Making wheat malt.

[jedneck]

Shady are you planning on doing a single malt or using it for conversion. I currantly use mine to convert 60% unmalted but am thinking about doing a beechwood smoked single malt.

[shadylane]

I haven't decided what to do with the malted wheat.
But, this sounds good to me. 30% malted wheat, 30% corn, 30% oats and 10% un-malted barley.
Alpha and Gluco amylase will also be used to guaranty conversion.
Or I might get another bag of wheat for a 100% wheat whiskey.

[jedneck]

I haven't decided what to do with the malted wheat.
But, this sounds good to me. 30% malted wheat, 30% corn, 30% oats and 10% un-malted barley.
Alpha and Gluco amylase will also be used to guaranty conversion.
Or I might get another bag of wheat for a 100% wheat whiskey.

That is amoslt the same tastey bill I use. 40% white wheat malt and 60% mix chicken scratch that is corn oat and barley. Makes a fine drop.

[shadylane]

This bright idea will probably be a candidate for the "tell us about your mistakes" section.

[Jimbo]

This bright idea will probably be a candidate for the "tell us about your mistakes" section.

haha, I think that thought quite often when I'm doing shit in the shed.

[White_Lightning_Rod]

You should be alright, maybe lol.

That is how I have dried the wheat I have malted, with one small diffrence, I set the fan up so that it will blow across the grain rather than up or down thru it.

From my experience, when you get to the point that you think the malt is dry enough, leave it to dry for at least 24 hours more, that way all the moisture is gone and removing the rootlets is easier, along with milling.

[shadylane]

Sounds like a good idea WLR. With luck, tomorrow the sun will be out and I can dry the malt properly.
Anyway I hope the sun comes out, because the acrospires are anywhere from 25 - 75% of the grain length.
Another day and some of the malt will be over modified.

[firewater69]

This bright idea will probably be a candidate for the "tell us about your mistakes" section.

love it!

[Brutal]

This bright idea will probably be a candidate for the "tell us about your mistakes" section.

If it gives ya trouble use two screens. One on bottom and one on top. Like a malt sandwich.

[White_Lightning_Rod]

This bright idea will probably be a candidate for the "tell us about your mistakes" section.

If it gives ya trouble use two screens. One on bottom and one on top. Like a malt sandwich.

[shadylane]

The malt is very inconsistent. Most is still under modified, but some is over.
Don't know where it will be at tomorrow, when I can start air drying it.
It was malted around 70f and took off like a rocket.
Had the temperature been lower it probably would have germinated at a more equal rate.
I was surprised by how little water was needed to keep the malt moist. Only a couple ounces was used.
Turning the grain often is a must, other wise it will fuse together into a solid mass. The books call this "felting"
If the malt isn't turned often, the bottom will get the most moister and outrun malt on top.
I've decided malting is like distilling, it's easy to do, but the devil is in the details.

[jedneck]

I had my best luck when the basement is boarderline cold. I would say mid 50's. Everytime I malt withe the stove burning in the basement (mid 70's) I get eratitc germination and end up fighting mold. Current batch looks like almost 100% germination. Now gotta keep the kid out of it, she eats it like candy.

[shadylane]

I had my best luck when the basement is boarderline cold. I would say mid 50's. Everytime I malt withe the stove burning in the basement (mid 70's) I get eratitc germination and end up fighting mold. Current batch looks like almost 100% germination. Now gotta keep the kid out of it, she eats it like candy.

The malt's probably better for her than candy.

When I started soaking the wheat three days ago, I also threw in a few kernels of corn.
The corn is just starting to come alive and the wheat is almost finished.
Obviously there's a big difference between the grains on what they want.
Wish I could find a chart showing this info

[jedneck]

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... d#p7223714
Here's a link I stumbled onto a while back on overmalting. Take a look at the chart dunder posted on the dp of wheat.

[shadylane]

Thanks for the link jed.
You gave me something to do other than watch malt grow.

[underthamoon]

Very interesting I got prolly 200 pounds of wheat from my grandfather that use to make bread upon read it talks about kiln drying at temps of above 160-220 for darker malts does this in turn kill some of the enzymes?

[jedneck]

You welcome shady. Just put my wheat on a screen to dry. The sprouts are almost kernal length. They will probably get to almost 2x length before dry. I am slowly working to less malt to unmalted this batch will be 7 lbs malt to 50 lbs mix of corn oats and barley. If my math is right I will need to get a dp of 255 for conversion.

[shadylane]

Very interesting I got prolly 200 pounds of wheat from my grandfather that use to make bread upon read it talks about kiln drying at temps of above 160-220 for darker malts does this in turn kill some of the enzymes?

I need more information before answering the question.
When I hear wheat used to make bread, I think wheat flower.
To make malt, the wheat seeds need to be able to germinate.
Posting with jeb
I'd assume a lower dp until proven other wise and use much more green malt or also a dose of store bought enzymes.

[underthamoon]

It's wheat he use to grind in mill to make flour

[shadylane]

It's wheat he use to grind in mill to make flour

If you planted the wheat would it grow ?

[underthamoon]

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... d#p7223714
Here's a link I stumbled onto a while back on overmalting. Take a look at the chart dunder posted on the dp of wheat.

I was referring to this topic where they talk about kiln drying it at higher temps and was wondering if it killed enzymes sorry should have been more clear Thought I had read somewhere else to not dry at temps that high

[underthamoon]

Ya I would think its seed unless it went through some process to not be able to germinate

[shadylane]

Don't know how to put this in words.
Once the malt has been dried, the enzymes in it can survive a higher temp before being totally denatured.

[underthamoon]

Got ya thank I'm thinking of doing this and do a roasted wheat malt

[shadylane]

You welcome shady. Just put my wheat on a screen to dry. The sprouts are almost kernal length. They will probably get to almost 2x length before dry. I am slowly working to less malt to unmalted this batch will be 7 lbs malt to 50 lbs mix of corn oats and barley. If my math is right I will need to get a dp of 255 for conversion.

I'd be afraid of using the minimum amount of homemade malt based on a high DP
The malt got ahead of my ability to dry it. That might not be a bad thing since store bought enzymes are available.
That brings up the unanswerable question, what is the best way to use homemade malt ?

[White_Lightning_Rod]

Ive only ever had enough confidence in my own malting to use it as the basis of a single malt, never been confident enough to rely on it to convert unmalted grains. The wheat single malt twice distilled and oaked for 4-6 months is still the best drop I have made thus far fwiw.

[Brutal]

Had an idea a while back to freeze the malted grains to stop germination in its tracks. I've not had the space to do it yet myself though. I was also trying to figure a way to sift the malting grains so the smaller, less mature ones could be separated easier. Make room for a bucket in the deep freeze and add them into you're done. Then into a pillow case and in the dryer on low like Woodshed suggests.

[skow69]

Very interesting I got prolly 200 pounds of wheat from my grandfather that use to make bread upon read it talks about kiln drying at temps of above 160-220 for darker malts does this in turn kill some of the enzymes?

I wouldn't count on having any enzymes left at that temp. I always kilned it at 100-120. But I didn't want dark malt, just malt that would convert.

[underthamoon]

That's what I thought but was alittle confused

[bellybuster]

As far as amount of home malt, I would stick to the 30% more rule of thumb used in beer world.

This thread has my gears turning, someone went and mentioned a motorized turner in here somewhere. Evil....