Malting Grains?

Can someone describe or point to a good description or how-to on malting gluten free grains?

It seems this process is not exactly the same (maybe a shortened process?) than typical all grain brewing.

Try the "sticky" at the top of this forum, called "Malting gluten-free grains"!

I don't think it is worth it. I made one batch with malted buckwheat. For the time and effort vs the pay off...I'm not planning on doing that again.

igliashon said:

Try the "sticky" at the top of this forum, called "Malting gluten-free grains"!

Click to expand...

I browsed that, but thought it was more a discussion of what grains to use and what results people were getting.

I'll read through it more closely.

It began with some people malting and evolved into a larger discussion. Not all gluten free grains act the same way. Basicly though, its soak &air rest, germinate + spray to keep from drying out and then dry+kiln. I don't know enough to go into much more detail yet.

Colorado Malting Company--the only company I know of that sells malted gluten-free grains for brewing--appears to be back in business, although my attempts at getting an order through to them have only met with silence. Their prices are incredible, $1.60/lb for the most expensive of their malted grains.

The thing with making beer out of these grains is that no one has any idea how to make it come out good. We're all kinda grasping at straws. It doesn't mean it can't be done; if I can get some orders through CMC, I plan to go hog-wild and do some home-toasting and see if I can't get something that tastes better than sorghum extract. My current suspicion is that making crystal malt out of these grains may be a good first step. I recently made some crystal malt out of some sprouted quinoa I got from Whole Foods by soaking the grain in 120°F water for a few hours, then putting it through a blender, and then kilning it at around 175°F in the oven for a few hours. It came out tasting and smelling sweet, so I'm certain I got some conversion. Then I toasted it approximately to biscuit, it smells like grape-nuts now. I'm gonna put it in a mash with a couple pounds of sweet potatoes and add it to my British IPA that I'll be brewing next week and see what it does. Sweet potatoes have been proven to enhance the conversion of sorghum, so I reckon they'll help with other malted GF grains. I've got sprouted millet on the way that I intend to give the same treatment for an imperial blonde ale, and if I can ever get this malted buckwheat from CMC, I'm gonna try making a dark crystal malt with it (and some caramelized sweet potatoes) for another take on a stout.

It's amazing there aren't any other GF extracts out there yet. Sorghum manufacturers must be making some good money.

True that! And they only even make one shade of it. Where's the dark sorghum LME? I'd pay good money for that, let alone some millet or quinoa or buckwheat LME.