Interested in growing my own beer garden

[Chris N]

Unless they offer seeds in bulk packaging, the seeds from Solstice are ridiculously expensive for what you get. For their wheat, they offer 100 seeds/ packet for $4.00. At a standard seeding rate, that would only sow a single row that is just 5' long. Wheat is typically drilled in rows spaced 12" apart with approximately 18 seeds per foot of row. You'd need approximately 170 of those packets to plant enough wheat to produce 1 bushel (60 pounds) of raw grain.

If they are all the same and I don't need a specific/special wheat to make wheat beer then I'd rather buy local at the elevator and save money.

 

[Chris N]

i'm thinking chris has some serious drive! even if he has to post his batch in the 1-gallon brewers UNITE thread, i'm looking forward to it!

Thanks, bracconiere! That's a great idea, when I get around to doing it, I will plan to do 1 gallon to start with and see how it goes. First, I want to try an all grain kit, get the hang of that and then find the time to try growing them etc.

 

[Chris N]

that’s why they said to contact them, they probably have bulk seed prices, the packets on their website are for small gardens. Plus they are connected to the Northern Grain Growers, so I mentioned to get in touch.

I didn’t really see anywhere in the original post about budget being a consideration, if he’s looking to do it on the cheap, I wouldn’t recommend that high quality of seed that is raised, threshed and saved by hand.

People doing traditional seed breeding outside of the university and extension basically take it on as a hobby (including myself) for the greater good. There’s no money in it.

I would like to try this as affordable as I could. Thanks for the ideas though

 

[grampamark]

While there are hundreds of barley varieties which have been developed specifically for malting there are no wheat varities intended for malting. That makes sense when one considers that the amount of wheat used in beer is,essentially, a rounding error compared to how much barley is used.

The OP’s location is Illinois; the most common type of wheat available would likely be soft red winter wheat. That’s the most widely grown type in that region. Soft wheats are lower in protein than hard wheats, which would make them more suitable for brewing. The lower protein content would reduce the likelihood of developing protein haze (maltsters don’t want any grain, wheat or barley, higher than 11% protein for that reason).

 

[bracconiere]

here are my tobacco plants that

damn man, as a cigarette smoker...i try to get a few plants going every year! couple years back, had a bumper harvest, and 3 solid months of independent cigarette smoking! pure bliss!

 

[bwible]

I was reading the Brew book and found the section on how to culture your own yeast from bottles if it's bottle fermented. I am thrilled to try it. I have a whole case of franziskaner, would be cool if I can manage to culture it.
If I am successful, I will for sure do a selfie.

Just be aware that not all breweries bottle with the same yeast they ferment with. Many breweries introduce a different yeast at bottling.

 

[bwible]

Doing some fast and dirty calculations based on the yields where I live (dry land farming in northeast Colorado), here are some figures. To grow 1 bushel of raw wheat (60 pounds) you’ll need approximately 850+ square feet of fertile soil and about 120 days. For 1 bushel of raw barley (48 pounds) you’ll need close to 1000 square feet and about 90 days. Yields can vary greatly depending on geography and growing conditions. Maybe @grampamark could elaborate or correct my figures.

What do you do about bugs? My wife had the idea to plant a small patch of corn one year for fun. By small, I mean 10-15 plants. (And we live in PA near farm country where corn is everywhere.) Every ear was loaded with bugs, not one was edible.

 

[bwible]

My wife is good at gardening and she grows things useful but not all for beer. We grow tomatoes, peppers, squash, green beans, lettuce, and spinach. We also have mint that now grows everywhere, (mojitos), oregano that comes back every year, basil, sage, thyme, and catnip for our cats. Some of the herbs we grow in big containers. She’s growing radishes for the first time and just planted garlic.

 

[Chris N]

While there are hundreds of barley varieties which have been developed specifically for malting there are no wheat varities intended for malting. That makes sense when one considers that the amount of wheat used in beer is,essentially, a rounding error compared to how much barley is used.

The OP’s location is Illinois; the most common type of wheat available would likely be soft red winter wheat. That’s the most widely grown type in that region. Soft wheats are lower in protein than hard wheats, which would make them more suitable for brewing. The lower protein content would reduce the likelihood of developing protein haze (maltsters don’t want any grain, wheat or barley, higher than 11% protein for that reason).

Sounds good, I have sent a response to the elevator so looking to see what they say on what kind of wheat and seeding rates.
I will plan to try the Robust barley that my seed store can get in. The wheat at the elevator is non-treated. Thank you!

 

[Chris N]

My wife is good at gardening and she grows things useful but not all for beer. We grow tomatoes, peppers, squash, green beans, lettuce, and spinach. We also have mint that now grows everywhere, (mojitos), oregano that comes back every year, basil, sage, thyme, and catnip for our cats. Some of the herbs we grow in big containers. She’s growing radishes for the first time and just planted garlic.

That's awesome! We have also been growing our own vegetables etc.

 

[Chris N]

The local elevator said about the seeding rate for wheat:
Our growers plant 2 bags (100 lbs. total) per acre.

