Jump to content

Grist Hydrator


indyspirits

Recommended Posts

Anyone here using a grist hydrator for their grain-in mashes?  I've never heard how (if?) the work with ground-to-a-flour-or-near-flour grain.

Edit: After wielding a bit of google fu perhaps the better question is to ask if anyone uses or has anecdotal (or otherwise) information on a Steele's masher.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Near flour makes it tough to use standard grist hydrators. They are for grist, not microparticles, which can resist hydration for a variety of reasons to do with surface tension and static charge. 

But you can use a commercial high speed emulsifier. A used one will set you back $2500-4000. Yields usually improve, but it's another piece of equipment to maintain. If you are mashing over 500 gal a day, it might be worth the investment 

 

Dan 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a grist hydrator on my new mash cooker.  I don't know if it is ideal or not compared to an emulsifier, but it seems to work fine.  I have gotten some dough balls, but just at the side manway (might have been a bad idea to get one...) and quite minimal.  This is running at 2.5# per gallon on bourbon mash.  Pretty new system so I haven't run an other mash bills yet.  I have been feeding my grain in pretty slow right now though, so we will see as I go up to 30# per minute how it does.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you really are at "near flour," get one of those huge (almost joke size) ss whisks at a discount restaurant supply store. 

Works way better than flailing at mounds of floating flour with a canoe paddle :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Safety tip: Do not use a whip (giant whisk) with your agitator running!

Any fiddly bits on an agitator may grab the wire and rip it out of your hands. Working in an industrial kitchen with open kettles, one managed to whip around and hit a guy in the head.

Cooking tip: Back and forth is more effective and easier on your wrist than stirring.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...