Happiness is: Home malting

[AnonyBrew]

Nicely done. When's the next round?

 

[COLObrewer]

Nicely done. When's the next round?

I have to regain fundage before the next round, I want to buy some stainless screen to fab into the rotating kiln cages to place inside the old "smoker/kiln" as well as work on the heating inlet ductwork to get more temperature into the kiln for crystal malting, maybe get set up to switch back and forth for smoked malt, etc. but I WILL be doing this again, assuming the final product is up to par/worthy. In other words, it may be a month or two.

I guess I should post some thoughts on the taste of the wort as compared to the Rahr, I could tell that it has a little less sweetness, but as far as the malt taste, I couldn't tell much difference (Hard to seperate malty taste from sweet taste for me). Both had a slight taste of tannins before the boil, but that is probably due to my process/stupidity.

As a side note, this was the first time we tried our new bayou classic, it worked great once I modified it:

As you can see I cut the pot supports and lowered them and turned them out then re-welded them, the new versions of these are higher than the old by about 2" I think. I turned the supports outward to support the pony keg better, also there is a 65 gallon tank we will be using for water storage/sparge water, not sure if we'll be using this to heat with but it'll work better this way for a test.

Till next time, happy brewing, Vern.

 

[gregclimbs]

What about using a pottery kiln? There is one by me on CL for $300 that has an internal space of 15x15x15in...

:/

g

 

[silverbrewer]

Just as I thought I was as mad as the next guy, and proud of it, along comes someone who proves I have just been playing at it all along!!!

This is the best thread for pure maddness I have ever seen, and the best bit is, that while I only found it this evening, yesterday my workmate and I were calculating just for the fun of it how many square yards of his barley crop would be needed to make a gallon of beer!!! (It came out at 2 sq yards)(we think)

Tomorrow, I will be urgently finding out how many rows it has, whether it is plump and low in protein, when it will be ready, and sharpening a scythe!!

I cannot wait to hear how the beer turned out! If there is a God out there, he will surely make it turn out just how you like it.

Fantastic read, keep it up,

Rog

 

[BargainFittings]

Till next time, happy brewing, Vern.

I would kill my shins with those spikes sticking out. Might want to put some idiot/drunk bumpers on them.

 

[COLObrewer]

I would kill my shins with those spikes sticking out. Might want to put some idiot/drunk bumpers on them.

Hmmm, we didn't have any problem with it, but it usually is pretty hot around there so we stay away as much as possible, also I was only drinking "small" beers yesterday. Can't wait till the VANILLA GORILLA is carbonated!!:rockin:

 

[COLObrewer]

What about using a pottery kiln? There is one by me on CL for $300 that has an internal space of 15x15x15in...

:/

g

I don't know? From what I remember of those, I think they are fed from the very top and I would still want some way to turn the malts easily. I think the sides of those are also real thick with refractory and would be hard to get something turning in it, horizontally anyway. Vertical turning would do nothing, maybe if it were some sort of auger design?, but I wouldn't have 300 to spend on it anyway.

 

[TwoHeadsBrewing]

Very cool! Can't wait to hear more about the brew when it finishes up! Thanks for sharing.

 

[gregclimbs]

I don't know? From what I remember of those, I think they are fed from the very top and I would still want some way to turn the malts easily. I think the sides of those are also real thick with refractory and would be hard to get something turning in it, horizontally anyway. Vertical turning would do nothing, maybe if it were some sort of auger design?, but I wouldn't have 300 to spend on it anyway.

True on most counts:

I gotta think about the turning... BUT, in terms of spending the $300, I bet you more than make it up in what you are spending on propane vs. the efficiency of a kiln...

Not to mention temp (and maybe humidity) control...

Just thinking out loud...I really like the idea (home malting) as between my hop garden and yeast culturing - the malt is the one thing by winter I would have to buy...

g

 

[Dr_Deathweed]

Wow, this is frickin AWESOME!!!!! Why do I have the feeling that I too will try this at least once....

 

[COLObrewer]

True on most counts:

I gotta think about the turning... BUT, in terms of spending the $300, I bet you more than make it up in what you are spending on propane vs. the efficiency of a kiln...

Not to mention temp (and maybe humidity) control...

Just thinking out loud...I really like the idea (home malting) as between my hop garden and yeast culturing - the malt is the one thing by winter I would have to buy...

g

Interesting, is there a fan blowing air through those? That's the other thing that has to happen to remove the moisture. I'm still studying the crystal(ing) process so I'm not sure yet about moisture retention/removal rate since you either start with "green" malts or "wetted" malts, have to google some more.

