How to Malt at Home: An In-Depth Guide

[Broken Crow]

Good morning, fellow homebrewers and enthusiasts.

I know this is an old thread, but it's still relevant to me. Unfortunately, the link at the top of the first post is dead, so I have nothing to read other than what's on this thread. I've been thinking about home malting barley for quite some time as I have access to a lot of it for free. However, I do need to clean it due to rocks, dirt, and other debris, but the extra work is worth it.

I just wanted to share my thoughts on how I was going to malt. Currently, I have about 4 lbs soaking in a bucket of fresh water. My plan is to soak it for 24 hours, drain it, sort out the rocks and debris, refill it again, and let it soak until I start seeing the germination process. Then I was going to drain it, put it on my garage floor in a box with a screen at the bottom to allow water and air to flow. This will keep the grain contained and neat while sitting on the floor, and the cool temperatures from the concrete will aid in the process.

I do have a few questions:

1. After the germination process, when the little rootlets reach a certain size, can I just dry it and consider it a base pale malt, or do I need to do more steps?

2. I like biscuit malts. If I wanted to make my barley into one, what would be a good process?

3. Torrefaction - do I need to malt first before I torrefy? I have over a ton to work with, so I can experiment and if I mess anything up, I can just compost it.

4. How can I make my malt darker without killing off the enzymes? At what temperature would these enzymes denature? I have a convection oven that goes as low as 170°F and as high as 575°F, and I'd love to make some crystals once my malting process is refined.

So I was just rereading a couple posts above. about this rotisserie style drum drying and I just had this thought. If all works out, it'd be perfect way to make your own home smoked. malt either cherry, apple, oak you know what I mean just food for thought. I'm definitely going to be thinking of this one.

Happy Malting boys and girls.

Since you joined up recently, you'll be unaware of one of our beloved and dearly departed malters who was a longtime home-malter and general DIY'er. This may take some time to sort through, but you'll find it time amusingly spent with answers to all your questions about building and using what you need to malt at home....I typed "malting" into a search by member:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/search/8324648/?q=malting&c[users]=Bracconiere&o=relevance
As I said; it'll take some time, but there are a handful of threads that go into very deep detail while most just mention it. I haven't the time to dig myself, but you'll likely get some smiles while sifting through.

 

[user 345769]

Thank you guys I will take a read

 

[user 345769]

Well I have completed my first round of soak and airdry, now round 2

 

[Agent]

Congrats on embarking on your own malting expedition! I'll say that as a guideline, making malt isn't terribly hard. Making malt consistently, to the quality expected from professionals, and in truly useful quantities, is where the challenges lie.

I'm waiting on this year's harvest to see if I can pick up a quantity of barley and get away from my wheat-only malt experiments.

 

[user 345769]

so its been 48 hrs from the start of this awesome journey and just over 36hrs of germination

 

[user 345769]

So hey guys the acrospire is already emerged about 60%, should I let them grow out till there 1/4" longer then the kernel?
what happens if i dry them sooner rather then later or vise versa.

 

[day_trippr]

The popular opinion seems to be hit the kiln once the acrospire is between 75% and 100% of the length of the kernel. Any longer than 100% and the growth is using up the very sugars you want in the mash...

Chers!

 

[user 345769]

The popular opinion seems to be hit the kiln once the acrospire is between 75% and 100% of the length of the kernel. Any longer than 100% and the growth is using up the very sugars you want in the mash...

Chers!

THANKS YOU oops.
so here is what my kernels look like, I think I will be drying today what do you all think?
it looks like I have around 75% with acrospires and 40% longer then the kernels them self but that is a guesstimate.

 

[Agent]

Oh for sure on time to finish.

So fun fact for the future, Barley acrospires start from the rootlet end and grow underneath the husk before emerging from the other end. So you usually need to tear apart kernels to find lengths <100% of the grain.

 

[user 345769]

Oh for sure on time to finish.

So fun fact for the future, Barley acrospires start from the rootlet end and grow underneath the husk before emerging from the other end. So you usually need to tear apart kernels to find lengths <100% of the grain.

thanks for your help, I have cut some of them open before i seen any acrospires as this was my first attempt then i wake to see them poking out so i figured no need.

 

[Broken Crow]

thanks for your help, I have cut some of them open before i seen any acrospires as this was my first attempt then i wake to see them poking out so i figured no need.

