Mygrain
Active Member
Hi Friends,
I'm a newbie on the forums. Been keeping myself off the board and busy 'till I had something to share that I thought might be of general interest.
I'm a certified organic farmer. 2 years ago I planted 6 hops (3 Halertauer and 3 Cascade) which I trained up over over a pergola in our kitchen garden just to see how they would do. I'm pleased to report that we got a nice harvest last year and look forward to an even better one this year.
Problem was, I had no time, grain or facilities to brew.
This year, I scouted out some nice organic barley seed and planted about a quarter acre...an amount I could tend and harvest by hand...just to see what I could do.
Well, the grains are coming in now and I've learned a few things to do differently next year. It's early yet but I think we'll have a pretty good harvest. I should have more than a few bushels of barley to start experimenting with the malting process this fall.
Anyway, I just wanted to share my interest in growing the raw materials to make beer, thinking there might be those who are interested to try it themselves. Small acreage, organic, and hand tended means I will spend some significant time learning to harvest and refine the grain down to it's very best before attempting a brew.
With all the time and energy invested in growing and harvesting my own material, I hope you won't mind if I come back to the forum for some tips and advice on how to move ahead.
And if anyone wants to try small batch growing, I may be able to offer some helpful information on doing it yourself, without chemical inputs. It does take time and work and patience, but I find that most worthwhile things do.
Thanks!
I'm a newbie on the forums. Been keeping myself off the board and busy 'till I had something to share that I thought might be of general interest.
I'm a certified organic farmer. 2 years ago I planted 6 hops (3 Halertauer and 3 Cascade) which I trained up over over a pergola in our kitchen garden just to see how they would do. I'm pleased to report that we got a nice harvest last year and look forward to an even better one this year.
Problem was, I had no time, grain or facilities to brew.
This year, I scouted out some nice organic barley seed and planted about a quarter acre...an amount I could tend and harvest by hand...just to see what I could do.
Well, the grains are coming in now and I've learned a few things to do differently next year. It's early yet but I think we'll have a pretty good harvest. I should have more than a few bushels of barley to start experimenting with the malting process this fall.
Anyway, I just wanted to share my interest in growing the raw materials to make beer, thinking there might be those who are interested to try it themselves. Small acreage, organic, and hand tended means I will spend some significant time learning to harvest and refine the grain down to it's very best before attempting a brew.
With all the time and energy invested in growing and harvesting my own material, I hope you won't mind if I come back to the forum for some tips and advice on how to move ahead.
And if anyone wants to try small batch growing, I may be able to offer some helpful information on doing it yourself, without chemical inputs. It does take time and work and patience, but I find that most worthwhile things do.
Thanks!