automatic deculmer?

[bracconiere]

I know not a lot of people malt their own grains...But i need help trying to invent a deculming machine!

it's really the only thing i don't like about brew day, lifting 20lbs, above my head, and slowly pouring it back and forth like 20+ times. is a PIA..i'm thinking some sort of wire drum that rotates, with mesh small enough to where the barley won't fall through but will let the rootlets blow off. and have it turn in front of a box fan for 20 mins or something...

i'm personally retarded, but i've seen the crafty stuff you other homebrewers have come up with. wondering if you were faced with this problem how you'd solve it?

 

[November]

When I did big malt batches, I had a frame made from 2"x6"s that was maybe 2ft wide by 6ft long with shade screen stapled to the bottom of the frame. I'd set that up on some saw horses and then I would lay the malt inside the frame. I did probably 20 to 30 pounds at a time, and I would blast a shop vac on blow up through the bottom. The frame was deep enough to keep the grain inside but the rootlets would shoot out the top.

I haven't malted in a while, but I bet the rig is back on the property somewhere. I could dig it up and take pictures if that doesn't make sense.

 

[bracconiere]

When I did big malt batches, I had a frame made from 2"x6"s that was maybe 2ft wide by 6ft long with shade screen stapled to the bottom of the frame. I'd set that up on some saw horses and then I would lay the malt inside the frame. I did probably 20 to 30 pounds at a time, and I would blast a shop vac on blow up through the bottom. The frame was deep enough to keep the grain inside but the rootlets would shoot out the top.

I haven't malted in a while, but I bet the rig is back on the property somewhere. I could dig it up and take pictures if that doesn't make sense.

makes perfect sense! i even have a extra roll of aluminum screen....so instead of lifting the tubs and dumping, with the box fan blowing to the side, i could just put the box fan blowing up through the screen, with the malt on it....maybe sift it around a bit with my hands...

Sounds like an improvement over my current system...

P.S. I donated $10 to retired paws for you!

 

[November]

Glad I could help. Thanks for the donation, I'm sure the dogs appreciate it!

 

[bracconiere]

went out and built it right after reading your post! now i just need to get to the feed store and pick up a bag of barley to malt, and try it out...

still not quite 'automatic', but if it works. be a lot easier then lifting 20lbs over my head a bunch of times....