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I've used crystal grain. I didn't roast it but I did crack it.
Put some grain in a tea towel, folded it over so it didn;t go every where and then lightly rolled it with a rolling pin. It just needs to crack, not be crushed.
That's what they suggested at the homebrew shop, but they never mentioned anything about roasting it.
Ive never heard of putting it in the oven before cracking Thats not to say it cant be done, but you may find it roasts the malt slightly? giving roasted flavour to your beer? My HBS owner cracks mine for me, untill I get my own mill
Digging up an old thread here but I was told to put the grain in the oven just to dry it a little. Apparently it makes it easier to crush.
On crushing, I have a mortar and pestle. When they say crush, to what extent do I to crush? I'm guessing not to a powder, just to break down the grain to a chunky mix?
You're just aiming to break open all the hulls. A mortar and pestle would be a real PITA for anything more than a few hundred grams of grain tho. I just use mine for Crystal and other specialty grains.
I'm looking at 500g of grain, I've been told to crack it in the oven then break break open the grain. I thought a motar and pestel would be easy, just give it a bit of a pound and they'll open up!
Yep, it'll work. I find it easiest to do in batches of about 70g (depending on the size of your mortar), put it in, then crush with a circular kind of motion, add to grain sock, repeat. Don't pound, as you'll just have grain going everywhere.
PITA = Pain In The Arse. It's only a pain because it takes a while as you're only doing little bits at a time.
I'll be using these grains for a bit more what taste and mouth feel etc. I've been told to boil them in water then add the water to my stove top boil with the wort etc. (I'm using HB Cans not mash etc)
Question - what sort of temp are we talking and how long?
Ok, so I'll simmer at 75-80 for 20 mins in my grain sock then, pour that water into my big pot and boil it for 10 or so with my other fermentables and hops then add to the fermenter and top up. Sound ok?
Yep, sounds good. Also, after your pour the first lot of water into your wort, pour some more hot water through the grain sock to sparge (or wash) any remaining sugar out.
Oooh oooh, one last thing! When you stove top boil, do you add the wort concentrate or just add that into the fermenter once you pour in your stovetop liquids?
Thats not to say it cant be done, but you may find it roasts the malt slightly? giving roasted flavour to your beer? My HBS owner cracks mine for me, untill I get my own mill 
