pre-gelatinized grains

[slimfit]

Our malt supplier suggests adding pre-gelatinized grains directly to the mash tun. We don't have an agitator, and it would be easier if we sent them through the mill with the rest of the malt. I feel this would result in a more homogenized mixture with less chance of dry clumps; is there any problem with this method? Thanks, Joe

[Ron Downer]

I doubt you would experience any problems with adding the pre-gelatinized grains directly to the malt mill, but you might want to widen the gap between the rollers before doing this just as a precaution. I have added flaked barley directly to the malt mill with no problems.
Ron Downer

[gitchegumee]

I add my oats with the other grains in the mill hopper without adjusting gap specially for them. That way the oats end up in the grist case mixed with everything else and I won't forget to add to the mash directly. Oats are 12% of my stout grist and I don't have any problems with dry clumps or with stuck mashes--even though it is impossible for me to see the flow rate of the vorlauf through my sight glass and it might be easy to compact the bed at that stage. I base the vorlauf speed off other recipes where I can see the flow rate of the vorlauf. Hope this helps. Good luck!

[slimfit]

thanks for your help, i'll keep the advice in mind.
joe

[BigWilley]

I used to add my barley flakes to the mill with no problems, now I add directly to grist case after milling with no mixture problems. One small trick if your going to mill them is to open your flow gate to let them mill faster otherwise they take a lot longer to pass through the mill than malt. If your mill is like mine and you can open the gap up completely without losing your mill setting do that for the flakes to speed up the process.

[Cargill Malt]

Second all comments posted. I don't think widening the mill gap is required. Just look at the flakes after the mill and make sure your not getting too fine a product (ie. flour-like). If they are being reduced in size by a factor of 2 or 3 should be OK.

Opening the feed gate sounds like a good idea if you have the ability.

The only reason the flakes are referred to as "mash-ready" is because you don't have to do a gelatinizing cereal cook as you would with rice, or say corn grit. The name is not meant to infer that you shouldn't put them through your mill.

Cargill Malt