[phillamb168]

I recently attempted a double batch of a THA clone and only got a single batch in the end, stuck sparge(s). This has never happened to me before, and the only change AFAIK was the use of my new MaltMill I got while in the US. I noticed that while the husks were much prettier (and in better shape) than with the old corona, the amount of flour seemed much higher than I was used to. What is a normal amount (2 ounces per pound? etc)? Perhaps I didn't add enough from the HLT? Ratio was 1 kg of malt to 2 liters of water, perhaps not enough...

[Hokerer]

MaltMill is adjustable, right?  What's your mill's gap?

More importantly, though, is what is your lautering setup?  Batch/Fly, Manifold/Braid/FalseBottom, etc.  Those factors are probably going to be your main issues.

[Kit B]

Which model of malt mill did you get?
Is it adjustable?

I was looking at the specs for the normal Schmidling MaltMill & saw that the non-adjustable one has rollers set .045" apart.
To me, this seems extremely coarse.
I set my Barley Crusher at .027" & condition my malt.
I never get stuck sparges, with that setting... But, I also batch sparge.
Seems strange to me that you'd have trouble with a .045" spacing.
Is your malt extremely dry?

That mash seems slightly thick, to me...You might want a little more water.
If it was me, I'd shoot for closer to 3 liters per kilogram.
But...That depends on the beer, of course.
(3 liters per kilogram would give you 1.44 quarts per pound...While 2 liters is more like .95 quarts per pound.)

[tomsawyer]

Flour shouldn't really matter as it gets converted to sugar.  I always get plenty of flour in my grist.  The average size of the chunks is about 1.5mm.  You can always increase your gap a little.  Mashing at 1qt/lb (1kg/2L=1.04 qt/lb) is the low end for ratio, if you have room you would probably find a higher ratio would stir up and run off easier and it won't hurt your efficiency.

[phillamb168]

I have the non-adjustable version and am unsure of the gap. I'll check tonight and get back to you.

[morticaixavier]

+1 on the higher water/grist ratio. I would even go as high as 4 liters per kilo but for sure above 3.

[phillamb168]

+1 on the higher water/grist ratio. I would even go as high as 4 liters per kilo but for sure above 3.

We're gonna need a bigger mashtun...

[brewmonk]

I set my Barley Crusher at .027" & condition my malt.
I never get stuck sparges, with that setting... But, I also batch sparge.

Just a bit off topic:
When you say you condition your malt, you mean you wet it a bit before crushing, right?  (I'm a noobie looking into getting into all grain).

[morticaixavier]

I set my Barley Crusher at .027" & condition my malt.
I never get stuck sparges, with that setting... But, I also batch sparge.

Just a bit off topic:
When you say you condition your malt, you mean you wet it a bit before crushing, right?  (I'm a noobie looking into getting into all grain).

That's how I understand the process. You spritz the malt with water whilst mixing it up just to moisten the hulls. I guess the idea is that it gives the hulls a little more flexibility so they are less likely to shatter when milled. Thus you can grind finer but still have a good filter bed.

[Kit B]

Yes...Here's what I do:
I fill a spray bottle with room temperature water.
I pour all my grain into a tub, like this one:
TUB
Then, I mist the grain & mix...
Then, I grab a handful & drop it.
If it starts to stick to my hands, it's wet enough & I stop.
(Don't over mist...Your mill will with gum up as if you poured concrete into it.)
I then let my grain sit & absorb the mist, while I heat my strike water (usually about an hour).
After sitting, it's ready to run through the mill & the moistened hulls allow you have a finer crush, while leaving the hulls more intact...Like stated, above.

(Special thanks to Bryan Rabe, for teaching me this.)

[weithman5]

sometime in the past year or two Kai wrote a nice zymurgy article on conditioning malt

[Hokerer]

sometime in the past year or two Kai wrote a nice zymurgy article on conditioning malt

Also here...  http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Malt_Conditioning