my first Honey Bear Bourbon

[jackpinesavage]

Want to order my grains for my first Honey Bear Bourbon. Should they be crushed or whole ? I've hunting around here and can't seem to find my own answer.

[Still Life]

Have them milled. Not whole.
I had the same question when it was my first all-grain.

[jackpinesavage]

Thanks!

[RedwoodHillBilly]

The finer that you grind the grains the higher the conversion efficiency will be. But, if you are trying to separate the grains from the wort, it can be a bitch. I grind to flour and strip on the grain, so that isn't a problem for me. You'll have to adjust your grind for your particular process.

[Still Life]

RedwoodHillBilly has a very good point, as usual.
I also grind (at least the corn) to flour in a drink blender.

Getting all the liquid separated from grain?
Get a painter strainer bag and a wringer mop bucket:

These are well worth the small expenditure if you're going to continue with all-grain, and make straining E-Z!

[jackpinesavage]

Wow. Great suggestions. Thanks

[OtisT]

Just an FYI for your first run: When you grind that corn to flour and add boiling water, the corn will clump up quickly while cooking (think cornmeal mush or polenta.) I find that if I stir the corn early and frequently, maybe 4 or 5 times the first hour, it is enough to prevent clumping. Once past that first hour, I have let it sit and not had further issues with clumping.

[Shine0n]

I use cornmeal and all the other grains are once ran by my brew shop guy, it's fairly small but when I buy a mill I'll go flour with all.
Good idea going with the all mighty HBB