Here's what the wiki says:
The crystallization/caramelization process
To make crystal or caramel malt, maltsters take green malt and, instead of heating it in a dry kiln, stew it in an extremely damp or wet oven. In the presence of water, each kernel of grain essentially undergoes a mash in the hull, converting the grain's starch to sugar. However, since the grain is not crushed, the sugar does not go into solution and create wort. Instead, when the temperature is lowered, the sugar crystallizes in the hull, giving the grain the appearance of a crystal of sugar. The malt is then dried over heat, with the drying temperature and time determining the color and flavor characteristics of the finished product.

"Stewing" has got my brain cranking. I guess I just mash the whole grains then kiln it at different temperatures to get the different lovibond crystals.

Still editing here, heh, So does this mean I go from fully modified green malt (Not dried) to the mash tun? Wouldn't it just keep growing? How long do I mash? Do I dry it a little first? Do I use kilned malts, then mash it to convert it? How long do I mash, etc, etc, Do you see my dilema? I'll try something, there's no teacher like experience. If someone has a detailed schedule with step by step instructions for the making of crystal malts I will accept it gratefully, it will save alot of time. Maybe Fifelee has some malting buddies he could tap for knowledge? ? ? ?
Vern.

Found some interesting/more detailed instructions here: http://brewingtechniques.com/bmg/pauls.html

Another edit: I believe it is the higher temperature of stewing (Mashing) i.e. 155F + or -, that stops the growing process, DUH, I read this at the same site I linked above:

Beeston Crystal Malts
Beeston's caramalt and crystal malts are all produced from green two-row malt using the following method: The surface moisture is dried off at about 122 °F (50 °C) for approximately five minutes. The malt is then stewed at approximately 149-167 °F (65-75 °C) for about 40 minutes to stimulate the conversion of starches to sugars (crystallization). Drying and curing then takes place at about 176 °F (80 °C) for another 40 minutes, depending on the color required. The final drying and curing temperature varies among products; curing is typically done at about 275 °F (135 °C) for approximately two hours, depending on the color required. The darker the colors, the more intense the flavor.

Sounds doable!! YAY!!. . . . . .Now it's time. . . . . to . . . TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!

Vern.

 

[DeathBrewer]

This is an EPIC thread. Prosted. Let us know how that beer turns out.

 

[WortMonger]

I cannot wait to hear about the beer tasting.

 

[COLObrewer]

Update: They are both fermenting away, started yesterday the 26th, I guess the washed saflager yeast worked (Cellar is currently at 51F). The one in the foreground is the rahr, the one with orange handle is the home malt, it may be turning a little darker than the rahr but we'll see after a few days. The home malt also started fermentation a few hours later than the rahr, if that means anything? I may secondary these depending on haziness. KRAUSEN!!!, CAN I GET A WOOP!!!!!

I've purchased some screen to fabricate the rotating bins in the kiln, I'll be working on this the next week or so and plan to malt more after that. We have plans already for the remaining home malt. The remaining 10lbs of "Correctly modified" malt will go to a fellow brewer for "testing". and the remaining appx. 22 lbs of over modified we are going to test in a barley wine we've been planning.

I will probably make the next malting into pale also to test the new bins and try to get the entire 50lbs malted correctly at the same time (Also because we will be out of pale by then) then I will try rauchmalting the next 50 lbs of barley as we have plenty of crystal. Crystal will be sometime after that.

As a side note: We were able to improve our efficiency to the low 80's with help from the brains here on the forum, it was appx. 56% for the pale batches, we've since brewed a strong scotch ale (Yesterday) with great results. thanx guys!!!

 

[jonbrout]

I find you fermenting in a cave nearly as awesome as all of the other stuff.
Looking good killer. =]

 

[rcm_rx7]

And I thought that going all grain was as close to doing it all yourself you could get. Very cool, I hope it turns out well!

 

[COLObrewer]

I find you fermenting in a cave nearly as awesome as all of the other stuff.
Looking good killer. =]

It's kindof a cellar:

And I thought that going all grain was as close to doing it all yourself you could get. Very cool, I hope it turns out well!

Have you grown your own barley and hops? have you captured your own yeast? There's always something else to do. It's wonderful!

 

[WortMonger]

Lookin' good so far. I simply cannot wait to hear how this beer turns out.

 

[SHvanBommel]

This is awesome...

 

[COLObrewer]

Just thought I'd post some of the latest efforts on the home malting. I fabricated this rotating kiln cage which works fine until you put 50lbs of malts in it (Actually more like 100lbs since it's wet and grown, etc). I'm using an old belt driven gearmotor to drive it from the back. I shreded the two old belts on it and the new belts I found are too wide so I'm currently searching for a thinner set. I neglected to take a snap of the gearmotor, but here is the drum/cage inside the kiln:

It has a shaft sticking through the back that I attached a large cement mixer pulley to, the gear motor in turn has a pulley that drives this. I'll take a picture of the rest assuming I can get it to work. For now, I am kilning the second 50lb batch with the same method as previous, I haven't given up on this rotating cage yet.

The only other thing that has happened is we brewed our pinon stout with some of the "over-modified" malt that was left from the first malting:

I calculated this batch for higher abv (appx.8%) because I knew the malt would have less than adequate diastatic power. It ended up being appx. 5% (Depending on FG of course) This drove our efficiency down appx. 37% for this 5gal batch, the wort tasted good, just like our previous stout batches, we'll see how it compares in a few weeks.
You can also see the first SMATH batches in the background, krausen has fallen and I'm contemplating secondary/dry hopping, I'll be taking a gravity reading of them soon. I'll post more as it happens.

 

[Corkster]

Would it be possible to replace the pulley's with sprockets and run a chain on them instead so you quit shredding belts?

 

[COLObrewer]

I should have taken a photo of the gearmotor, the belts that shreded are for the gearmotor itself, I'd have to buy a different gearmotor. This is an ancient gearmotor (I think it was a drill motor?), it has a small motor that runs a 20" belt which reduces rpm to a larger pulley through a built on jackshaft which in turn has a very small pulley also that runs a seperate 20" belt to a larger pulley on a 1/2" chuck that I fixed a shaft in with another small pulley that in turn runs the big 48" belt that turns the cement mixer pulley that in turn runs the kiln barrel that lives in the house that jack built. It's quite ghetto. The 48" belt has no problem.

 

[bendavanza]

what are those things floating in your stout?

 

[COLObrewer]

I think it's infected, maybe I should dump it. . . . . . . . Pinon tree parts.

 

[keithd]

Nearly as epic as OldFart's thread on the old green board...

But I have to ask, WTF is with gravity in your basement?!? All the wort is listing heavily to the left!!! The chair looks straight, the fermenter looks straight, but the wort says gravity isn't!

Awesome thread!!

 

[COLObrewer]

Nothing is straight here. :rockin: Cellar was dug down to solid rock, that's the floor.

 

[COLObrewer]

Here's the latest fellow brewers. The SMATH batches were kegged on 5-14-09, they both cleared up well and I decided not to do any secondary or dry hopping, the Rahr ended up at 1.011, and the home malt ended at 1.009

They tasted like . . . beer. Actually the home malt has a very slight hint of smoke (possibly from residual smoke residue in the smoker/kiln) and possibly a very slight astringent flavor (not sure if this would be from too much protein or what), we'll see what happens after a few weeks conditioning in the kegs, primed with 2/3 cup dextrose.

I completed another round of malting (50lbs), this batch took alot less time due to the higher ambient temperatures, 7days total start to finish and all should be modified correctly since I was able to use "solar" drying to initially stop the growing process on all the malt at the same time. I simply stopped watering them when they were fully modified and moved them to the sun while still in the malting "floor" (Actually about half of this was being kiln dried and/or used to test the failed rotating bin in previous post above).

I was able to smoke about 15 pounds using the kiln and a makeshift firebox like this:

Here's the suction fan blowing smoke:

And the smoked malt:

This was cured at 160-200F for appx. 8 hours (after initial drying) with the firebox, some of it got a little roasted when the temp got away from me once (went up to appx. 260F) That's ok, it's part of our terroir. Smells wonderfull and tastes even better, I'll probably try a smoked porter with this and some carafa or chocolat or black patent or all! Love me a smoked porter!

 

[the_Roqk]

Awesome thread!

Thanks for all your hard work on this venture. I enjoyed reading it all!

How about some pics of the brew in a glass or two?

Cheers!

 

[COLObrewer]

Yes I neglected to take a picture of the samples before kegging, but I will when they are carbed, conditioned and flowing, 2-3 weeks.
Oh yea also, I bottled a six pack each for the cellar reserve as I am now doing with all batches.

 

[pilotdane]

I hate to be a newbie bringing a buzz kill but does anyone know if malt absorbs carcinogens from the propane heater exhaust? You are burning a hydrocarbon and blowing the exhaust over the malt.

Tobacco farmers around me have almost totally gotten away from fire curing where the exhaust from propane burners is blown directly into the curing barn. Now they flue cure where the exhaust gases are routed through ducts (heat exchanger) that heat the air in the curing barn and the leaf never touches the exhaust fumes.