grist oxidation?

[FirehallBrewery]

I've been trying to think of solutions for my milling. I'll have to mill in a shed right beside the basement microbrewery, impossible to auger. Simplest way would be to mill into a wheel barrow and roll it into brewery, and find a way to get it into the mash tun. But I've heard that grist oxidation can be an issue. How much of an issue is it? Any ideas on how to mill and transport without too much oxygen exposure?

Thanks! Cheers,
Sid

[Jephro]

Not to sure about the oxidation factor... but IMHO as long as youre milling just before the brew i wouldn't worry too much about it. The first brewery i worked for we milled into 55 gallon drums w/ a blanket wrapped around the chute and the drum and then hand trucked it into the brewery. We then scooped it into 5 gallon buckets and handed it up to someone pouring into the hydrator and stirring. - a bit labor intensive but if ya don't have an auger.. it works.

EDIT: at that brewery we used premilled Cargil grain the first year or so and still made good beer. It did improve once we started milling on site, the Grain/Mash oxidation i have heard people concerned with was Hot Side in the MT mainly during Vorlauf- i even experimented with flooding the MT w/ CO2 and didn't notice any real change in the end result, in fact i just found it wasteful and non-eco friendly.
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[Roger Greene]

The effects of oxidation on your grist would be minimal if you mill right before mashing. Carrying it a wheelbarrow or running it through an auger would not have much difference when it comes to oxidation. Depending on how big your batches are, you could mill into the grain sacks, this would just make it easier to handle. Just my 2 cents.

[Bierkoenig]

Bamforth urges brewers not to worry about hot-side aeration as it will always be inconsequential compared to cold-side pickup in even the best cellar/packaging.

[liammckenna]

Depending on the size of your brewery, you might consider buying pre-milled grain.

Avoids such problems as:
cost of mill
grain dust
safety issues w/ mill house (depending on local inspectors can include explosion proof motors, switches, having a blast wall in your mill house etc).

I pay 2.50 per bag. For me this adds about $20 per brew (10hL system). I don't have space for a mill inside or outside so it's really not an option for me.

Pax.

Liam

[FirehallBrewery]

Excellent!

Grist hydration is another part of the process that I have not fully researched yet. Why is this done, and how?

Thanks for two cents everyone, the pennies add up

Sid