Can I use malted grains without drying?

[DuncB]

I want to make some oak smoked wheat malt, it's unavailable here.
From my reading some companies do the smoking whilst the Malting is underway.
I can just go straight to mashing as I can make the timing work without the drying phase.
Is this a bad idea? Any tips?

 

[doug293cz]

Milling wet malt might be problematic.

Brew on

 

[Agent]

In addition to the near impossibility to mill green malt, the drying/kilning phase also removes a lot of odd grainy flavors.

 

[DuncB]

Milling wet malt might be problematic.

Brew on

ahh hadn't thought of that, basic failure in my thought pathway.
I'll plan to dry them, thank you.

 

[AlexKay]

I'm a little fuzzy on what you're proposing to do.

It seems the usual method for homebrewers is

• purchase finished commercial malt
• spread malt on screens
• place in smoker at low temperature for ~hours, keeping the malt moist but not wet (e.g., with a spray bottle)

Whereas commercial smoked malt is kilned over smoke:

• soak raw barley
• allow to germinate
• kiln over smoky heat source

If you are in fact malting your own grain before smoking it, my understanding of the commercial workflow is that the malt is not only fully dried in the kiln, but it is then stored for a time (4 weeks, according to Kunze) before it is used -- something about slightly increasing the moisture content in storage, along with some physical and chemical changes, without which neither lautering nor fermentation goes well.

If you are smoking already malted grain, then as long as you are able to mill it, I doubt it matters how dry it is. Wet milling is a thing, and you might be able to get some tips from folks on these forums.

 

[marc1]

Don't you also have to get the rootlets off or they will give a bad flavor? That's what @bracconiere used a clothes dryer for.

Or is it only if the rootlets are dried that they give an off flavor?

 

[AdjunctBrewer]

I want to make some oak smoked wheat malt, it's unavailable here.
From my reading some companies do the smoking whilst the Malting is underway.
I can just go straight to mashing as I can make the timing work without the drying phase.
Is this a bad idea? Any tips?

Most malt is dried to 4% or less. If you have a moisture meter, you can monitor the moisture content as the malting progresses. It will drop quickly depending on atmospheric conditions. The smoking of the active malt will also help to dry the malt. Yes, you can smoke the malt and mill it the same day as the moisture will drop quickly. If you don't have a grain moisture meter, wait till day 2 or 3 after the steeping phase and the rootlets have appeared to smoke and mill, though sometime as little as 1 day is required - again depending on atmospheric conditions. Deculming will help keep tannins from the mash but will also add smokiness just be sure to keep the mash pH in an appropriate range.

 

[DuncB]

Thank you @AdjunctBrewer
Some good tips.

 

[Bobby_M]

Smoked malts also need a rest period to off gas some harsh phenols.

 

[DuncB]

Smoked malts also need a rest period to off gas some harsh phenols.

I've read this is done by leaving them in a paper bag for a few weeks.

 

[Climb]

You can also determine the moisture content of the grain/malt by weighting it before soaking/drying/smoking and comparing that weight to its current weight anywhere through the process.