moisture tester

[passedpawn]

I’m a grain farmer. We use this one. We’re on our second one; the first lasted about a dozen years. It was replaced last year and the new one was about $100 less than the current price.

We like that particular one because it’s programmable to be able to test almost any crop. Most testers, especially the less expensive models, will only test the most widely grown crops, like corn, soybeans, and wheat. Grain moisture testers are fussy. They have to be configured to the particular characteristics of a particular seed type. Since barley isn’t a very widely grown crop, many testers aren’t calibrated for barley.

All of that said, unless the OP is malting his own, there’s no good reason to test the moisture content of malted grains. The kilning phase of the malting process removes almost all of the moisture from the grain.

Have you ever seen this one? I think it was mainly used for testing moisture in silage, but we added a whole menu of different materials it would work with. I designed all the electronics in there

 

[grampamark]

Have you ever seen this one? I think it was mainly used for testing moisture in silage, but we added a whole menu of different materials it would work with. I designed all the electronics in there

View attachment 766461

I’ve seen hay/silage testers but I’ve never tried to use one to test bulk grain. I would assume they all work on the same principle, comparing the resistance introduced by the sample to a known resistance (I know there’s more to it than that “explain it to a 5-year-old” description ).

 

[passedpawn]

I’ve seen hay/silage testers but I’ve never tried to use one to test bulk grain. I would assume they all work on the same principle, comparing the resistance introduced by the sample to a known resistance (I know there’s more to it than that “explain it to a 5-year-old” description ).

I did not do it with resistance. I measured optical reflectance of IR wavelengths. Water absorbs strongly at 1450nm, and weakly at 1300nm. So, measure the reflectance of both of these wavelengths (with InGaAs photodiode feeding an integrator), take a ratio, and Bob's yer uncle.

You can see the measurement head below. Behind the window is a circle of LED emitters, and the photodiode is in the middle. And, as you can see we did have barley in there

 

[grampamark]

I did not do it with resistance. I measured optical reflectance of IR wavelengths. Water absorbs strongly at 1450nm, and weakly at 1300nm. So, measure the reflectance of both of these wavelengths (with InGaAs photodiode feeding an integrator), take a ratio, and Bob's yer uncle.

You can see the measurement head below. Behind the window is a circle of LED emitters, and the photodiode is in the middle. And, as you can see we did have barley in there

View attachment 766475

Yeah, the commercial testers used by the grain elevators here use optical scanning. Some use reflectance, some use transmissance. Those test for both moisture and grain protein.

 

[The Mad Brewer]

sorry if i'm talking too much, just excited there's another maltster in the making!

No worries

 

[The Mad Brewer]

grains today, wheat n barley, I always have a hard time knowing where the aspire is? Atleast until it gets bigger

 

[bracconiere]

grains today, wheat n barley, I always have a hard time knowing where the aspire is? Atleast until it gets bigger

that grain looks too wet. when the grain is kept too wet, it will either drown or get bacterial funk.

edit: best way i can say it looks when i'm germinating...you want it to look wet but without standing water?

as far as the acrospire, i like letting my barley go until about 20% of the acrospires are sticking out about 1/8"...i get better effec that way, i know the 'text book' way is the length of the kernel, but in my personal experience, it works better when it's what they would call over done.

after the initial soak for ~3 hours, the grain basicly just needs to be misted, and really needs air to breath more then water.

i'm curious how long that has been germinating? the rootlets don't look that long?

 

[bracconiere]

i like it when i see about 10 of the kernels like that in a handful....then it's off to the drying phase...usually get there in 3 or so days...

and you can see the moisture content on that grain too...

 

[The Mad Brewer]

that grain looks too wet. when the grain is kept too wet, it will either drown or get bacterial funk.

edit: best way i can say it looks when i'm germinating...you want it to look wet but without standing water?

as far as the acrospire, i like letting my barley go until about 20% of the acrospires are sticking out about 1/8"...i get better effec that way, i know the 'text book' way is the length of the kernel, but in my personal experience, it works better when it's what they would call over done.

after the initial soak for ~3 hours, the grain basicly just needs to be misted, and really needs air to breath more then water.

i'm curious how long that has been germinating? the rootlets don't look that long?

I just finished misting and turning them when I tooK the pics, thats why they look wet. About 4 days at 55F

 

[bracconiere]

I just finished misting and turning them when I tooK the pics, thats why they look wet. About 4 days at 55F

how long did you soak it for initially? it should be done after 4 days.

 

[The Mad Brewer]

how long did you soak it for initially? it should be done after 4 days.

About 18 hours and I always try to keep them misted, should I not do that after a few days?

 

[The Mad Brewer]

I was reading germinating takes 10-15, though i have never gone that long

 

[The Mad Brewer]

About 18 hours

 

[bracconiere]

About 18 hours and I always try to keep them misted, should I not do that after a few days?

WAAAAYYYY TOO LONG! you have only my experience to go by on this, but i only initially soak my barley for 3-4 hours....i find the book smarts way doesn't work...

