Malting Mistake!!!

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TDick
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Malting Mistake!!!

Post by TDick »

I AM A NOOB - and I PROVED IT!
I screwed up! :wtf:
Good news is I THINK I know what I did wrong.

Malting Wheat & Barley in my pillowcases but I only had enough non chlorinated water for 1 5 gallon bucket.
So I put them in together and let them soak overnight. :oops:
Wasn't that stupid?

Next day let them drain then soaked them again in water that sat for a day to dechlorinate.

Yesterday, they had a soured funk to them and no chitting. (smelled a little like sour mash)
So I took them out of the pillowcases, put them in separate buckets.
Filled with tap water, water was very murky.
Changed water 3-4 times then let them sit overnight.
This morning, this is what I found. Each with a foam on top.
Barley.jpg
Wheat.jpg
So I rinsed and drained.
No sure what to do with it.
Gonna give it some time and see what happens.
If nothing else I'll cook it up with Enzymes to practice.
Any other suggestions?[/color]
dukethebeagle120
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Re: Malting Mistake!!!

Post by dukethebeagle120 »

i usually soak one 8 hour shift for wheat.
thats enough.it always chits after that.
barley takes 2 soaks.2 8 hour shifts
use 65-70 degree water so not to shock the grain
i always malts in a meal bag
yes the white ones.
i find the grain stays moist longer without adding more water
another advantage of the meal bag is you don't risk drowning the grain by over watering
they tend not to mold as eay as well
its better to think like a fool but keep your mouth shut,then to open ur mouth and have it confirmed
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TDick
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Re: Malting Mistake!!!

Post by TDick »

Thanks Duke
:sick:
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Skipper1953
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Re: Malting Mistake!!!

Post by Skipper1953 »

Bamaberry wrote:So I put them in together and let them soak overnight. :oops:
Wasn't that stupid?
Why was that stupid?
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Kareltje
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Re: Malting Mistake!!!

Post by Kareltje »

After soaking in water for one day I too saw small bubbles. I now think the grain is waking up, starts to grow and releases gas.
I now rinse the grain a few times, let it sit under a lid on a towel and than the next day let it air.
Seems to work well, for now.
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Re: Malting Mistake!!!

Post by dukethebeagle120 »

with wheat i find after first soaking,and first rest usually you can just see the tips of the roots.
they are usually plump enough and have begun to sprout after 16 hours.
my wheat malts are always ready in 3-3.5 days.
i would rather malt wheat than barley
you are always sure when wheat is ready.
the acrospires are east to see.
barley is about 4 days.
i find if the acrospires are sticking out you have went past prime
you need to break them open and check the shoots.
3-4 to full length in side the husk is way enough
and wheat malt has about the same dp as barley
i am heading towards using more wheat in my mashes :thumbup
also i only use water.nothing else added
when the grain has soaked enough take a rope and hang it up over a buck,sink etc
every 8-10 hours check it.add a few cups full of water to the bag then grab both ends and give it a shake.
hang it up again.
when the roots start to get long they will cling together.
grab the bag by the top and give it some good shakin.
that will loosen it up and airate.
the trick is to airate.
that stops mold.
in the meal bags i do about 20 lbs per bag.
anyhow it works for me
its better to think like a fool but keep your mouth shut,then to open ur mouth and have it confirmed
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TDick
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Re: Malting Mistake!!!

Post by TDick »

Skipper1953 wrote:
Bamaberry wrote:So I put them in together and let them soak overnight. :oops:
Wasn't that stupid?
Why was that stupid?
I ASSuME the bucket was too full for water to circulate and didn't allow me to get enough water in the bucket to clear.
Back in June I malted half that much - Wheat only - and had no trouble.


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Cu29er
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Re: Malting Mistake!!!

Post by Cu29er »

6 hours on/off water for wheat
8 hours on/off water for barley
12 hours on/off water for corn
Pikey
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Re: Malting Mistake!!!

Post by Pikey »

Cu29er wrote:6 hours on/off water for wheat
8 hours on/off water for barley
12 hours on/off water for corn
Is thaht a cycle - ie do you keep repeating it ?
OR is it a "one off" ?
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Re: Malting Mistake!!!

Post by hellbilly007 »

You could use it as sour mash starter
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =3&t=46340
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Cu29er
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Re: Malting Mistake!!!

