Flour.

[snail59]

Ok I KNOW IM ONLY ON AG#2 BUT. I think I read somewhere that the flour in the crushed grain is not good to have in the mash. For my first two brews I have orderd just enough Pale Malt for the mash. I have noticed flour in the bags but just emptied the whole bag in includeing the flour. So how does flour effect the brew, Should I grade the grain to remove the flour before brewing and can Barley flour be used for baking.

 

[Dunfie]

What you are seeing in the bag is the malted starches that you need to convert into fermentable sugars in the mash. When the malt is crushed you will get a mix of the starch that is still stuck to the husks of the barley and some that has dissintegrated into what looks like flour. You need a good mix of both so that you have a good consistency in your mash and prevent a stuck mash. Also, if you leave the "flour" out you will find that your extract efficiency will be reduced as you have left out some of the key ingredient. So, don't think of it as "flour" but as part of the malted barley you need.

What you might have read, and I have a memory of reading something like this in a Wheeler book, is that it is not desirable to add "wheat flour" to your mash. Although there is extractable sugars to be gained by using wheat flour you run the risk of clogging up the mash due to a lack of husks. "Brewers flour" was commonly used in the past by commercial brewers but I am unsure how much it is used today (I've never met a commercial brewer who uses it).

 

[snail59]

Thanks Dunfie I will continue to use the whole contents of the bag :thumb: I will not grade the grains as graded grains dont make finer beer

 

[unclepumble]

The only detriment to having a large quantity of malt flour in the mash is you are more likely to get a stuck mash,re oh and if you cannot filter it out when transferring to copper, more crud transferred to copper.

In most cases in commercials the grain is now milled so there is a greater quantity of flour in the mash, as it improves efficiency, however, the mash is then filtered in a mash press, something you wouldn't have in your kitchen.

Chuck it in, if you get stuck mashes, and cannot get a better grain supplier, get some oat husks and chuck them into the mash, as they will help with filtering, when lautering.

UP

 

[snail59]

Thanks UP. Not had a stuck mash yet but ive only done 2 so far .