Malting Barley for Michigan guys

I just put in a strip of winter barley. Took me a while to research, order and get it, bit I have 50 lbs of Endeavor winter malting barley, way more that I need for sure. If you are a gardener, food plotter, farmer, and want some seed, get ahold of me. Just looking to mitigate my costs if possible.

You could malt the remaining seed (unless it's treated) or save it for next year. Endeavor is a great variety for malting.

Would you PM where you got it from?

Because I'm just into growing things like trees (oaks, apples, nut trees), vegetables, berries, grains (wheat,oats,buckwheat, rye), flowers - especially perenial wildflowers, hops - I wanted some of my own barley to reproduce maybe for years on end as I hombrew beer as well. The seed does look treated with some red powder coat of some sort. Regarding not malting because of the treatment coat - I would think that would be washed away with the malting process. Might add some "complexity" to the beer too eh? Ha!

Hmm what part of michigan? Maybe I could throw it in my dads garden. I've never harvested it before though and not sure how to malt it. But I could always learn. Whats the cost?

Also can this be done by hand? I don't have any equipment. I was thinking about asking my neighbor farmers to plant 1 row of barley for me and see if I could get a bunch of 2 row. Just need to research how to harvest it.

Sure it can be done by hand! And man - the germination rate on this is recorded at 97% and I believe that's true as mine is already up and growing in thick - looks like every seed is doing it! Just break some ground broadcast some seed - rake it in to settle it a bit and wait for rain.

I planted Thursday Sept 12th (in the rain) - could see sprouts on Tuesday. More rain coming today (Sept 19th) and Tomorrow. Off to a great start!

I'm in Auburn Hills daytimes - Ortonville nightimes.

Jhoss said:

I just put in a strip of winter barley. Took me a while to research, order and get it, bit I have 50 lbs of Endeavor winter malting barley, way more that I need for sure. If you are a gardener, food plotter, farmer, and want some seed, get ahold of me. Just looking to mitigate my costs if possible.

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I am in Indiana and was considering growing some winter barely as a crop cover, and as a bonus I can then malt it and brew with it. Is that what you are doing also? I am brand new and just looking into this but it looks like it could be fun. That being said I garden entirely in raised beds. I have 4- 5x10 ft raised beds. I wonder if that is even enough to bother with?

Growing real good.
@Ally - yes, I am growing this with the hope of harvesting some for home malting and for replanting as grain is good for wildlife - the deer, phesants, turkeys, squirrels - they love me - yeah - they really do.

And here comes some heat and rain - it is outgrowing my rye, wheat and oats for sure.

Jim

allynlyon said:

I am in Indiana and was considering growing some winter barely as a crop cover, and as a bonus I can then malt it and brew with it. Is that what you are doing also? I am brand new and just looking into this but it looks like it could be fun. That being said I garden entirely in raised beds. I have 4- 5x10 ft raised beds. I wonder if that is even enough to bother with?

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Great for a cover crop, as a green manure. If you want the grain from this, be prepared to have the space it is in unavailable for other gardening until early to mid July

pjj2ba said:

Great for a cover crop, as a green manure. If you want the grain from this, be prepared to have the space it is in unavailable for other gardening until early to mid July

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Ahh Good information. Thank you!