Post by Cu29er »

Pikey wrote:
Cu29er wrote:6 hours on/off water for wheat
8 hours on/off water for barley
12 hours on/off water for corn
Is thaht a cycle - ie do you keep repeating it ?
OR is it a "one off" ?
"Twice off" ... corn has been problematic the days later with molding and I'm experimenting with improving the sprouting time. I have two 3.5gal buckets one filled with corn with 1/8inch holes covering the bottom the other no holes. drain bucket inside the good bucket with corn and cover in water 12hrs, drain for 12, water for 12, drain for 12, (so two flood cycles). Then every 12 hours after while sprouting pour three or four times from one bucket to the other back and forth breaking any clumps, let the corn sit in the drain bucket and use the good bucket as 'a lid' on top. Pick out any suspect kernels if I see them. This is out in the garage so night time temperatures drop.

I have a small steamer pot in the kitchen (basically a colander inner pot of an 8qt stock pot set) I am doing the same thing but the kitchen is a lot warmer than the garage so the grain is sprouting faster, probably two days ahead of the garage batch now although it's risking the moldy off-smell so I am doing the same pouring back and forth but also rinsing with fresh water in the sink and keeping it drained. I haven't rinsed the garage batch since the second flood.

.
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still_stirrin
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Re: Malting Mistake!!!

Post by still_stirrin »

Hey, I've read that germinating the grains in a dilute solution of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) will help reduce the liklihood of mold forming.

Here, read this post: http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 1#p7307312

Something to research for the pro's and con's.
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Re: Malting Mistake!!!

Post by Shine0n »

Great link SS, I jus read it in its entirety and I learned much more from one thread than all others combined.

It's harvest season here now and corn should be 5-7$/50lb and just may be my reasoning for an all corn.

If anyone wants to know about the simplicity of malting corn they should definitely give that thread a read.
Hell, it should be a sticky
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Re: Malting Mistake!!!

Post by japsinok »

+1 on Bobdoe's malting thread. I have just started malting corn and took numerous tips from that thread. After doing four 9hr/3hr (soak/air) cycles, moved the grain and germinated in trays, rather than in the bucket, but spritzed 1%H2O2 on the grain several times daily (each time I changed the water and rinsed the grain). Had no molding issues at all. I attribute that to the peroxide. Will be malting more next week.
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TDick
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Re: Malting Mistake!!!

Post by TDick »

I believe I'm doing better with my wheat.
malting wheat.jpg
This was in tap water phuut in the fridge to dechlorinate and chill. Soaked twice for about 6 hours left to drain in bathroom shower at about 72 degrees.
Barley got an extra soak but not doing as well , looks like a little chitting but that's about all.
Barley malt.jpg
Wondering if I should move it outside where it's about 90 degrees
[/color] :mrgreen:
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TDick
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Re: Malting Mistake!!!

Post by TDick »

Cu29er wrote: 8 hours on/off water for barley
I AM A NOOB!
I'm having a hard time malting barley.
55 pound bag from Feed & Seed store handwritten "Barley".
I need 4 pounds to run all grain mash.
I've tried 3 times soaking 4-6 hours in COLD water. After 2nd or 3rd soak it gets a smell and has a slimy feel as I throw it out.

The last time I added a couple of ounces of Hydrogen peroxide.
There does seem to be a lot of interest in the "best" way to do this.
Would you share your beginning to end process for malting barley?
Thanks!
BB
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Re: Malting Mistake!!!

Post by shadylane »

Bamaberry wrote: I'm having a hard time malting barley.
55 pound bag from Feed & Seed store handwritten "Barley".
I've had a difficult time finding barley or oats from a feed store that would germinate. :oops:
The Old Man that runs the store said "Grain with a husk is dried at a higher temp than wheat or corn
And the heat kills the seed embryo"
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Re: Malting Mistake!!!

Post by TDick »

shadylane wrote:
Bamaberry wrote: I'm having a hard time malting barley.
55 pound bag from Feed & Seed store handwritten "Barley".
I've had a difficult time finding barley or oats from a feed store that would germinate. :oops:
The Old Man that runs the store said "Grain with a husk is dried at a higher temp than wheat or corn
And the heat kills the seed embryo"
AHA!!
:cry:
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TDick
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Re: Malting Mistake!!!

Post by TDick »

shadylane wrote:
Bamaberry wrote: I'm having a hard time malting barley.
55 pound bag from Feed & Seed store handwritten "Barley"..
I've had a difficult time finding barley or oats from a feed store that would germinate
I didn't give up. Started with 3 lbs/ 1350 g and settled on 2 hour soaks in COLD 20 C water then drain 5-6 hours. Also monitored weight until my weight increase was over 45%.
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