The HomeMalt Experiment

[slurms]

@bracconiere You're hard to forget on here, especially with that Homer avatar (among other things). I THINK remember you saying that you modified your oven to maintain pretty low temps. Is that how you're making your own malt??

 

[bracconiere]

@bracconiere You're hard to forget on here, especially with that Homer avatar (among other things). I THINK remember you saying that you modified your oven to maintain pretty low temps. Is that how you're making your own malt??

at the moment, last 7 years, i've been bored. but the last 2. i've had somewhat like minded people to talk to! kinda get excited, after 42 years of life i FINNALLY find an imaginary friend or two!


no when i was first malting my own i just set the oven to 170f, which actually is 200f. it made good beer, with plenty of diastatic power. but 2 years, i was strugling to figure out something else i could make with it! not much creativity potential when you start with 40L base malt! and i got the idea to mod the oven sorta from the pizza thread here. it was actually another forum i found info about putting a resistor to mod the oven to higher. so i thought, hmmm. maybe a low resistor in series instead a high ohm in parrel. works good! now i can brew pale, amber, brown and dark again!

 

[slurms]

It was definitely the pizza thread. Mmmm, pizza.

That's pretty cool you've been making your own malts. I usually go down those types of rabbit holes of "well I'm making my own beer, might as well make my own malts, grow my own hops, forge my own kettle" sorta thing. But I haven't done that yet for this at least.

Can you tell a difference between what you make and what you buy? I'd imagine it's similar, especially on a homebrew level, but who knows!?

 

[bracconiere]

forge my own kettle

Can you tell a difference between what you make and what you buy? I'd imagine it's similar, especially on a homebrew level, but who knows!?

i prefer my homemalt, that's why i want a second opinion! i don't get as good effec 80% instead of 90%. but the flavor is fresh and maltier(SP? lol) store bought is like sweet and, i prefer the maltiness of mine. we'll see if this thread gets updated with someone else's opinion in a couple weeks!

 

[bracconiere]

@jschein here's my idea for the munich!

i don't know anything about hops, so you're on your own!

(and if you don't think it'll be that dark, it always is for me! i think the reason, it doesn't look that dark, is because crystal 60 is done hot and fast, and that was done low and slow)

 

[marc1]

sky's the limit with the pale! but for the munich, it might not look it, but it's like 40L on it's own. it will make a brown beer, i'd use it kinda like the oposite of pale crystal combo, and add something to add complexity but lighten it up. damn, just had the thought, flaked oats would probably be good with it! it will convert them on it's own.

How do you estimate the Lovibond of the grains you malt yourself? Experience, just comparing it to grains you bought?

It's cool that you've made a super dark munich that still has good conversion.

 

[bracconiere]

Experience, just comparing it to grains you bought?

pretty much, that's the color i get. once i didn't, but over 2 years that's what it is. and at first before i learned to use a box fan and be able to dry a 20lb batch, before kilning i could only get 8lb's out of the dehydrator. and it could convert 5lb's of white flour! but that was the color. it tastes good, but as a homebrewer, i'm used to having something different every week.

 

[marc1]

pretty much, that's the color i get. once i didn't, but over 2 years that's what it is. and at first before i learned to use a box fan and be able to dry a 20lb batch, before kilning i could only get 8lb's out of the dehydrator. and it could convert 5lb's of white flour! but that was the color. it tastes good, but as a homebrewer, i'm used to having something different every week.

I love how people figure things out here! I'm really impressed with your malting operation!

Are you saying that it used to vary a lot, but now that you've made so many batches and worked the kinks out, it very consistent? Or does it still vary somewhat batch to batch?

Does flour bring anything to the table flavor-wise? Or is it more of a flavor diluent like rice?

 

[bracconiere]

I love how people figure things out here! I'm really impressed with your malting operation!

Are you saying that it used to vary a lot, but now that you've made so many batches and worked the kinks out, it very consistent? Or does it still vary somewhat batch to batch?

Does flour bring anything to the table flavor-wise? Or is it more of a flavor diluent like rice?

man that just gave me a belly laugh! if my checking account wasn't tight, i'd gift you a paid subscriber account for that!

i was balancing the cost of white flour, how much i could get away with using, and still be able to sparge. and although flour is cheaper, i still had to dope my brews with table sugar to get my 1.060 OG!


but when i figured out how to malt enough to brew with 100% barley, it's even cheaper AND better!

i don't even remember the crazy crap i was try to use to substitute crystal malt for flavor!

edit: and the one batch it wasn't dark, is the one that got away! it was awesome, i don't know what i did different. but it was the best batch ever! the only thing that comes close is a batch i bottled from a keg that used special b. and sat for a while, then was awesome. (ok maybe the special b was better, but i'm egocentric! )

 

[marc1]

man that just gave me a belly laugh! if my checking account wasn't tight, i'd gift you a paid subscriber account for that!

i was balancing the cost of white flour, how much i could get away with using, and still be able to sparge. and although flour is cheaper, i still had to dope my brews with table sugar to get my 1.060 OG!


but when i figured out how to malt enough to brew with 100% barley, it's even cheaper AND better!

i don't even remember the crazy crap i was try to use to substitute crystal malt for flavor!

I mean, basic flour is wheat starch, it should work fine if you have enough diastatic power. I'm surprised it doesn't come up as being used more, especially with more people BIABing now so that the lautering isn't an issue.

Hell, with enzymes you could make all flour beer. Test out bleached vs. whole wheat vs. high gluten...

 

[day_trippr]

I just threw up in my mouth a little...

 

[bracconiere]

I mean, basic flour is wheat starch, it should work fine if you have enough diastatic power. I'm surprised it doesn't come up as being used more, especially with more people BIABing now so that the lautering isn't an issue.

Hell, with enzymes you could make all flour beer. Test out bleached vs. whole wheat vs. high gluten...

BIAB'ers would have a problem with gluten. and honestly i don't remember but i might have tried all white flour beer. i know i did 100% white rice ones until i ran out of rice hulls.

that's why i can't wait for @jschein 's review! because to me i actually came up with cheap AND better then store bought. but i need a honest second opinion. because i sent him 23lb's of malt which cost me $6. and he should get 2x 5 gallon batches. if it wasn't for shipping costs, i'd want some of your tomato sauce!

wait a second? i was just reading about someone making tomato sauce? i was think if it wasn't for the shipping difference i'd love to trade malt for it? and @grampamark could grow the barley!

 

[bracconiere]

I just threw up in my mouth a little...

what's wrong with whole wheat? it's a great sugar wash for cheap hooch? lol