Have you got a deculming method set yet? ..Here's an option that might not have been in the other thread I linked to; a clothes-dryer:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/deculming-gadget.695329/

 

[user 345769]

Have you got a deculming method set yet? ..Here's an option that might not have been in the other thread I linked to; a clothes-dryer:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/deculming-gadget.695329/

oh ya I have a old cement mixer i use for my mushroom substrate, I just used it this morning a tiger torch the outside and rotate. took 3hrs i only had .5 lbs of water to go before i hit my starting dry weight so there in my convection-oven at 200f and a cracked open door.

oh boy does it tastes so good, a bit malty and definitely sweet tasting Im a liken it.

 

[Agent]

oh ya I have a old cement mixer i use for my mushroom substrate, I just used it this morning a tiger torch the outside and rotate. took 3hrs i only had .5 lbs of water to go before i hit my starting dry weight so there in my convection-oven at 200f and a cracked open door.

oh boy does it tastes so good, a bit malty and definitely sweet tasting Im a liken it.

I was going to say I use

This to beat the rootlets off my dried malt.

 

[user 345769]

I was going to say I use
View attachment 856369

This to beat the rootlets off my dried malt.

@Agent I didn't even think of something like that.

Here is my finished batch 1 some of it got a wee bit scorched when I stopped the mixer to readjust it, as you can see in the 2nd photo. I have no idea what kind i made so any in put will be welcomed.
started with 6.25lbs and finshed with 5lbs.

 

[Agent]

At this point, all you can do is brew and find out!

I don't know the exact thresholds, but the enzyme's heat tolerance varies by moisture content - which is why crystal malts have 0 diastatic power, but lightly killed basements like Vienna and Munich still do.

Judging by the look, I wouldn't be surprised if some or all got the crystal(ization?) treatment.

 

[MaxStout]

Buy a bottle of iodine tincture at the drugstore. During the sacc rest you can draw samples of the wort, a couple ml or so. Put in a small bowl, add a drop of iodine. If it turns black or dark purple, you still have starch and saccharification is not done. You may need to extend your sacc rest to get complete conversion.

 

[user 345769]

At this point, all you can do is brew and find out!

I don't know the exact thresholds, but the enzyme's heat tolerance varies by moisture content - which is why crystal malts have 0 diastatic power, but lightly killed basements like Vienna and Munich still do.

Judging by the look, I wouldn't be surprised if some or all got the crystal(ization?) treatment.

Hey, good morning. I too was kind of thinking that I made a crystal malt of some sort. and I would have to chalk that up into the way I did it. I guess let live and learn preparing. preparing my next batch to do it slightly different. I believe I should try them a lot more before I throw them into my mixer before kilning. I am surprised that I did crystalize this batch more than anything else, even though with my temperatures staying well below 85 degrees Celsius for less than an hour at any given time. So I'm just surprised.

I have to say it was fun And I now know how to make crystal malts lol....maybe, i have a lot of raw barley just have to remove the rocks, so i guess time to play around a bit and see what I can come up with.

Buy a bottle of iodine tincture at the drugstore. During the sacc rest you can draw samples of the wort, a couple ml or so. Put in a small bowl, add a drop of iodine. If it turns black or dark purple, you still have starch and saccharification is not done. You may need to extend your sacc rest to get complete conversion.

Hey there @MaxStout I am aware of I iodine and starches I used to do that check when I first started brewing I don't do it as often as I used to, but i did think of tying it but was not sure how much I should take as sample if that even mattered.
I guess if there is no reaction this would confirm that it is more of a crystal malt versus a base malt, if I'm understanding everything correctly.
Even though I kept the temperature well below 85c @ no more then a hr at any given moment. Still trying to figure out why my malt crystallized instead of being as a base malt I have an idea why but wont know till my next batch.

 

[MaxStout]

The iodine test is to determine if conversion is complete, that the enzymes have broken down the long chain starches into sugars. If the conversion isn't complete, either due to not enough time in the rest or not enough enzymes to do the conversion, you'll know from the test.

If the mash is stuck due to not enough enzymes, you could add some amylase enzyme to get it to fully convert.

 

[user 345769]

The iodine test is to determine if conversion is complete, that the enzymes have broken down the long chain starches into sugars. If the conversion isn't complete, either due to not enough time in the rest or not enough enzymes to do the conversion, you'll know from the test.

If the mash is stuck due to not enough enzymes, you could add some amylase enzyme to get it to fully convert.

So I think we might have got some messages crossed here. I'm talking about making malt from raw barley. From what you've written, I keep getting in the back of my mind you're talking about mashing. I do understand that part But here I'm referring to malting my own barley, Did I miss something?

