Frozen barley

[Biffy]

I had a ton of little black weevils (it seems get into my barley. So I put it into ziplock bags and froze the good barley hoping to kill the bugs off. I've tried malting the barley 2x since but no luck. Has anyone ever tried this?

Peace
B

[8Ball]

The Briess website doesn’t recommend storing malted barley below freezing. No specifics.

[shadylane]

Since weevils were present, I'm thinking the barley had too much moister for long term storage.
The seed ran it's battery almost dead attempting to sprout and got killed by the freezing temps.

Here in my neck of the woods, all the cheap barley has been dried excessively and is no longer viable.

[bilgriss]

Shady that makes sense to me - the weevils are a symptom of the problem (moisture), and freezing the moisture within stopped any biological potential.

[Tammuz]

I would think using ozone would have been cleaner and easier.

[PalCabral]

Yes—freezing can absolutely kill weevils, but it doesn’t always solve the malting issue afterward.

What likely happened in your case is:

* Freezing killed the insects, but
* the barley may have already been compromised (egg damage, moisture imbalance, or stress to the grain embryo)

For malting specifically, viability is everything. Even if the grain *looks fine*, if the embryo is damaged or dormancy is affected, germination rates drop hard.

A few things that often affect success after infestations:

* Pre-existing weevil eggs inside kernels before freezing
* Temperature fluctuations before the freeze (can stress grain)
* Excess moisture when sealing in bags
* Long storage after freezing without reconditioning properly

Some people have better luck with:

* freezing first (48–72 hours is usually enough),
* then letting grain fully return to room temp *before sealing*,
* and doing a small germination test batch before committing to malting.

If it fails twice in a row, I’d honestly suspect the barley viability is already too low for consistent malting, even if the bugs are gone.

Curious if anyone else has had success salvaging weevil-affected grain for brewing/malting?

You're really on top of these things. I will remember that when I have grain questions, Hellencharless! Great asset for this forum.

[Dancing4dan]

Freezing or refrigeration can change the structure of carbohydrates making them slower to digest and lowering their glycemic index.

Not sure if it would have an impact on uncooked barley.

[shadylane]

Curious if anyone else has had success salvaging weevil-affected grain for brewing/malting?

I've tried it several times because I'm cheap.
If grain is buggy most likely it's viability will also be low. That's bad because every dead seed is a point where mold will start growing during the malting process. It's best to source the best grain available for DIY malting.

I've used enzymes and grain with weevils for making vodka but there's a musty-dirty character that comes over and lowers the quality.
I can even taste it when making neutral out of infested grain. It's a bad character that even a packed column can't completely remove.

[bluc]

For future reference if you keep grain full co2 = no weevils
..

[BigSwede]

For future reference if you keep grain full co2 = no weevils
..

That, or argon, I'm thinking. Lots of folk have argon bottles for TIG welding. Argon will kill bugs and also displace oxygen to keep grain fresh? Unless the grain itself needs O2 or CO2 to remain viable.

Just a thought. maybe an argon blast, give it a few hours, then simply seal with normal air.

[Deplorable]

For future reference if you keep grain full co2 = no weevils
..

This is the way. I've stored 100 pounds of malted barley in a 30 gallon barrel full of CO2 for well over a year before I used it, and it still made good whiskey with no signs of weevils.
My CO2 bottle gets more use purging oxygen out of the grain bin than it does pushing beer out of a keg.

I just run a hose down into the grain and turn the bottle on for a few seconds to displace the air in the barrel. pull the hose out and screw down the lid on the barrel.

[bluc]

You can sit light tee candle on top of grain when its full co2 candle goes out then carefully add lid.

[greggn]

So I put it into ziplock bags and froze the good barley hoping to kill the bugs off. I've tried malting the barley 2x since but no luck.

It may be coincidence but ...

My region experienced a particularly tough winter with a prolonged stretch of below-freezing temperatures. When Spring broke, I set out to patch multiple dead spots in my lawn using grass seed that had been stored in my unheated garage. Amazingly, not a single seed germinated (despite following all the correct protocols).

I haven't checked the grass strain but I suspect some just aren't tolerant of prolonged cold and become physically damaged. The same may be true of your particular variety of barley.