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Author Topic: Malt conditioning  (Read 4034 times)

Offline 69franx

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Re: Malt conditioning
« Reply #15 on: September 02, 2016, 01:06:23 pm »
I like that idea, thanks again Stevie
Frank L.
Fermenting: Nothing (ugh!)
Conditioning: Nothing (UGH!)
In keg: Nothing (Double UGH!)
In the works:  House IPA, Dark Mild, Ballantine Ale clone(still trying to work this one into the schedule)

Offline mabrungard

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Re: Malt conditioning
« Reply #16 on: September 03, 2016, 08:19:44 am »
My criteria for water misting is pretty simple.

If you run your hands through dry malt, you will be left with dust on your hands. I sequentially mist water onto the grain and mix by hand. I keep doing that and checking the dustiness of my hands each time. When my hands no longer have dust on them, I consider that: good enough.

Remember, the worst thing you can do is to oversaturate your grain and mill it. That is when you will gum up your rollers with wet flour. No fun to remove.
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Offline dmtaylor

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Re: Malt conditioning
« Reply #17 on: September 03, 2016, 03:50:25 pm »
I had to show my wife, she didn't care.

Sounds familiar.
I get that a lot.  I do it anyway.

Same here. I pretend she's enthralled. Generally not the case, though she's a good sport.  :)

I love this.  Sounds very very familiar.
Dave

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Offline Philbrew

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Re: Malt conditioning
« Reply #18 on: September 03, 2016, 08:29:09 pm »
This sounds (maybe) like it mainly helps sparging.  I do BIAB.  Will malt conditioning do anything for BIAB?
Many of us would be on a strict liquid diet if it weren't for pretzels.

Offline dmtaylor

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Re: Malt conditioning
« Reply #19 on: September 03, 2016, 08:36:34 pm »
This sounds (maybe) like it mainly helps sparging.  I do BIAB.  Will malt conditioning do anything for BIAB?

I would seriously doubt it.  Yet another reason why I wouldn't do it.  I too BIAB.
Dave

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Offline Stevie

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Re: Malt conditioning
« Reply #20 on: September 03, 2016, 08:40:47 pm »
Could help reduce the need for squeezing. I've only BIAB'd a couple of times, so I can't really say.

Offline neddles

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Re: Malt conditioning
« Reply #21 on: September 03, 2016, 11:23:44 pm »
 I conditioned my malt tonight for the first time. I brew in a bag and I did notice that the run off was even quicker than usual. There is no doubt that the husks were larger than normal.  I always give a small squeeze at the end to get up to volume. There was no need for that tonight.

Offline rob_f

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Re: Malt conditioning
« Reply #22 on: September 04, 2016, 12:18:00 pm »
Biggest thing I noticed when I started conditioning the malt was dust-free crushing.  I used to crush out in the driveway so the cloud would blow away.  That was often brutal since I do most of my brewing in the winter.  Without the dust, I moved crushing into the garage where I brew.  Then I started getting lacto infections in some beers. :(  I guess there still is dust, just not enough to see it.
Rob Farrell
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Offline denny

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Re: Malt conditioning
« Reply #23 on: September 04, 2016, 01:06:28 pm »
I've been malt conditioning for a couple years now.  I use 8 ml/lb of grain and it works well.  I have a Schmidling adjustable malt mill and I have that thing cranked down as tight as it will go.  The only time I have a problem with a stuck mash is when I have a lot of wheat or rye in the grain bill. 

Big ups to Kai for sharing this info originally on the NB board.

I use the same mill at the same setting and don't condition, yet I still have no problems.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline el_capitan

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Re: Malt conditioning
« Reply #24 on: September 04, 2016, 09:30:50 pm »
I've been malt conditioning for a couple years now.  I use 8 ml/lb of grain and it works well.  I have a Schmidling adjustable malt mill and I have that thing cranked down as tight as it will go.  The only time I have a problem with a stuck mash is when I have a lot of wheat or rye in the grain bill. 

Big ups to Kai for sharing this info originally on the NB board.

I use the same mill at the same setting and don't condition, yet I still have no problems.

Denny, I think you must be located in some sort of homebrewer's Nirvana, almost like an extra dimension or something. 

Offline Hand of Dom

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Re: Malt conditioning
« Reply #25 on: September 05, 2016, 03:25:27 am »
I tried malt conditioning on my most recent batch, and saw my efficiency jump from 75% to 80%.  This may be due to the crush being tighter, as I fiddled about with my mill trying to figure out why the grain wasn't getting crushed.  Turns out that I had my drill on reverse.  I plan on trying it again with my next brew, which will be a Rochefort 8 clone.
Dom

Currently drinking - Amarillo saison
Currently fermenting - Pale ale 1 - 2017

Offline mabrungard

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Re: Malt conditioning
« Reply #26 on: September 05, 2016, 08:08:05 am »
I use the same mill at the same setting and don't condition, yet I still have no problems.

I agree that your current methods are fine...as were my previous methods. What I did find with conditioning was that my husk was typically more intact and the permeability of my grain bed was higher. That was a big deal to a RIMS brewer like me. I also increased my typical system efficiency by about 5%. Sure, its OK to continue what you're doing, but sometimes there are enhancements that are easy to implement that actually make a difference.
Martin B
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Offline denny

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Re: Malt conditioning
« Reply #27 on: September 05, 2016, 10:52:51 am »
I use the same mill at the same setting and don't condition, yet I still have no problems.

I agree that your current methods are fine...as were my previous methods. What I did find with conditioning was that my husk was typically more intact and the permeability of my grain bed was higher. That was a big deal to a RIMS brewer like me. I also increased my typical system efficiency by about 5%. Sure, its OK to continue what you're doing, but sometimes there are enhancements that are easy to implement that actually make a difference.

Martin, it isn't like I decided without trying it.  It's not just that my process works for me, it's that conditioning didn't make it work any better. 
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell