can I separate the grain particles after heating.

[ozone39]

Well, I'm new to the whole thing but I'm having a blast, and my batches are getting better. I have question concerning the heating of the mash before fermentation. I mix all the grains together in my turkey fryer and heat to 150 F for 2 hours. Then I put this into my carboys. Do I need to put all the grain particles that settle to the bottom into the carboys to get proper fermentation. Or can I use this stage as a preliminary screening of the wash?? I have been putting all the contents into the carboys not knowing if the grain particles are needed for a better fermentation process.

[rubber duck]

I'm a little confused on what your trying to do.

If your fermenting on grain then yes you need the grain in the fermentor. If your useing corn or a grain with out any husks, then a on grain ferment is abought the only eficiant way to go.

I think what your trying to do is a off grain ferment, ( I can't see you getting all that much grain into a carboy). If this is the case it can be done and it is my perfered way of fermenting. Your going to need a grain with the husks on like malt barly and a lauter-turn to do the conversion. The lauter-turn seperates the sweet wort from the spent grain. It's a beer makeing tool and you can look at a good example on any beer site if your intrested. So thats how you would seperate the liquid from your grain. Simply straining it isn't going to get the results your looking for.

I would just do a on grain ferment in a couple 5 gallon buckets to start out, and if your inclined build a lauder-turn and learn to run it latter.

[Dnderhead]

If your doing a all grain mash ,,then raw grains need to be crushed and cooked how much depends on type of grain
next it needs to be converted ,with malt or enzymes,, after that you can do "on the grain" (just add yeast)
or off the grain,by draining , sparging (rincing the grain)(there is diferant ways) then adding yeast.

if your doing all malt all these steps are not nessasary.

[ozone39]

I have been using a malted barley and malted rye. I have been grinding the grain using a grain mill. I have been using the "cooker-mash" method rather than the sour mash (I'm kinda running off what the book says and the seat of my pants). The book only states to transfer the wash over to the fermenting chamber. Does the wash include all the grain particles that settle to the bottom? Or can I use a strainer when I pour the wash into the carboy with out affecting the alcohol out put of that batch? If the settled out grain particles are not necessary for proper fermentation I could like to remove them during the transfer. Thanks for the advice, it's all new to me..And having a lot of fun experimenting.

[Dnderhead]

ya, if doing all malt it does not need to be cooked, just converted and it looks like you are doing that, you can just drain off the wort
but you lose some that way, what I do is drain,into fermenter,,then fill kettle with warm water, and then use that water to make the next batch
with.that way you do not dilute wash (as they do beer) or lose what is still in the grain.

[ozone39]

Perfect, thank you for the advice.

[ozone39]

After fermentation, it's all going into the pot.....