Malt or grain handling is a line item that most brewers rely on others to advise them on, but with a bit of basic knowledge, any brewery owner or brewhouse planner can take a more active roll in designing and developing their own malt-handling systems. While most very reputable brewhouse and tank-equipment providers’ intentions are good, there are many common mistakes that every brewery professional in a design phase should be aware of in order to avoid costly change orders and redesigns down the road.
Measure the right thing
The most basic oversight is one of the most simple to correct—the volumes specified for most grain-handling equipment are for whole-grain kernels; once the grains are rolled through the mill, the grist created is less dense. Grist is about 30 percent less dense than unmilled grain kernels, so any system planning should account for that lower density of milled grain and not the high density of whole kernels.
Auger Sizing and Calculations
So let’s dive in to our first calculation. A 3" flex auger is rated for 50 pounds per minute—for whole kernels. This calculation works for pre-milled grain, such as from silo to specialty hopper and specialty hopper to the top of the mill.