 

[camonick]

The local elevator said about the seeding rate for wheat:
Our growers plant 2 bags (100 lbs. total) per acre.

I would definitely listen to their advice. A quick google search tells me your annual rainfall is over twice what mine is here and our farmers plant approximately 60 pounds per acre on dryland fields.

 

[mashpaddled]

If you decide to grow any kind of grain think about how you will keep the multitude of animals out of your crop. Even in the city you'll have squirrels and birds to contend with.

I'd suggest that unless brewing dirt cheap is your primary goal to invest in buying seeds of great tasting wheat and barley rather than what you can buy in bulk at feed stores. What is available at feed stores generally will be meant for...feed. It's primarily varieties selected for high yield rather than the best flavor or the best brewing attributes. You can get great heirloom varieties from garden seed suppliers and seed exchanges. You'll pay more but you can set aside most of your first year small harvest to supply a larger second year and then you'll always have a free supply of seed for the following year. Over years the cost of seeds will become negligible and you'll have great tasting grain to work with.

I bought some wheat and barley to try growing on a very small scale myself. I'll probably grow them for next year to rotate away from the vegetables I usually grow (beans, squash, tomatoes, peppers) but even committing all of my home garden space I'll probably end up with enough for two or three five gallon batches at most. A lot of work for not a lot of beer but one of the things I've always wanted to try and probably only try once. I have several fruit plants/trees, hops and herbs I'll still have to tend to and harvest.

 

[grampamark]

I'd suggest that unless brewing dirt cheap is your primary goal to invest in buying seeds of great tasting wheat and barley rather than what you can buy in bulk at feed stores.

Please define “great tasting”. I‘m a grain farmer. I’ve been growing wheat and barley, among other things, for most of my adult life, and I’m 70 years old. They all taste about the same, to me.

Non farmers have a lot of preconceived notions about things agricultural which actual farmers find rather amusing. Growing brewing grains on a garden scale is an exercise which has a lot, in terms of time and effort, in common with picking fly poop out of pepper. The reward is only whatever sense of accomplishment the beer gardener feels at the end of the process. If that’s enough, then knock yourselves out. I don’t intend to discourage anyone from trying, but those who aspire to produce all of their own brewing ingredients need to be aware that they are embarking on a very long journey, only to arrive at a very small house.

 

[mashpaddled]

Please define “great tasting”. I‘m a grain farmer. I’ve been growing wheat and barley, among other things, for most of my adult life, and I’m 70 years old. They all taste about the same, to me.

I am not in a position to disagree about your experience but in my far smaller sample size I've definitely tasted different wheat and barley and tasted a difference, even if slight.

Non farmers have a lot of preconceived notions about things agricultural which actual farmers find rather amusing. Growing brewing grains on a garden scale is an exercise which has a lot, in terms of time and effort, in common with picking fly poop out of pepper. The reward is only whatever sense of accomplishment the beer gardener feels at the end of the process. If that’s enough, then knock yourselves out. I don’t intend to discourage anyone from trying, but those who aspire to produce all of their own brewing ingredients need to be aware that they are embarking on a very long journey, only to arrive at a very small house.

Absolutely agreed. I don't know what size land OP has in mind but for my extremely small experiment I could only see this as something I endure once to make very little beer just to see what it's like and say I did it. I have no illusions in my mind that I intend to do anything sustainable or save any kind of money, especially for the value of my time.

 

[Chris N]

Right now, I’m learning and getting ideas. First, I want to get an all grain kit, try that and if I get the hang of it, then try the next step of trying to grow my own ingredients. I will first start small of growing my own ingredients for enough to make a gallon like others have mentioned before. See what it’s like and go from there. If I feel I can make more then I will.
How much land and lbs of grain do you think I will need to make a gallon?
I will have to figure out how much land I have available. Though we do have a decent amount of land in the country. Though I am curious, if it’s so hard to do then how did the people long ago be able to do it? Why didn’t they give up?

 

[DaveTF]

Just throwing this out there.

As others have said, barley is sown at a rate of 60 to 90 pounds per acre, which translates into about a half-pound to 3/4 pound per 10 x 10 foot plot. You can calculate how much you will need by pacing off the area and doing the math.
A 1 gallon batch you'll probably need around 2 to 3 pounds of malt depending on what you brew.

 

[Andres Falconer]

My thoughts about growing a beer garden would involve planting some hardy grass variety than can handle a lot of foot traffic, pretty seasonal flowers in pots, and maybe some bigger bushes or trees, for shade, that you could also keep in pots, for convenience. You’d need a few tables, benches or chairs, and good patio umbrellas. The “beer” part of “beer garden” comes with a reliable supply of Pilsener, Weisse, or any style of your choice, preferably well chilled. Food is optional but snacks would be great!

 

[camonick]

My thoughts about growing a beer garden would involve planting some hardy grass variety than can handle a lot of foot traffic, pretty seasonal flowers in pots, and maybe some bigger bushes or trees, for shade, that you could also keep in pots, for convenience. You’d need a few tables, benches or chairs, and good patio umbrellas. The “beer” part of “beer garden” comes with a reliable supply of Pilsener, Weisse, or any style of your choice, preferably well chilled. Food is optional but snacks would be great!

