I’m planning on brewing a stout next week and read that the flaked barley should be milled. Yes? No? I’ve never done that on other stouts I’ve made.
I’ve never milled flaked grains before, not sure why they’d recommend that. It has already been run through rollers once…
I’ve made tons of good stouts with unmilled flaked barley. It doesn’t need milled whatsoever.
Good timing. I’m brewing an irish dry next and just planned on throwing the flaked barley in as is.
You won’t gain anything by sending it through the mill, but it won’t hurt anything either.
I just tapped a belgian wit brewed with flaked wheat and did not mill. Probably one of my best beers yet. Best effeciency I have seen in my last 4-5 batches as well.
+1 to this.
It didn’t sound right to me, but I thought I’d check with the extremely knowledgeable folks on this forum.
That’s not too much kissing up is it? Merry Christmas.
You can gum up your mill.
Really? Maybe if it’s damp or you mill gap is insanely right, but it should just go straight through.
Never gummed up my mill, ever. Not sure if it effects other folks differently. Mill it or dont mill it. Why is this an issue? It seems like some folks always over-complicate things.
Okay, dont ever mill your flaked barley or wheat, its just bad! Sheesh!
The flaked grains have been gelantinized. I have read a few times that they should not be milled. At my LHBS, AIH, the is a notice on the store’s mill that says “do not mill flaked grains”.
I always mill flaked grains. Not because they need to be milled, but because I’m old and forgetful. Nothing worse than having a low OG and then finding a bag with a couple of pounds of flaked grain sitting on the counter. Closely related, I discovered that milling Minute Rice does improve extraction.
I brewed last Wednesday without milling the flakes and everything went good.
FWIW, I’ve never milled flaked grains Steve, and always had good luck (and beer).
My mill gap is definitely insanely right.
I’ve milled flaked grains before, but not on purpose. Everything tends to get mixed together when I weigh out my grains. I certainly haven’t seen any harm come from it.
My one time using flaked barley i did not mill and they nearly disappeared anyway so I can’t imagine it makes night n day difference.
Yeah, same with flaked maize. It pretty nearly dissolves.
That has been my experience for both of those.