Roasting your own grain.

Any one ever tried it?
http://oz.craftbrewer.org/Library/Methods/Sanders/roasting.shtml

I have 25kg precrushed pale malt but I'm going to buy 1kg of uncrushed and give it a go.

Keep us posted. Roasting my own always seemed to be too much trouble, but knowing how might save a trip to the store some day.

I roast my own all the time.
Palmer has a cool little guide in How to Brew, and I've seen online articles about making your own crystal malt from 2 row. I'd rather buy th ecrystal, but toasting your own for certain recipes can really make a difference.

I toast 2 lbs. in my Lake Walk Pale Ale, and it certainly tastes different when I don't do it.

I also toast some malt for the Fat Tire clone. 350° for 30 minutes.

It is also smells awesome.

from John Palmer's "how to brew" Chapter 20.4

here's a link

http://www.howtobrew.com/section4/chapter20-4.html

The principal reaction that takes place when you toast malt is the browning of starches and proteins, known as the Maillard Reaction. As the starches and proteins brown, various flavor and color compounds are produced. The color compounds are called "melanoidins" and can improve the stability of beer by slowing oxidation and staling reactions as the beer ages.

Since the browning reactions are influenced by the wetness of the grain, water can be used in conjunction with the toasting process to produce different flavors in the malt. Soaking the uncrushed malt in water for an hour will provide the water necessary to optimize the Maillard browning reactions. Toasting wet malt will produce more of a caramel flavor due to partial starch conversion taking place from the heat. Toasting dry grain will produce more of a toast or Grape-Nuts cereal flavor which is perfect for nut-brown ales.

The malt should be stored in a paper bag for 2 weeks prior to use. This will allow time for the harsher aromatics to escape. Commercial toasted malts are often aged for 6 weeks before sale. This aging is more important for the highly toasted malts, toasted for more than a half hour (dry) or 1 hour (wet).


Check out the link for times and temps for various malts.


Hope this helps

John

Well, Palmer errs on the side of caution IMO in that chapter. I toast grain all the time and have never let it sitt 2 weeks prior to using it, that is not necessary. I have toasted grain and used it that day with no prob!! But normally after toasting, I cover the cookie sheet with the grain on it with a towel and let it sit over night to cool. I never get harsh flavors from the malt by doing this. Here my normal procedure:
I use directions from " Old British Beers and How To Make Them".
Put grain on cookie sheet, place in oven heated to 110º C (230ºF)for about 20 mins to dry the grain a bit, then raise to 150º C (300º F) for 20 min. If you cut the grain, it will be a light buff or just a shade different color than untoasted malt, this is Pale Amber, another 10-20 min and it will be slightly darker and that would be Amber malt. For brown, at this point raise the temp to 175º C (350º F ) for another 20-45 mins . Cut a couple grains, the color should be full buff or the color of a paper bag on the inside, this will be brown malt. Keep in mind, you judge the color by checking it on the inside, if you go by the color of the husks, you will basically either make black or burnt malt!! Also, the times stated are ball park, I have toasted grain in the shortest times, skipping the drying step and have produced great stuff !! You need to monitor the malt as you go to get it right.

do you toast the grain before or after it has been crushed or does it matter?

I just roasted some after it's crushed'cause that's all I have but I suspect it would e better uncrushed.

Uncrushed as orfy said. However, in a pinch you probably could get away with crushed grain. In fact there are afew that do just that. I'd think that you'd want to shorten the times and keep a good eye on the progress.

well I roated 2lbs of 2-row and my God did the house smell good! I will have to see how it tastes in the beer. I had to do it crushed as I don't have a mill yet (but I been good and santa might bring it to me).

I have 2 lbs of MO in the oven now with about 12 minutes to go. Stirring every 10. House smells awesome. Following Dude's 30 minutes at 350 suggestion. Going to add this to 8 more pounds of untoasted and 3oz of cacade tomorrow for my first brew day since June. First time toasting, first time crushing with my mill and first time using my stir plate Perhaps I'll call it "New Adventures Pale Ale"

Toasting some MO brings in some interesting Brews.
Have done it a few times, And will do it again lol

Good to hear. I wanted a simple brew to get back into things so I figured a SMaSH would be a simple Recipe. Perhaps I'll try and brew this same brew again in a couple weeks without toasting so I can compare side by side what the toasting added.