Quick question: Is this grind sufficient?

Hard to tell from the pics, but are most of the grains at least cracked? But yes, it looks a little wimpy.

 

Be aware that you gravity may suffer, but that does look quite inadequate to me. Problem with HBS mills is the amount of use they get and others adjusting for their own use. The one at Midwest gets to the point where it is as smooth as a baby's butt, and it happens pretty quickly. No matter how tight you adjust it at that point, the milled grain is never good enough for me.

My grain mill paid for itself after my third sack of grain was purchased...and my usage will not wear it out.

 

Woeful is right. I would go back to the lhbs and regrind it.

 

I would not call that a sufficient milling personally.

 

It's not just you. That does look inadequate. I would take it back and regrind.

 

Does anyone have pictures of what they think a sufficient grind should look like? Recently bought my own mill, curious what others are aiming for.

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fwdonFjS_HM/T6rhyc7jowI/AAAAAAAAAx8/kDpuO0Ppq4g/s1600/Image0206.jpg

 

What mill did you get? I have a Barley Crusher which I am using the factory setting, and my grain comes out looking pretty much like HB42's pic above.

 

I got the Barley Crusher too, and haven't adjusted the factory settings. There have been times when I think the crush is too fine and powder-like, but I'm thinking it's pretty similar to that photo.

 

Don't use the factory setting. For one, it's supposed to be .039, which is not sufficient. For another, it's pretty common for one end to have a wider gap than the other. I got a set of feeler gauges and locked mine down at .033 across the whole gap. Waaaaay better.

 

Meh, I get a consistent 74-75% on all beers brewed since I got it (except the last one, 80%, but it was a 1.031 mild). That is right where I want to be...but I am not sure what it is set at either.

 

You were lucky then.

 

From HB42: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fwdonFjS_HM/T6rhyc7jowI/AAAAAAAAAx8/kDpuO0Ppq4g/s1600/Image0206.jpg[/quote]
OP: This is a good crush, and I think some of us go even further. If you notice here that the's acutally flour in here. That's not a bad thing. I'd say your're only 1/3 of the way there so far. Just keep some rice hulls handy if you get too carried away and try to mash with pure flour.

 

I have had lots of luck with "the credit card gap." guess how I measure it?

You can be pretty aggressive, or you can always run some or all of your grain through your mill twice.

 

I used their grain room earlier this month and got a good crush - 78% efficiency. In the past, my crush from MW ranged from 60 (wheat beer) to 75%. It's hard to predict. I try to keep DME around and pay attention to boil volumes and pre-boil gravity so I have some control in adjusting starting gravity upward or downward.

 

I did read that they just re-did their mill. The problem is less about Midwest, and much more about the amount of use it gets...

 

Lol, I use the credit card gap too, and I am totally satisfied with the crush.