is an excellent link on the process I followed:
http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Malt_Conditioning
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stickyfinger
Joined: 04 May 2014 Posts: 176 Location: hudson valley, NY
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Link Posted: Tue May 12, 2015 12:20 am Post subject: |
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I just tried using 2 oz by weight of your total grist in water with a squirt bottle a few weeks ago with a 0.030" mill gap, and it was the best flow I've had and pretty good efficiency. I'm going to try 0.025" next to see if I can get my conversion efficiency up to 95% or so with good recirculation.
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HbgBill
Joined: 23 May 2015 Posts: 9 Location: N. Calif
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Link Posted: Tue May 26, 2015 8:02 pm Post subject: |
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rcrabb22 wrote: | I have tried conditioning my grain and for a 10 gal grain bill (~24lb) I used a spray bottle and maybe 5 oz of water, no where near 2 cups. Of note is to wait about 30 minutes after wetting and mixing before milling to allow the moisture to soften the grain husks. Here is an excellent link on the process I followed:
http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Malt_Conditioning |
Wow, I checked that page out.. 0.55mm? that is less than half of what I have my gap set on my MM-3. I have 1.2mm gap and am quite happy with it. I have, however, not tried a conditioned crush. I didn't get the stainless rollers.. so, I don't know if I'd pick up issues with rusting, etc. I suppose I could spray the rollers after use with WD-40 or similar.. even use EVOO to prevent rust. The EVOO would be absorbed into the first half cup of grain crushed, I'd guess.
_________________ Speidel Braumeister 20 Liter
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stickyfinger
Joined: 04 May 2014 Posts: 176 Location: hudson valley, NY
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Link Posted: Tue May 26, 2015 8:32 pm Post subject: |
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HbgBill wrote: | rcrabb22 wrote: | I have tried conditioning my grain and for a 10 gal grain bill (~24lb) I used a spray bottle and maybe 5 oz of water, no where near 2 cups. Of note is to wait about 30 minutes after wetting and mixing before milling to allow the moisture to soften the grain husks. Here is an excellent link on the process I followed:
http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Malt_Conditioning |
Wow, I checked that page out.. 0.55mm? that is less than half of what I have my gap set on my MM-3. I have 1.2mm gap and am quite happy with it. I have, however, not tried a conditioned crush. I didn't get the stainless rollers.. so, I don't know if I'd pick up issues with rusting, etc. I suppose I could spray the rollers after use with WD-40 or similar.. even use EVOO to prevent rust. The EVOO would be absorbed into the first half cup of grain crushed, I'd guess. |
Wet milling/malt conditioning is a completely different beast from dry milling. You can crush way finer with no problems. I did 30 mil or 0.762mm on my last beer and got much better flow through my grainbed (recirculated the entire mash) than when I dry milled at 39mil or 0.99mm. I plan to try 25 mil on my next brew to see if I can boost my conversion efficiency a bit more and still have excellent lautering. Lots of people haven't had rust issues. They don't really get wet at all. I just dry mine for a minute with a heat gun as a precaution. Do NOT use WD-40 or EVOO on the rollers! what a mess!
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HbgBill
Joined: 23 May 2015 Posts: 9 Location: N. Calif
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Link Posted: Tue May 26, 2015 9:28 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks.. WD-40 dries completely.. I can see EVOO as bad I'd plan on using WD-40 immediately after blowing flour out of the mill immediately after use..
_________________ Speidel Braumeister 20 Liter
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James Edmonton
Joined: 29 Jan 2014 Posts: 124 Location: Edmonton, AB
Drinking: West Coast Dry Hopped IPA
Working on: Session Ale
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Link Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 4:39 am Post subject: |
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I wouldn't use WD-40 on anything that will contact food. If you are worried about rust, you could use olive or peanut oil (or some other vegetable oil). WD in not considered food-grade or food safe.
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huaco
Joined: 05 Apr 2012 Posts: 1506 Location: Burleson Texas
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Link Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 1:29 pm Post subject: |
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It doesn't take much oil in your beer to start causing problems with head retention... you may want to rethink oiling your mill so much. and for all that is sacred and right with beer... DON"T USE WD-40! I love the smell of the stuff just like any other self-respecting redneck... but NOT IN MY BEER! lol
You may want to try to store your mill in a container with a descant pouch or maybe a bucket of damp-rid.
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