Doubts about Lager Malt Crush - with pictures

[aamcle]

Afternoon All.

I had my first stuck sparge yesterday and I think I have a bad crush, I don't have much experience so I have taken pictures of the stuff that gave me trouble and some that I think is probably "good".

Bad? If you click on the images they get bigger.

Good?

so is the grain in the first picture a poor crush? The bag it was in had a lot of "flour" at the bottom, if your rub the "good" stuff between finger and thumb the endosperm falls out.


Many Thanks aamcle

PS. Is there any significant advantage in doing the milling your self?

 

[oldjiver]

I grind my own, and as you can see I grind a lot finer than the grain in your picture. I use a coarse sparging bag and have never had a stuck mash.

 

[aamcle]

Then it could be that my bags has too fine a mesh, what is the size of the mesh your bag is made from?


ATB. Aamcle

 

[oldjiver]

Ritchies sparging bag coarse bottom fine sides. I tried curtain material 40 years ago and it didn't work well so getting a coarse bottom is important.

 

[rpt]

The top picture looks similar to the malt I get from the Malt Miller that Rob has milled finer for BIAB. The bottom looks like the standard malt I got from BrewUK. As I BIAB I don't get stuck sparges. I've no idea whether the finer milling has increased my efficiency.

 

[zgoda]

Mine for all grain is even finer. Occasionally I have stuck sparges but mostly because of increased wort viscosity (yeah, rye, oats and all), not crush.

 

[aamcle]

That seems to confirm it, the bag I was using is too fine.

Thanks. Aamcle