A Biergarten!!!

 

[Chris N]

Just throwing this out there.

As others have said, barley is sown at a rate of 60 to 90 pounds per acre, which translates into about a half-pound to 3/4 pound per 10 x 10 foot plot. You can calculate how much you will need by pacing off the area and doing the math.
A 1 gallon batch you'll probably need around 2 to 3 pounds of malt depending on what you brew.

Thank you very much, Dave! I will check into this.

 

[Chris N]

My thoughts about growing a beer garden would involve planting some hardy grass variety than can handle a lot of foot traffic, pretty seasonal flowers in pots, and maybe some bigger bushes or trees, for shade, that you could also keep in pots, for convenience. You’d need a few tables, benches or chairs, and good patio umbrellas. The “beer” part of “beer garden” comes with a reliable supply of Pilsener, Weisse, or any style of your choice, preferably well chilled. Food is optional but snacks would be great!

Sounds great, I am dreaming already

 

[Chris N]

Was curious where I can learn about “small scale” farming? Is there a forum? It’s a new world for me and need to learn before I pursue. Planning to buy wheat seed next fall since I’ll be needing to get the soft red winter wheat not to mention will give me time to learn.

 

[Andres Falconer]

My personal conclusion after reading through this thread is that, with limited space to grow, the interesting and useful thing to do is to grow your own hops, not grain. Unlike grain, you can easily grow enough hop for your brewing needs, experiment with varieties, and guarantee a supply of a fresh, highly perishable and rather expensive product that adds more personality to a beer than the grain typically does.

 

[Chris N]

My personal conclusion after reading through this thread is that, with limited space to grow, the interesting and useful thing to do is to grow your own hops, not grain. Unlike grain, you can easily grow enough hop for your brewing needs, experiment with varieties, and guarantee a supply of a fresh, highly perishable and rather expensive product that adds more personality to a beer than the grain typically does.

Thank you very much, Andres! I was planning to get some hops to grow, hopefully, in the spring. We have decent amount of land. I’m sure I could find a good amount of space for the grain.

I was wondering what the difference is between bottling yeast and a Hefeweizen yeast? I found out today while reading my brewing book that Franziskaner uses a bottling yeast. How are they able to say it’s Hefeweizen and have it taste like Hefeweizen but use bottling yeast?

 

[Andres Falconer]

Thank you very much, Andres! I was planning to get some hops to grow, hopefully, in the spring. We have decent amount of land. I’m sure I could find a good amount of space for the grain.

I was wondering what the difference is between bottling yeast and a Hefeweizen yeast? I found out today while reading my brewing book that Franziskaner uses a bottling yeast. How are they able to say it’s Hefeweizen and have it taste like Hefeweizen but use bottling yeast?

Not the expert on this, but my understanding is that while sugar is often used for bottle conditioning, yeast is sometimes used in some traditional styles, especially for long fermentations and high ABVs, where all fermentable yeasts could have died. The bottling yeast may be a different yeast from the main (weizen) fermentation yeast, as it is meant only for carbonation, not to impart taste or other qualities.

Good luck with your project!

 

[Chris N]

Not the expert on this, but my understanding is that while sugar is often used for bottle conditioning, yeast is sometimes used in some traditional styles, especially for long fermentations and high ABVs, where all fermentable yeasts could have died. The bottling yeast may be a different yeast from the main (weizen) fermentation yeast, as it is meant only for carbonation, not to impart taste or other qualities.

Good luck with your project!

Thank you very much, Andres! Very interesting, I will for sure get the yeast the type of beer requires.
Thank you! Looking forward to starting the project. Will keep everyone updated.

 

[cmac62]

If I was going to grow my own ingredients I would also see if I could get some local wild yeast to do the fermentation. I know there are threads and a article on capturing wild yeast, and then you can grow them from a single colony to isolate different strains. Maybe while you are waiting for next fall you can learn the yeast wrangling required to truly grow your own culture. Of course learning to make quality beer with store bought ingredients may be a good starting place. Just a thought. Good luck with your project.

 

[Chris N]

If I was going to grow my own ingredients I would also see if I could get some local wild yeast to do the fermentation. I know there are threads and a article on capturing wild yeast, and then you can grow them from a single colony to isolate different strains. Maybe while you are waiting for next fall you can learn the yeast wrangling required to truly grow your own culture. Of course learning to make quality beer with store bought ingredients may be a good starting place. Just a thought. Good luck with your project.

Thank you very much, Cmac62! Great ideas. Though different wild yeast will change the flavor won’t it? I’m not sure I want to go that far unless I had too. Was thinking about getting the yeast in the recipe and culturing that. Though that’s a really cool idea. Looking forward to getting things started, will share updates. Merry Christmas everyone!

 

[Chris N]

Was wondering what would be the easiest beer to grow my own ingredients for and to brew? Would wheat beer be the one?

 

[bwible]