[ynotbrusum]

Good on ya!  Adjusting crush can be acutely impact full on your efficiency, so check around on settings used.  I have a Barley crusher set at .039 IIRC and a Schmidling mill that is set around .042, I believe.  Whenever either slips a tad, my efficiency drop is noticeable (just add some DME to correct or live with the lower ABV).

You sound like a natural for this!  Good luck.

[denny]

I have a grain mill and it will mill from coarse to fine.  It might work.  I know I don't want it too fine.  Hopefully the coarse will be coarse enough.  Thanks for the advice, though.

Is it one of those that goes on a stand mixer?  If so, you should consider getting the grain precrushed.

[Bill Wallace]

I have a grain mill and it will mill from coarse to fine.  It might work.  I know I don't want it too fine.  Hopefully the coarse will be coarse enough.  Thanks for the advice, though.

Is it one of those that goes on a stand mixer?  If so, you should consider getting the grain precrushed.

Nope.  Those are worthless.  It's about a $300 mill.  Here's what I'll do.  I'll order some milled for my first batch and then take some wheat I use for bread and mill it in my mill and see if I can replicate the texture.  Thanks for the reply.

[Bill Wallace]

I would find out if I enjoyed fishing before I bought the lake. I would follow Denny's advice, learn everything along the way.

Yeah, well with all due respect a couple hundred on equip flies under my radar.  It's chumpchange.  If it doesn't work out I'll give it to some brewers I know.

[hopfenundmalz]

On this site i posted above (here for your convenience):

http://www.homebrewing.org/Grains-by-the-Bag-_c_197.html

The grains do not look like they have been malted...or do they?  I thought when a grain is malted, it's wetted, then sprouted to break down the enzymes and then somehow the process is stopped?

Have the above grains been malted?  Unless they look different from the pictures when it arrives, that looks like the way grain comes out of the field.

Grains are soaked and allowed to sprout, turned often so they don't mold. Once the sprouts reach a certain length they are tumbled to knock the sprouts off. Then dried and kilned. They look like the grain going in, only darker if kilned longer than a pils or brewers malt.

That is my local homebrew shop's link you posted.

[Bill Wallace]

By the way,  this forum is incredible.  I've gotten a whole bunch of replies and a big thanks to all.  I'm gonna figure this thing out quick like with all this help.  This is incredible.

Some forums take days to get an answer.  You guys are fanatics.  I love it!

[theDarkSide]

If you do Brew in a Bag (BIAB), you can grind it as much as you want.  Otherwise .039 or even a tad lower would be ok.  I've had mine set at .030 for years with no problem.

Good luck with jumping to all grain...many people have done it.

Some forums take days to get an answer.  You guys are fanatics.  I love it!

Techtalk would have been at least 1 day for a reply...sorry I couldn't resist  (old joke)

[denny]

Bill, I recommend you take a look at this....http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/How-To-Batch-Sparge.pdf

[tommymorris]

I would find out if I enjoyed fishing before I bought the lake. I would follow Denny's advice, learn everything along the way.

Yeah, well with all due respect a couple hundred on equip flies under my radar.  It's chumpchange.  If it doesn't work out I'll give it to some brewers I know.

Can I be your friend?

[klickitat jim]

I would find out if I enjoyed fishing before I bought the lake. I would follow Denny's advice, learn everything along the way.

Yeah, well with all due respect a couple hundred on equip flies under my radar.  It's chumpchange.  If it doesn't work out I'll give it to some brewers I know.

Right on. The money never bugged me either but I took it one step at a time. If I were starting out again I would first get dual stage temp control for my fermentation

[Bill Wallace]

I would find out if I enjoyed fishing before I bought the lake. I would follow Denny's advice, learn everything along the way.

Yeah, well with all due respect a couple hundred on equip flies under my radar.  It's chumpchange.  If it doesn't work out I'll give it to some brewers I know.

Right on. The money never bugged me either but I took it one step at a time. If I were starting out again I would first get dual stage temp control for my fermentation

Did some research on this and it's good advice.  I'm walking right now...one foot at a time.  When I get running I'll consider doing something like that. 

[reverseapachemaster]

http://www.homebrewing.org/Grains-by-the-Bag-_c_197.html  (Is this a good deal, or can I do better?)

You traded at CBOE and want us to tell you if it's a good deal? 

I applaud the determination to jump in the deep end but you may want to spend a few more weeks reading and asking questions before you start buying bulk sacks.

I traded at the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT).  The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) is across the street...but you can take the catwalk if you're a member.

Ok, I'll brew from a kit for my first foray.  But I still have a few questions.

When I asked if it was a good deal, I meant in relation to what WG brewers usually pay.  CBOT wheat is trading around $6 a bushel, which brings up my other question.  At $70 for 55 pounds delivered for say, wheat, that is crazy expensive.  At that price, a bushel (60 pounds, I believe) would trade at $60.  So why is beer grain so expensive?

Yep, threw down the wrong abbreviation.

As others have mentioned, there is processing involved in malting which adds expense. However, most of the cost for brewing grains comes from distribution costs. Commercial brewers buy from wholesalers rather than our retail purchases. That's where the big jump in price comes for us. Retail prices are normally 2-3 times wholesale. Unmalted wheat is probably the biggest screw job on pricing. It's the same stuff that sells for $6/bushel with no processing involved but it sells for basically the same price as malted grains.

[Stevie]

Speaking of getting hosed. Rice hulls are $5 a sack if purchased from a rice grower in Northern California. LHBS, $1 per pound minimum. I rarely use them, so honestly don't care.

[klickitat jim]

I would find out if I enjoyed fishing before I bought the lake. I would follow Denny's advice, learn everything along the way.

Yeah, well with all due respect a couple hundred on equip flies under my radar.  It's chumpchange.  If it doesn't work out I'll give it to some brewers I know.

Right on. The money never bugged me either but I took it one step at a time. If I were starting out again I would first get dual stage temp control for my fermentation

Did some research on this and it's good advice.  I'm walking right now...one foot at a time.  When I get running I'll consider doing something like that.

Thats my point. Fermentation temp control would be my first step. Before all grain, before my own mill, before stir plates or oxygen,  before kegs... my first batch was a stove top porter kit that turned out ok, it would have been amazing if I had my ranco and my freezer back then.

You CAN brew without it. Denny did for quite a while, he's our resident expert and famous person, and just recently got his first freezer/controller setup. I'll bet he'd like to have had it the whole time.


And I'll bet one day you will be saying "dang, I should have got this long ago"

[denny]

Denny did for quite a while, he's our resident expert and famous person, and just recently got his first freezer/controller setup. I'll bet he'd like to have had it the whole time.


And I'll bet one day you will be saying "dang, I should have got this long ago"

+ eleventy billion and 17!  Until recently, I didn't have space or budget to do anything but a tub of water.  it worked well enough, but it was a PITA and I always wanted tighter control.  I'm in freezer heaven now.