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So I was given a bunch of 2 row recently that I was told was pretty old, it was in an open sack just folded over itself, I already had a fresh sack of it in my stores, and I was skeptical of the quality of this. So I decided to play around some with toasting/roasting it. Making crystal malt etc. Figured I'd post my results here.
So to start with I figured I'd make some chocolate malt, nice roasty flavor and color. I grabbed my cast iron skillet, made sure it was nice and clean, pre heated it on my gas range on low. Added some whole 2 row and stir. Constantly stir, took about a half hour to achieve this...
Now I might have toasted it a little too long I'm not entirely certain, it was perfect when I pulled it off the heat but I didn't have a dish ready to dump it into and cast iron stays hot enough to continue cooking. I think with the dark toasts it's a fine line between toasting and burning
I had more luck with the Crystal malt. But just a warning it is a long process.
First you soak the grains, 2-4 hours I soaked for 3
Then you are to "mash"the grains in their own husk, to do this I put them in the oven and heated to the mash temp of 160 and held it for 90 minutes.
Then it's time to dry the grains. I did this using my nesco pro dehydrator. You can also do it in the oven but I find you can get a more thorough dry, with less heat, in less time with the dehydrator. Spread them out thin over multiple racks if you can and I set it to 125 it took about an hour and a half. In the oven I've read that 225 for however long it takes, spreading them thin.
After they are dry you have pale crystal malt (it tastes delicious) you now have the option to be finished or to toast them to your desired color.
I toasted this batch to an Amber color, 350 in the oven for 15 minutes, stir, then another 15 minutes.
Overall this was a fun little project, I will be doing more/different degrees of toast with the remainder of this sack. More for learning purposes than anything.
I grabbed some quick hot water from my coffee pot (184f, too warm for beer, but fine enough to make an example) to steep these to show color.
If I am doing this wrong, or anyone has anything to add/questions please feel free.
For the record I don't plan on using these because I'm unsure of the quality of the original 2 row. Just a learning process.
So to start with I figured I'd make some chocolate malt, nice roasty flavor and color. I grabbed my cast iron skillet, made sure it was nice and clean, pre heated it on my gas range on low. Added some whole 2 row and stir. Constantly stir, took about a half hour to achieve this...
Now I might have toasted it a little too long I'm not entirely certain, it was perfect when I pulled it off the heat but I didn't have a dish ready to dump it into and cast iron stays hot enough to continue cooking. I think with the dark toasts it's a fine line between toasting and burning
I had more luck with the Crystal malt. But just a warning it is a long process.
First you soak the grains, 2-4 hours I soaked for 3
Then you are to "mash"the grains in their own husk, to do this I put them in the oven and heated to the mash temp of 160 and held it for 90 minutes.
Then it's time to dry the grains. I did this using my nesco pro dehydrator. You can also do it in the oven but I find you can get a more thorough dry, with less heat, in less time with the dehydrator. Spread them out thin over multiple racks if you can and I set it to 125 it took about an hour and a half. In the oven I've read that 225 for however long it takes, spreading them thin.
After they are dry you have pale crystal malt (it tastes delicious) you now have the option to be finished or to toast them to your desired color.
I toasted this batch to an Amber color, 350 in the oven for 15 minutes, stir, then another 15 minutes.
Overall this was a fun little project, I will be doing more/different degrees of toast with the remainder of this sack. More for learning purposes than anything.
I grabbed some quick hot water from my coffee pot (184f, too warm for beer, but fine enough to make an example) to steep these to show color.
If I am doing this wrong, or anyone has anything to add/questions please feel free.
For the record I don't plan on using these because I'm unsure of the quality of the original 2 row. Just a learning process.