Continuous malting whole wheat. 16lbs in around 2 weeks

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speedfreaksteve
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Continuous malting whole wheat. 16lbs in around 2 weeks

Post by speedfreaksteve »

Just wanted to show you my very small scale malting operation. I see people often pushing back on the idea of malting their own due to lack of space or special equipment. In my case, the only things I use are:

2 juice jugs
3 roasting tins
1 Big Yellow Bowl (other color bowls or containers like a pail will work)
1 water spray bottle
1 wooden spoon
2 sheets of parchment paper
1 food dehydrator (this can be substituted with an oven on low with the door propped open or drying in the sun. May also just place them on baking trays with a space heater blowing on them).
1 bag for storage. Best to use an old used grain bag


The process takes around 3-4 days for steeping and malting and then 1 day to fast dry the grains, after that it's best to leave them in a bowl or on trays let them dry slowly.

First I steep the grains in water. I do this on a day when I get home from work. I let them soak for at least 4-5 hours. Before I go to bed I drain the jugs, I then fill them up again in the morning and leave them until night time (around 10 hours).
IMG_20170313_191203.jpg
I then put the drained grains in my roasting tins which I use as my malting trays. I cover them loosely with parchment paper to keep some of the moisture in. I spray the top with a water spray bottle when I stir the grains a few times over the next 2 full days.
IMG_20170311_150419.jpg
When the sprouts are ready. You'll see the acrospire which is the thickest of the rootlets (there's usually around 2 other). When at least half of them are 3/4 the length of the grain, you're ready to dehydrate the grains. I use a food dehydrator lined with parchment paper. At this point for continuous malting, I start a new batch of grains to malt by steeping another 4 lbs of grain and then following the same process.
IMG_20170313_191248.jpg
I then dehydrate for around 24 hours, sometimes more if a few of the grains are still moist.
IMG_20170313_191307.jpg
After they're done dehydrating, I put them in my Big Yellow Bowl (BYB) and leave them in there for 3 days to slow dry. Mix them around about once a day so that they dry evenly. They supposedly will lose around 1% water content a day at room temperature. In less than a week they'll be dried enough to grind easily.
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They are then ready to be bagged in a grain bag, or left in a plastic bag or pail (leave the bag open for a few more days at least).
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Last edited by speedfreaksteve on Mon Mar 13, 2017 5:02 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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bitter
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Re: Continuous malting whole wheat. 16lbs in around 2 weeks

Post by bitter »

Nice!

I did 1 lbs as a test in a kitchen pot and dried in the oven..

Your dehydrate definitely easier that the oven.. hard to keep temps low.

Malting is the easy part... for me drying is were the work is..

Another option is use the malt green..

B
cob
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Re: Continuous malting whole wheat. 16lbs in around 2 weeks

Post by cob »

bitter wrote:Nice!

I did 1 lbs as a test in a kitchen pot and dried in the oven.. hard to keep temps low.

for me drying is were the work is.. B
with the oven off my oven holds 100 f. with the door shut and the light on.

I use it in that configuration for many drying chores.
be water my friend
speedfreaksteve
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Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Continuous malting whole wheat. 16lbs in around 2 weeks

Post by speedfreaksteve »

bitter wrote: Your dehydrate definitely easier that the oven.. hard to keep temps low.

Malting is the easy part... for me drying is were the work is..

Another option is use the malt green..
Yeah the dehydrator is the best $10-$20 garage sale/Craigslist item you can get. I even make jerky with it a couple times a year.

I tried grinding my malt semi-green. It almost burned out two drills and my corona mill felt like it was going to break apart. There was just a lot of resistance to mill through the semi-moist grains.
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15 gallon keg pot still
15 gallon Brew King boiler
2 35 gallon fermenters
speedfreaksteve
Swill Maker
Posts: 352
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2006 12:26 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Continuous malting whole wheat. 16lbs in around 2 weeks

Post by speedfreaksteve »

cob wrote:
with the oven off my oven holds 100 f. with the door shut and the light on.

I use it in that configuration for many drying chores.
Yeah that works. I've also used a meat thermometer and took the oven up to 175 and then shut it down before putting the grains in on cookie sheets. The insides of most grains will never heat up past their enzyme denaturing point by the time the oven cools down.
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TDick
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Re: Continuous malting whole wheat. 16lbs in around 2 weeks

Post by TDick »

I started malting wheat and would appreciate any advice.
I put 5 lbs in a pillowcase, 12 hour soak in a bucket of rain water. Took it out and let drain another 12. Then repeated the process.
My plan was to spread it out and let it dry on a typical sunny 90 degree day.
God said no.
So we've been suffering effects of the tropical storm with nonstop rain. temp in the 70's.
I've had the wheat in 2 bins for more surface area and shaking them up to aerate.

Pictures show where I am with just a little dampness on the bottom of the bin. Just smushed a grain with my fingers and got goo like when you put a cricket on a hook.
The forecast for tomorrow on clear and 84.
Am am I ready? Should I sun dry or go to the oven?
BB
:mrgreen:
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