Can malt get too dry to use?

[Frank-the-Tank]

I just ran my first batch of homemade Pilsner malt in my homemade malt kiln, and after a 2 hour cure in the oven at 170F it was only 0.4% moisture. Do I dare brew with it?

 

[FatDragon]

I saw you post about this yesterday - I guess that didn't gain any traction?

I've never malted grain and don't know a whole lot about it, but have you considered doing a small batch (gallon? liter? single bottle?) with it just to see how it turns out? You could treat it as a starter and put it on a stir plate just to get a quick idea of potential gravity and whether or not it has the diastatic power to make a fermentable wort, but I'd probably try to make a proper beer with it so you can taste it too without all the oxidation of starter beer.

 

[Frank-the-Tank]

This was my first run at malting, so I may just mash it up and have at it to see what happens. Going to make a Hefeweizen, also my first ever brew ever.
Going forward, I will watch my moisture a lot closer.

 

[JohnSand]

I think it's alright.
Once when buying a 50# sack of grain, I left it in the car for a few days. I think I had hurt myself, and it was summer. The high heat in the car dried out the malt- the car smelled strongly of it, vapor must penetrate the bag. That malt crushed finer than I was used to, I believe it was dry and brittle. But it brewed just the same.

 

[Frank-the-Tank]

Thank you FatDragon and JohnSand for your input.
I’ll keep my fingers crossed.