Anyone use the diastalic power of grain to process unmalted grains?

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thrstyunderwater

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I've been reading about the diastalic power of mainly barley, and how with proper heat it can convert the starches in unmalted grains. This has the potential to do two things:

1. Save money by buying unmalted grain.

2. Produce a beer with potentially new flavors.

Anyone dabble in this?
 
It's how I convert adjuncts like corn and rice. So I am sure using it on unmalted grains would work. Might try this out if it is much cheaper.


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I've done wheat beers and rye beers using 35 to 40% malted barley and the wheat or rye unmalted with pretty good success. The rye makes a sticky mess that is hard to deal with even with BIAB at that amount though. My efficiency suffered a bit with the rye too but the wheat worked well. I took the wheat and rye right out of my farm grain bins where the grain was worth about 12 cents per pound.
 
I use a little unmalted grains in my darker beers,like roasted ones. But I also use enough base malts to convert the whole mess.
 
Out of town just now but have a wit recipe in the makings and I will be using a 6 row base malt instead of a two row as the recipe is nearly 50% wheat and the 2 row lacks diastatic power. Since I haven't brewed the recipe yet, I can't comment on the success. The research I have done so far suggests this is a good approach however, I have read wit recipes on this forum that used 2 row and adjuncts without any 6 row so I'm not confident that it is an utter necessity. It does stand to reason that the tremendous diastatic power of 6 row would benefit when using adjuncts that have no diastatic power of their own.
 
Out of town just now but have a wit recipe in the makings and I will be using a 6 row base malt instead of a two row as the recipe is nearly 50% wheat and the 2 row lacks diastatic power. Since I haven't brewed the recipe yet, I can't comment on the success. The research I have done so far suggests this is a good approach however, I have read wit recipes on this forum that used 2 row and adjuncts without any 6 row so I'm not confident that it is an utter necessity. It does stand to reason that the tremendous diastatic power of 6 row would benefit when using adjuncts that have no diastatic power of their own.

The 2-row I have has sufficient diastatic power to convert about 65% unmalted wheat so your 6-row may not be necessary. Check the info on your 2-row and see if it doesn't also have enough.
 
The 2-row I have has sufficient diastatic power to convert about 65% unmalted wheat so your 6-row may not be necessary. Check the info on your 2-row and see if it doesn't also have enough.

Agreed. I have done 50-50 two row to unmalted grains and gotten proper conversion
 
The 2-row I have has sufficient diastatic power to convert about 65% unmalted wheat so your 6-row may not be necessary. Check the info on your 2-row and see if it doesn't also have enough.

Glad you posted this because I get my Warminster Floor Malted Maris Otter from Northern Brewer and their spec sheet for the grain says 0 diastatic power. That is incorrect of course but I assumed it and other 2 row malts were too low in diastatic to aid in converting a large adjunct bill. Now that I know better I can buy that 55 lb sack of floor malted Bohemian Pilsner that I had originally wanted to use. Yippee yahooey!
 
I used pain hard white winter wheat from a bulk food store in my wheat beer. Covered just fine with 2 row.
 
How's everyone liking the flavor? I'm wanting to give rye a shot.

Rye is an interesting grain and gives your beer a different flavor. I like the flavor, you may or may not.

Rye is also a difficult grain to work with. When added to the mash it tends to make a sticky mess. When I used the 65% unmalted rye in a recipe, it was difficult to mill with my Corona mill, and even with BIAB I had difficulty getting the wort out. I wouldn't suggest you try that much rye with a conventional mash tun and with almost any amount I think you will want to add rice hulls to aid in forming a filter bed since rye has no husk.
 

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