 

[MaxStout]

Since you won't know the diastatic power of your DIY malt, there's no real way to predict if and when the conversion will be done. Especially given your concern over the possibility your malt became crystallized. The iodine test will give you an indication of whether conversion is done or not.

If not, then you can do something like adding some enzyme, or perhaps a couple pounds of high DP base malt, like wheat, 6-row, etc.

 

[user 345769]

Hey everybody, it's been a few days since I was here last little bit. Made myself my new drying box from an old dishwasher and a heat source unfortunately, the is not putting out enough heat energy to raise it above 70C. I figured if I can get it to 90C in there I can definitely use it for a base malt production. and then use my mixer for my crystals. So I did 10 pounds of barley and 10 pounds of wheat, I also malted them all on my garage floor only took 4 days from the start till I'm putting in my dryer, another 24 hours at 25C then 35C for 48 hours. Then I begin to raise my temperature slowly To 85. but could never achieve it. It took 18 hours for it to go from 55c to 70c it took way too long. The times and temperatures are based off of my grain temperature as I had thermometer probes within my bed. When my bed was at an equilibrium of a plus or minus of one degree difference between all my probes. I went to the next step of raising my temperature. I wanted to use this box to make pale malt without having to use my mixer. and a propane torch which would. be a much harder to control the temperature. This was a prototype 1 prototype 2 is going to be done this weekend as I'm using an old stove and going to scavenge its burners and try again if I can reach 100C in that box, I think I am set for my base malts.

 

[Agent]

Looking great!

I just picked up 100lbs of Rye to malt or feed to the chickens. Just have a pile of shed materials in my way to clear out first.

 

[user 345769]

thanks
Iv not played around with rye as of yet, not sure what to do with it other than make Rye which I can do, I just never really liked it. what do you make with it?

 

[Agent]

This is my first go malting rye, but the goal is plenty of RyePA and maybe RoggenBier here und there.

 

[MicroMickey]

I malted spelt a few times. I made "wind malt" by using a box fan horizontally and stacking the malt on mesh racks over the fan. It took 2 days to dry the malt and it worked fine every time. Of course, this was only a few pounds each time.

 

[user 345769]

This is my first go malting rye, but the goal is plenty of RyePA and maybe RoggenBier here und there.

Please keep us informed of your progress, im intrested brewing with Rye, i am a bit intimidated by rye not to sure why tho anyway id like to know how it all goes for you.

@MicroMickey iv never heard of spelt what do use it for or do you use it as a substitute?

 

[user 345769]

Just another share.
So here is my malted wheat took me a little bit longer to do it as I had issues with my kill but it is now working I was able to get it up to 115c.
I did this in a total of four steps and temperature ranges and time and of course, my nose.
I tasted it as the process went, I was able to taste and feel the difference of the glutens and proteins as they changed while I was kilning. And once I got to a aroma, a flavor and a mouthfeel that I liked. I Called it.

I have to say, as this is my first wheat malt that I have dried and kilned inside my new DYI Kiln/dryer I am very happy with it.
When you get to start smelling. those all familiar smells of malted grains. It brings a smile across ones face and made me all giddy inside like I was a little schoolgirl back in the day. I'm so excited to try Bruin with this stuff. I did another sample ground 40 grams added it to a cup 11/2 water @65C let stand at temp 90 mins I did take a SG reading prior to which was at 1.003 and my final SG is 1.033.

Aroma I get notes of nutty, toasty fresh bread crust, When you eat the grains, it reminds me of a biscuit malt with just a hint of toastiness behind it. In the third image, of my test sample, I tasted it, it's mildly sweet with a pale yellow as well as a light biscuit followed by a subtle linger of toasty nutyness the biscuit undertones do linger and taper off gently If that makes any sense to you guys.

 

[Agent]

Well, the first batch of rye was a bust. Musty smelling and full of junky grain, weed seeds, and bugs. Probably won't kill the chickens.

Made a run to the local feed mill and snagged a 56lb bag of seed rye for $20. That looks much better.

Also grabbed another 50 sack of wheat for $13, and 100lbs of fresh cracked corn for $14. Godbless the Midwest!

 

[MicroMickey]

iv never heard of spelt what do use it for or do you use it as a substitute?

Spelt is a forerunner of wheat. It is still used as a brewing grain at times. It is called "dinkel" in German. I've used it in Wits and other brews - both malted and raw. It's a little high in protein but that is fixable during the mash.

 

[user 345769]

Spelt is a forerunner of wheat. It is still used as a brewing grain at times. It is called "dinkel" in German. I've used it in Wits and other brews - both malted and raw. It's a little high in protein but that is fixable during the mash.

Oh how interesting.