I was reading germinating takes 10-15, though i have never gone that long

my barley is usually done in 3-4 days...after a 3 hour soak on day one the barley is chitting the next day, i will cover it with water, then drain quickly. makeing sure to give lots of air, (which has the added bennifit of me not haveing to break up root balls)

then on the 3rd day if it needs more water it gets it then goes another day.

 

[The Mad Brewer]

WAAAAYYYY TOO LONG! you have only my experience to go by on this, but i only initially soak my barley for 3-4 hours....i find the book smarts way doesn't work...



my barley is usually done in 3-4 days...after a 3 hour soak on day one the barley is chitting the next day, i will cover it with water, then drain quickly. makeing sure to give lots of air, (which has the added bennifit of me not haveing to break up root balls)

then on the 3rd day if it needs more water it gets it then goes another day.

And here i thought i wasnt going long enough

 

[bracconiere]

And here i thought i wasnt going long enough

that's why i asked, from your photo i was suspicious it looked distinctly like drowned kernels..

and as far as after the initial soak, they just need to be watered to keep them growing, i've missed a day before. and really they just 'paused' growing for that day, and when i watered them they picked back up....

 

[bracconiere]

where are you getting your barley?

 

[The Mad Brewer]

where are you getting your barley?

Amish and local feed store

 

[bracconiere]

Amish and local feed store

that's where i get mine too. i'd want to say, i also didn't like the look of the dark spots on that, could be mold. which is very bad!

 

[The Mad Brewer]

that's where i get mine too. i'd want to say, i also didn't like the look of the dark spots on that, could be mold. which is very bad!

Dont think so, I will look at some unmalted grain tonight and compare

So I have been waiting till the aospire gets atleast the same length of the grain and about 80-90% are that way, sounds like im going too long

 

[bracconiere]

Dont think so, I will look at some unmalted grain tonight and compare

So I have been waiting till the aospire gets atleast the same length of the grain and about 80-90% are that way, sounds like im going too long

well not really....if you can get it to sprout that evenly at home, more power to you though! i like 20% sticking out because i figure the reason i get better effec that way, is when a bunch are sticking out, at least 50% are perfect...and the rest are probably under modified...for all i know the only reason the books say that, is because they want their malt pretty.

but it works..most batches i get about 1.056 out of 20lbs malt for a 10 gallon batch. just so you know i get 1.067 with 20lbs store bought malt


but homemalt is only costing me 48 cents a pound to make.....instead like $2....

 

[bracconiere]

honestly reading that back to myself, maybe not 20%...that was just a guess, i honestly don't do it with a cell count plate or anything to know for. but when they're 'noticbly' sticking out and i can clearly tell they are... if that makes any sense to you.

my linguistic skills suck. sorry. if i manage to get you up to my speed. i hope i can pass the torch to the 'next generation'!

 

[The Mad Brewer]

honestly reading that back to myself, maybe not 20%...that was just a guess, i honestly don't do it with a cell count plate or anything to know for. but when they're 'noticbly' sticking out and i can clearly tell they are... if that makes any sense to you.

my linguistic skills suck. sorry. if i manage to get you up to my speed. i hope i can pass the torch to the 'next generation'!

I was starting upstairs (about 10 degrees warmer) then after 2 days went down, I noticed when i did wheat and Barley, the wheat would sprout faster like in 4 days, where barley took a week but in the for everything, in the basement, it was opposite.
I put the barley on the drying rack last night and will go 2 days with dry cool air (its been sprouting for 5 days), and by tomorrow my Wheat should be ready, if not tonight.no mold or death smells....trust me I know whet they are

 

[The Mad Brewer]

I was starting upstairs (about 10 degrees warmer) then after 2 days went down, I noticed when i did wheat and Barley, the wheat would sprout faster like in 4 days, where barley took a week but in the for everything, in the basement, it was opposite.
I put the barley on the drying rack last night and will go 2 days with dry cool air (its been sprouting for 5 days), and by tomorrow my Wheat should be ready, if not tonight.no mold or death smells....trust me I know whet they are

I think what Im gonna do is tonight move my barley to the top racks for a day of less drying (the fan blows on the lower 2 racks, then put the wheat on the bottom for a day or 2. Its almost like I designed it that way, lower racks are for regular kilning and the top 2 are for finishing

 

[bracconiere]

Its almost like I designed it that way, lower racks are for regular kilning and the top 2 are for finishing

i want to stress this is drying not kilning,

 

[The Mad Brewer]

My dehydrator only goes to 158F so im going 14 hours instead of 12. I can get about 7 lbs worth in it at a time. I think I can get add on trays which im considering.

I may throw my wheat (the 2nd hall of the batch) in my oven tonight at 170 for 12hrs. It will have been drying for 48 hous. Just hate to burn the LP as its pricey right now.

 

[bracconiere]

My dehydrator only goes to 158F so im going 14 hours instead of 12. I can get about 7 lbs worth in it at a time.

interesting, i'd use the oven...looking forward to results!