1st time germinating barley - Please help

[Desecrator]

Hello all,

I haven't done an all-grain brew before and its difficult to get malted grain where I live so I am malting the barley myself.

I have seen video's on youtube and read a couple of webpages on how to do it.

I soaked my grain for 3 hours in water, drained it then let it sit for 8 hours.
I did that 3 times and the barley began to chit.
It has now been germinating for about 2.5 days but it has a strong smell, like a mix of yeast and vinegar but more vinegar.

I am germinating about 11lb (5kg) of barley and have it in a big cooking pot.
Instead of trying to stir all of it, i have been transferring it between the pot and a bucket.
I have been transferring it every 4 to 6 hours and the temperature in the pot/bucket is about 72F (22C).

Is there anything wrong with the barley?
Do you have any tips or idea's i should try?

All help will be greatly appreciated.
Regards,

 

[TheMumbler]

I don't think many people malt their own, too much effort and too hard to get right. There was a post about it somewhere though, here you go.

 

[oldbloke]

Malting barley isn't usually layered more than a couple of inches or so deep, it gets too hot. I have no idea if yours is OK or not though. Wishing you luck.
I have to malt some millet soon, but only enough for a gallon so not such a problem.

 

[Desecrator]

Thanks to all for the help.

I had to dump it.
O well, its how most of us learn.

I have started a new batch and using some of tips from the link you posted, so I hope it all works out this time.

Thanks,

 

[Talon_Ted]

i have just finished fermenting a batch of beer made entirely with barley i malted myself.

i used the method suggested by clive la pensee in his book 'the historical compamion to house brewing'. his system, which i followed, is different to yours.

i kept the barley in my beer fridge (circa 12degC) for the whole time as the outside temp is too high. hence the old timers only made malt from october to march.

i also i used a pneumatic malter which sounds complicated and expensive but is cheap and simple. The first stage is the steep in which a tank cleaner powered by a small aerator pump sits in the middle of the barley and ciculates and aerates the water.

the germination phase involves two buckets which fit well ,pushed together with the top bucket having alot of 4mm holes drillled in the bottom. a small air pump, as above, bubbles air in to the bottom bucket which is filled with a few cms of water. this must be below the bottom of the top bucket.

once the barley was ready i decided to skip the drying phase and try mashing immediately from the green malt. i put it through my sausage machine which macerated it well if noisily and then straight into the mash tun.

the process had taken 2 days longer than i expected as the temp in the fridge had dropped to 9degC on occasion. this meant that the mashing took place when i was very busy with work and family commitments with the result that i had to leave it in the mash tun for24hours. by which time it had turned a little sour!!

i had added 500gms sugar and form 4kg barley at the start i had 15litres with sg of 1049. not that efficient but interesting. i will be tasting it very shortly but the excessive unplanned time in the mash tun has probably bxggxxd it.

i will try again soon.

sorry that was long answer to your question. in short i think you need to malt in the fridge at this time of year and aerate it as above to stop fermentation and moulds.

mark