I'm wondering if anybody is knowledgeable about grain/malt Diastatic Power, its scale and how to interpret its scale. I've seen a few references that essentially say: if DP >= 70 Lintners, there is plenty of DP to allow starch conversion into sugars else if 30 < DP <= 69, then you will need to mash longer to achieve the desired starch conversion else (DP < 30 Lintners), there will not be enough DP to convert starches into sugars Can anybody …
Found a bunch of specialty grains I'd intented for a beer but lost to time. They've been in brown paper bags for well over a year. Is it worth using them at all for a small batch or has time/air ruined extraction, ruined flavor, etc?
According to Palmer's popular list of typical mashing and steeping yields, pale crystal malt (25-40L) has a typical steeping yield of 22 PPG. Slightly darker crystal malt (medium, 60-75L) weighs in at 18 PPG when steeped, and dark crystal (120L) at 16 PPG. Fine, that makes sense: darker crystal malts have lower steeping yields, consistent with how they behave when mashed. But then we get to roasted barley and black patent malt, which both have a much lower yield when …
After brewing a batch of beer, I always end up with ~14 lbs of spent grain that I usually just toss in a pile in the corner of the yard. Are there better things to do with it (i.e. cooking, baking, etc.), or better ways to get rid of it? Even though I'm using it to make delicious beer, I feel like all that grain is somehow going to waste afterward and that it could be used for something else.
I only make beer using extract with grain, usually that amounts from 1/2 to 1 lb of grain in 5 gallon batches. Generally I have used the rolling pin method of smashing the grain in a plastic bag. Now, I have bought 10 lbs of grain to save a little money over the cost for 1 lb bags and am wondering if using a Cuisinart Coffee Burr Mill would work on the course setting? I use a strainer bag to …
Anyone have definitive info if diastatic power is reduced with grain age? If so, any data to estimate current DP? Brewing with some pretty old 2-row today. It has been stored properly for 1.5 years, temperature never got above 80°F, it never got damp, and the grain still smells and tastes fresh; it has been stored in air tight container. I'm having beta-amylase conversion issues. Time seems to be letting it work though it, but it's been mashing for 3 …
We have gotten lots of questions about grain crush and I would like some validation on my crush. I spray my grain with about 8 to 10 oz of water per 20 lbs and let it sit 30 minutes before crush. Then on to a Barley Crusher and Dewalt cordless dril run slowly. Maybe 10 minutes crush time. Here is a picture.
So I was starting a new batch and completely distracted over bills etc and realized once my malt was boiling that I COMPLETELY forgot to add and steep my grain. I added them for about 10 minutes after even tho it was boiling. Any idea how this will affect the outcome? Did I just completely mess this up or what? Still pretty new to brewing btw. It was intended to be a Porter but not sure now.
I recently got into brewing (well, extract brewing) and all the kits I use come with a grain bag. I've since learned that it is perfectly fine to reuse these bags, so long as you clean + dry them properly. The problem is, every time I use them, they have hundreds/thousands of tiny seeds/husks/"stuffs" caked onto them. Even after meticulously washing and cleaning them, I still end up with a clean + dry grain bag that has hundreds of seeds/husks/stuffs …
Brand. Spanking. New. To brewing. Just bought an Amber Ale extract kit (don't judge!) and equipment set from Brewer's Best. I read the "Brew Day" instructions and they included a grain bag that they want me to use for steeping the grain in. What I'm wondering is: can I clean and reuse this bag, or is it contaminated or otherwise made unusable once I use it the first time? And if it can be cleaned, what's a sanitary/safe way to …
I have the following grains available and was wondering what would be the general idea of doing my own recipe. 0.5kg Amber Malt 0.5kg Maris Otter 0.5kg Halcyon 1kg Pale Malt 1kg Caramel Dark 3kg Red-x 1kg Black Malt 1kg Brewing Sugars (dextrose) I would like to do some sort of red tinted beer but I fear that I don't have enough of the Red-X grains. My fermenter can handle 20 liters. That is the amount of wort I'm aiming …
I'm going to brew an applewood smoked Märzen and upon doing some research I found some brewers have sprayed their malt with bourbon instead of water during the smoking process to keep the grain moist, this gave me an idea. My question is: what would be the outcome if instead of the pre-soaking the grain in water prior to smoking you pre-soaked the grain in bourbon or something similar? Has anyone ever tried this or perhaps has any insight on …
I've got a recipe for a wild strawberry blonde (I recently asked for tips on prepping fresh strawberries). Well, I'm finally going to brew this, but...corn? The blonde recipe I'm looking at right now has ±1.125# of flaked corn. Tips and thoughts on a grain substitute? Any general tips or resource links on grain substitution is also welcome. Disclaimer I get it, corn is a respectable adjunct. But it's also the characteristic of many lagers and pilsners I dislike the …
Fortunately the ginger is pretty finely ground. Should I just leave it in there indefinitely as I cycle through new batches and hope it disintegrates? It doesn't seem like filtering will work very well without losing the majority of the ginger beer plant grains.
If I were to grow barley, is there a known ratio for pounds of malted grain per square feet of planted crop? Edit: Someone from twitter posted this: http://www.gardensofeden.org/04%20Crop%20Yield%20Verification.htm
I recently cleaned up after brewing one day and realized that I threw away a couple of four gallon water jugs. Could these be used for storing grain for long term? Would the air in the container affect my grain over time? If these can be used for storage I can save the money I wanted to spend on feed containers.
So I recently brewed up this recipe. When I went to the LHBS to get the grain, the guy there somehow knew, just from the grain bill, that I was making an IPA. Since finding and loving IPAs, I had always liked them for the hops, and I had thought this was what classed them as IPA. So what is it about the grain bill that makes this an IPA? Or more generally, what makes an IPA? Is it the …
I buy most of my grain un-ground in bulk, because I don’t have a car my local HBS is way across town. Before brewing, I’ve been grinding grain using a food processor (with blades) until each kernel is, on average, in three or four pieces. This probably isn’t optimal, though, and I have some general questions about how to do it better. How should I be grinding my grain? Is there an affordable way to grind it “the right way” …
This may be too specific but I will ask anyway. I love Fat Tire but would like to modify a little. The holy grail of beer would be a Fat Tire but more biscuit, more toasty caramel taste and fuller mouth feel. Any recommendations would be appreciated. Even if it isn't a recipe, perhaps grains that present these specific tastes would help.