Grains have started to sprout

[RatsoRizzo]

Apologies if this has been covered before but the search only led me to malt your grain threads.

This morning as I was milling my grain (Optic pale ale) for today's brew I noticed right at the end that a few of the grains had sprouted, i.e. germinate I guess. A quick look in the grain bag confirms that a fair proportion of the grains have sprouted.

I went ahead and mashed in anyway and hit my pre-boil numbers but then it hit me that the sprouts might affect the flavour, maybe even throw off some vegetal flavours. I have just bought a grain mill and this is my first time I have bought whole grains (I used to get them crushed by homebrew supplier) so I guess I wonder two things:

1) Is it normal that base grains have started to sprout? Maybe the sprouting has taken place before the grain was malted?
2) Will this affect my brew negatively?

 

[madscientist451]

Are the sprouts dry or are they pliable, or actively growing? The grains are sprouted in the malting process, then dried and kilned. The sprouts usually fall off in the processing.
If you are using unmalted grain, that could sprout, but it needs moisture to do that.

 

[RatsoRizzo]

Are the sprouts dry or are they pliable, or actively growing? The grains are sprouted in the malting process, then dried and kilned. The sprouts usually fall off in the processing.
If you are using unmalted grain, that could sprout, but it needs moisture to do that.

Sprouts were pretty dry, so guess it happened in the malting process. Was just curious as it's the first time I used whole grains (base malt at least) and have never come across people talking about sprouts in the various forums I visit.

Anyhoo, just chilled the wort, numbers were spot on and the sweet wort tastes just fine, so no worries.

 

[IslandLizard]

I've never looked for them in the milled grains but after mashing, the grist always has those 1/4" white "wormy things" in it. I guess they're the re-hydrated acrospires.

 

[porterpounder]

I've never looked for them in the milled grains but after mashing the grist always has those 1/4" white "wormy things" in it. I guess they're the re-hydrated acrospires.

Or they're actually worms.

 

[RM-MN]

The malting of grain is a sprouting process and when the acrospire reaches the end of the kernel the grain is said to be fully modified. Noting when that acrospire reaches just the end of the kernel is difficult and since not all grains will sprout exactly the same, letting some of them continue until the acrospire is visible may increase the modification average. JMHO

 

[IslandLizard]

Or they're actually worms.

Funny you say that, it was exactly my first thought: "what are they doing in there?" But I doubt they'd survive an hour at 150°F. A closer look put the mind at ease.

 

[Grannyknot]

Good quality grain shouldn't have the dried sprouts.
It is run through a machine that knocks them off of the grain.
I don't recall the off flavor it gives a beer, but too many of them isn't good.

 

[IslandLizard]

Good quality grain shouldn't have the dried sprouts.
It is run through a machine that knocks them off of the grain.
I don't recall the off flavor it gives a beer, but too many of them isn't good.

Not sure how much of them are in there, percent wise.

The rootlets are tumbled off, but the acrospires are inside the husk. I wonder how they remove those.