How much malt and do i need to grind?

[Dnderhead]

enzymes have a hard time migrating threw a "thick mash" so to help them along stir .
some of the "big boys" stir consistently.
it mite help adding a bit of enzymes/malt at the start,they wont last but can long enough so the mash does not git so thick to start with.

[Uncle Jemima]

Yeah Dndr. That's a great piece of advice I learned here.

I take about a half pound of 2 row (10 lb total grain bill) grind it fine and then sift it out to remove the husks. That way they don't release their tannins once I'm boiling the corn. By adding that half pound before it boils while heating the water and corn it helps keep it from getting so thick that its hard to stir.

Of course that half pound of 2 row's worth of enzymes are denatured but the starches in that 2 row are still converted and I have enough malted barley when it comes back down to mashing temps to convert everything still. It makes it much more manageable though.

The lid might be working like a magnifying glass Xnerd. That might be why it looks so much fuller in the picture.

[Xnerd]

I have read that here and elsewhere, but it never dawned on me to try that.

Thank guys

[Xnerd]

Ok here is a question that I cant find the answer too

its two part:

I use a Watlow controller that i wired to take ultra accurate temperature readings of both distillate and mashing.
I typically dont worry to much about the ferments because that temp is fairly predictable.
But now I am using US_02 on all grains, it seems to be more of an issue. This yeast seem to be more sensitive to temperatures.

Question: would it be an acceptable practice to on occasion stick a stainless temperature probe in the top of the wash?

Question 2: At a point that the temp is falling below acceptable levels will the use of a blanket wrap on the keg cause it to warm to much.
I ask this because I have read how yeasts give of heat during ferment. I have seen a lot of numbers but nothing that would apply to 15 gallons.

thanks

[Dnderhead]

you can take the wash temp any time ,just make sure it sterilized.
most times a blanket will do just fine for rising the temp of wash.
also if it sits on ground / concrete use boards under it.

[Xnerd]

thanks dnderhead, i do have it on cedar boards (bugs stay way from cedar)
I was concerned about disturbing the cap. on thing on this one it foamed formed a cap then is just sort of bubbling underneath its not foaming all over the place.
Perhaps its because its in a wider vestal.

I have been using a sleeping bag with the elastic straps to wrap my kegs while mashing so ill just use that if the temperature gets iffy.
The ambient temp in my basement is lower then I originally had thought it to be. I switched from a cheap wall thermometer to a very expensive one that I had from my days in Biotech service.
The cheap on was off 4 degrees!

People have always criticized me calling me a pack rat. It always pays off!
They said things like, What in the hell are you going to do with all of those lab carboys...
or what are you going to do with all of those incubator parts....

I have found uses for just about everything that I have ever scavenged.

[Xnerd]

Wash is holding at 69 all day with the keg wrapped.


Ill be starting the third generation sour mash this weekend.
I am curious as to how All grain will be using this method.

[Xnerd]

Here is an interesting and at least to me surprising fact.

In 24 hours my 11 gallon mash has actually raised in temperature by 4 degrees C!

This is why I asked about the thermo properties yeast digestion.
I will loosen the blanket to see if the temp stabilizes.

Despite the fermentation taking place as is obvious buy the smell and the temp change.
I do not hear any of the tell tail signs of a fermentation.

I have heard people state that their open fermentation sounds like rice crispiest

LOL I knew not seeing bubbles was going to mess with my mind

anyway hope that this example of temp change but yeast action alone will help someone.,
My thermal-couple is very very accurate.

[Jimbo]

Yup thats normal. Busy yeast generate heat.

[Xnerd]

I never had to worry about it before as the area of the house that I used to ferment was much more stable.
This basement is damn cold!

[Jimbo]

I hope to hell youre sterilizing everything youre constantly poking around sticking in your mash.

[Xnerd]

I have taken two temp readings using a watlow stainless t style probe that I sanitized using Star San.
I have worked in clean rooms for over 15 years

there is no constant poking around of anything.

wow

[Jimbo]

haha, ok. before the temp poking you were ph poking. Just having fun with you again. no worries. Its kind of amusing that its just impossible for you to leave it alone for a week. to each his own.

[Xnerd]

The PH reading was a different mash

I have done 7 now since the first one in this thread.

I only checked the initial temp on this one like everyone does
and another one 24 hours later because I have a new large fermenter and wasnt sure if I should wrap it up.

good thing I did as it had gone up from 20c to 24c in 24 hours... US-02 doesn't do well above that.

