What Does a Good Crush Look Like?

Mashing
1

Subject says it all. How do I know if I have a good crush or it needs to be milled again or was overcrushed?

2

My two cents:

    - No unmilled kernels - Each grain broken into several small, uniformly sized pieces - Husks are separated from the grain and left mainly intact - Very little flour

This is very different from the pre-milled grain I purchased online and locally once upon a time. As soon as I switched to milling my grain as noted above, my efficiency jumped significantly.

3

[quote=“kcbeersnob”]My two cents:

    - No unmilled kernels - Each grain broken into several small, uniformly sized pieces - Husks are separated from the grain and left mainly intact - Very little flour

This is very different from the pre-milled grain I purchased online and locally once upon a time. As soon as I switched to milling my grain as noted above, my efficiency jumped significantly.[/quote]

Great question. What if you ask for double crush to boost BIAB efficiency? just smaller pieces and a little more ‘flour’? Just placed an order with NB and asked for double crush. Wondering if I should try to work it over with a rolling pin if it appears that didn’t do it…

4

Here’s what mine looks like. I use a Barley Crusher set at .035"

5

Here’s my crush.

6

This may sound silly, but another way to tell, after the mash, is that you got good efficiency and what’s left in the mash tun looks like rice hulls. My tun is full of empty soft shells that were the hull of the barley. I find that on some episodes of BrewingTV you get a good look at the grist and mash, and that should help too.

7
http://s1273.beta.photobucket.com/user/ ... 8357800365

what I received from NB when I asked them to double crush for BIAB. It looks about the same as the ones above to me.

*Sorry I can’t figure out how to get the photo to appear here. Won’t let me upload it. how do you link to the photo and get it to show up?

8

[quote=“dannyboy58”]http://s1273.beta.photobucket.com/user/dannyboyclarke/media/IMG_0986_zpsb346baa8.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0#/user/dannyboyclarke/media/IMG_0986_zpsb346baa8.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0&_suid=136317873736103649148357800365

This is what I received from NB when I asked them to double crush for BIAB. It looks about the same as the ones above to me.[/quote]

So, are you saying NB will double crush? I emailed them awhile ago asking if they will double crush and they said they wont.

9

[quote=“nicolai”][quote=“dannyboy58”]http://s1273.beta.photobucket.com/user/dannyboyclarke/media/IMG_0986_zpsb346baa8.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0#/user/dannyboyclarke/media/IMG_0986_zpsb346baa8.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0&_suid=136317873736103649148357800365

This is what I received from NB when I asked them to double crush for BIAB. It looks about the same as the ones above to me.[/quote]

So, are you saying NB will double crush? I emailed them awhile ago asking if they will double crush and they said they wont.[/quote]

I guess that depends on whether the picture linked above looks like a double crush…I can’t say for sure. I put a note in the comment section on my order and when I got the order it was highlighted with a green marker on the invoice…

10

Test crush from April of 2012; I can’t remember what I crushed… It looks a bit different when I’m making a beer; I see the same white, chalky consistency from the other photos.

(beware; big photo so you can see the texture)

[attachment=0]20120406_120237.jpg[/attachment]

11

Just posting here again. I’m not 100% sure whether my crush is ideal, but it’s at least a talking point to further the conversation.

This is conditioned with ~5 oz of water (14lbs grain), run through a two-roller monstermill at low RPM (high torque), at a mill gap setting of <0.028". The two pictures are of the same handfull of grain; the second is spread out a bit more. Sorry, may be blurry; just a phone camera.

[attachment=1]IMG_20130316_143843.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=0]IMG_20130316_143900.jpg[/attachment]