A Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine reader recently asked us the following question:
I’ve heard of a process where you mill your grain while wet? How would you do this, and what is the purpose?
Wet-grain milling, also known by the more formal term “conditioned milling,” is a method that can improve the condition of the crushed grain and reduce the chance of a stuck sparge. Done properly, it produces larger pieces of intact grain husk with less grain powder, resulting in good mash efficiency and a better filter bed for the sparge. It is primarily used for beers with a large portion of non-barley adjuncts.
The goal in wet milling is to raise the moisture content of the grain about 20–30 percent using steam or hot water spray before milling the grains wet. You should not attempt this unless you have a dual-roller grain mill because other grain mills, such as the “Corona”-style mills, will get gummed up with the wet grains.