No harm

[Jimbo]

wow, youre a mashin madman. 7?

Correct, US-05 does best at 65-68F, 24C is 75F, thats barely ok, but gettin up there and will start throwing more crap. 80's a real problem, beers taste liek shit when fermented that hot. So Im sure anything distilled from that will bring the crap.

Its FRIDAY, FINALLY, and Im gettin stoked to run my Panela RUM this weekend and do up a 12 gallon mash of all Barley malt.

Cheers

[Xnerd]

Luckily I caught it fast and got it back down to 21, its tossing a light sulfur smell. but not bad at all.
Im sure it will be fine

[Xnerd]

barley infused distillate is the most unbelievable aroma ever.

[Xnerd]

Ok .....

Morning of the third day.
I can not hear any activity in the keg at all.
It has a ferment smell coming out but not a snap crackle or pop sound.

Is it normal for it to be totally silent like this?
Again I have never done a wash that wasn't in a standard lab carboy with an airlock so I have no idea what to expect.

[Xnerd]

Here is an update.

Ok so part of the cap separated a little today and through my glass lid I can still see some grains churning around and tiny bubbles popping.
Im very glad to know that the ferment did not get stuck, its just that I could not hear it for whatever reason.
I do think that it is fermenting slow so Im going to give it at least 3 more days before I even check it.


On a different note, I have discovered that UJSM when made from All Grain backset is very good.
Some of the barley flavors seemed to have carried over.

It seems to be much more acidic then the UJSM backset however.
Just an observation.

[Xnerd]

Alright so it was hard for me to leave this batch alone but I did and it tests out to 1.008.
My hands off paid off. Since it was on the grain I wracked it through a strainer that I built into another 15 gallon fermenter for clearing.
Overnight it has clear a LOT. I will give it a day or two then charge up the beast.

No off smells in this. I had some surfer odors coming over early on as it got almost to 70F but catching that early solved the problem and cleaned up the wash.

I have learned an enormous amount in the past 4 or 5 weeks thanks to everyone here!

[Jimbo]

You did good nerd, Congrats!

[Xnerd]

Thanks Jombo,

For my next project I want to try to malt Wheat.
I have to run over to my old town to the grain elevator and get some bin-run wheat to malt though.

Does malted wheat dramatically effect the taste?
I really REALLY love the barley carryover. The smell is unreal.

But I do want to learn what other malts are like.

I am wondering if I am tasting the effects of "malt" when I say "barley"
Or does malted barley truly impart a distinct taste of its own?

[Jimbo]

Malt will be different that unmalted barley, but not dramatically. Rolled barley makes a crazy smooth drop. Jamesons is malted and unmalted barley, if you know Jamesons.

Wheat and Barley are different. Im at a loss on how to describe the difference, wheat has more assorted earthy flavors going on and hotter on the finish, but not spicy hot like a rye. Read some wheat whiskey reviews online, them taster folk know all the fancy adjectives

Give it a shot, see what you think.

[Xnerd]

Yeah me and Jameson go way back. Barley on Barley interesting.

Well im going to try Corn with malted wheat as soon as I can get out to get the stuff.
For now Im have some mashing techniques and gear that I want to test.

If I wanted to experiment with adding some oats do they have about the same ppg as any random grain?
I thought that there was a list on here somewhere but I cant find it.

I do know that I am going to continue to ferment on the grain... its SOOO much easier to separate once all of the sugars are out.

[Jimbo]

http://www.howtobrew.com/section2/chapter12-4-1.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[Xnerd]

THERE IT IS!

Thanks copying that to my spread sheet

[Xnerd]

Ok so I was going to charge my rig from one 15 gallon pot to my 15 gallon boiler and as soon as a started to rack (was not clear)
clumps of a thick creamy substance started to float up... the wash tastes fine... it looks fine other then it is not clearing very well at all.
and this thick Unfilterable heavy cream like substance is on the bottom and now floating around all though the wash..

I have never seen this before and now I don't really know how to approach it.

The wash is all grain corn/barley typical grind.
I attempted to put it through a straining bag/grain bag. and even the bottom of the bag with the fine fine mesh will not hold this.
I took a sample and looked at it, its NOT corn oil its uber fine particulate that does not want to seem to settle out.

I have to do some runs as my experiments are backing up on me here.
Has anyone ever seen anything like this before?

[Xnerd]

btw this isnt just sediment its clumpy...