I'm trying to figure out why I haven't been getting anywhere near the starting gravities that the various recipes suggest one should expect. I have been going for a rather coarse crush in the interest of avoiding stuck runoffs, but think I may have been sacrificing mash efficiency in the process. Does the degree of crush have quite an influence on starting gravity? Comments from the gurus always welcome.
I crush the grain damn near into flour. I use my blender on the highest settings, about 1 cup at a time (otherwise it won't grind evenly), until it seems that most of the kernels have been split into 5 or 6 pieces (approximately), plus of course there is a decent amount of floury stuff comprising maybe 20% of the volume of ground grain. I average about 75% efficiency using this method. Works for me. Try it and see how you like it.
The #1 factor in good efficiency is the crush...I go by the rule "crush it until you're scared"!. I have a JSP adjustable mill, and I close the gap down almost all the way. In 225 batches, I've had 2 stuck runoffs.
-------->Denny
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