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Malting Grains


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I'm working on a little experiment on malting some rye following the directions in Ian Smiley's book.

My impression has always been that the acrospire grows on the inside of the hull based on the descriptions I've seen. But I have what seems to be what seems to be the acrospire and it's outside the rye. I'm under the impression that threshing removes the hull, so maybe that's what I'm seeing? And I understand there are hullless varieties of grains such as barley and oats.

So I'm curious. My camera isn't good enough to take a picture of something so small.

So if I have a hull less variety of rye (or one that's been processed such that the hull is removed) can that be used for malting? Or am I simply seeing what it should be?

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HI Cheryl,

I can't tell, obviously, since you don't have a photograph, but you may (may) have torrified rye, but I'd think you don't. Threshing doesn't torrify the rye. What you want is regular ol' rye. It's cheaper, and it will give make the malting process easier for you. Torrified rye or wheat has already been processed by a malthouse.

If you're looking to malt everything yourself, the book Technology of Brewing and Malting will be of great assistance to you. http://www.siebelinstitute.com/e-store/

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Thanks for the book reference Todd I'll have to check that one out!

I have two batches of grain. Both batches are organic. One batch of grain is "typical" cover crop rye. It's what is often used up here to simply scatter sow in the fall to get a cover crop after the real crop has been harvested. And it'll come back in the spring to give you a cover crop before you're ready to plant the real crop.

Not the best pictures about to follow. But there are rootlets. Then there's the phallic banana (the best description). One one seed (not in photo) it's even starting to change color to green from white. Or so it seems to me.

I'm pretty sure this isn't torrified rye, as it came from the growers. I don't know of any New York maltsters.

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If it came from farmers, you're all set.

If you have the space, floor malting at your scale is totally doable, and for want of a better term, that would be pretty badass.

I should add that that good people at the Siebel Institute will consult on malting if you need help or need your malt analyzed for DP, protein, etc.

And my email is always available.

Happy Malting!

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