Roasting Barley at home?

[Wingnutt73]

So I recently came in to a good deal make that the perfect Deal. I have someone that is willing to give me Barley for free. I'm talking they showed up with 15Lb's yesterday.

My question is one how Do I roast this stuff at home? I assume I can just wondering about Temp and times for desired roasts.

Also this is a 4-6 row Barley I know the norm is 2-4 so whats the big difference? And how will this if at all affect the brew? If its not going to come out good then There is no need to fill my house with free barley. SWMBO would not like that at all.

Also if I can not roast it can I make malt with it or will the same ill effects (again if any) will come out in the malt flavor?

 

[Varmintman]

All the barley I have seen is either 2 row or 6 row. Difference between them is 6 row has more protein and enzymes.

Before you can roast them though they need to be malted. But yes you can malt and roast your own barley.

 

[GuldTuborg]

Before you can roast them though they need to be malted. But yes you can malt and roast your own barley.

Not if you want roasted barley. That is unmalted. Black patent is the malted version, roasted to more or less the same level.

Radical Brewing has a chapter on roasting malt at home. I've seen another guide that looked good, but it only covered amber, brown, and medium to dark crystal malts. Someone much have done it, though it seems like the balance point between properly roasted and completely scorched might be a small one. I'm sorry I don't have anything better right now, but if I find any of those write-ups, I'll post back. If you have any success, please post your method.

 

[Wingnutt73]

Not if you want roasted barley. That is unmalted. Black patent is the malted version, roasted to more or less the same level.

Radical Brewing has a chapter on roasting malt at home. I've seen another guide that looked good, but it only covered amber, brown, and medium to dark crystal malts. Someone much have done it, though it seems like the balance point between properly roasted and completely scorched might be a small one. I'm sorry I don't have anything better right now, but if I find any of those write-ups, I'll post back. If you have any success, please post your method.

That is kind of what I was thinking. I am an Extract brewer for the time being. With this amoutn of Grain for free I can almost cut my cost in half for each batch. I just need to find out as stated before the Temps and times needed for the different types.

I will post back for sure with any thing I do find out with trial and error. I guess since it is free if I mess it up I wont be out anything.

 

[Andrikos]

With this amount of Grain for free I can almost cut my cost in half for each batch.

Are you planning to malt the barley?
If not, you'll still need enzymes from somewhere to convert the umalted, roasted barley. And you definitely cannot use 50% roasted barley in a(ny) recipe!

Try malting it, drying it and then kilning, roasting, toasting it to different levels.
It is a fun experiment but then you'll realize how cheap/convenient it is to just buy the different malt varieties for your recipes.
Have fun with it either way...

 

[Wingnutt73]

Wow so I just found this little nugget, http://barleypopmaker.info/2009/12/08/home-roasting-your-malts/ Basically most of the information is right here Times, Temps everything I need I may get the book also because that will help even more. But from what I can tell it does need to be malted first so I guess I'll be soaking some tonight.

 

[GuldTuborg]

Are you planning to malt the barley?
If not, you'll still need enzymes from somewhere to convert the umalted, roasted barley.

Wut? Roast barley does not need to be mashed.

And you definitely cannot use 50% roasted barley in a(ny) recipe!

Well, you could...but I'm not sure anyone would want to drink whatever that kind of recipe would make!

Anyway, OP, it looks like you found a good write up. There are also some guys here who do the same thing. There was a good article either in Zymurgy or BYO about a year back that had a similar approach. I'll try to go through my back issues and find it.

 

[Rake_Rocko]

OP, here is a nice article that I think the previous post referred to, http://***********/malt/item/1092-make-your-own-malt
Make sure to read it all so you know and understand the pros and cons of home malting.

Also here is a great article for roasting the grains to get different sorts of crystals and chocolate malts. This site is for after you actually do the malting process though so keep that in mind. http://barleypopmaker.info/2009/12/08/home-roasting-your-malts/

Hope these helped!

 

[Wingnutt73]

Thanks Rake Thats the info I needed!! Now I will get this going. Hopefully everything turns out. It does not sound hard at all more time consuming then anything but hey thats the price you pay.

I also found that second link. So with these Powers combined I will be unstoppable. thank you!

 

[Wingnutt73]

So I have started the malting process. This is just a small batch to start with if it works great I not try again.

So I filled a mason jar 3/4 of the way with barley then filled with it with filtered tap water to cover it. Let it soak over night and repeated this again when I got home from work (about 13 hours later). Total soak about 40 hours. I then poured it all into a strainer and washed it again.

Now I have spread them on a baking sheet using tinfoil to cover the baking sheet. Then placed a few layers of "moist" not dripping wet Paper towles over the barley. Then place that in a trash bag and left at room temp which in my house is 69-70f.

I will post more when I get it

 

[Wingnutt73]

So in just one day I see the little white hairs. Guess I'm doing something right lol. I stirred them around a bit so they don't grow together. I think I'm actually ahead of schedule.

It smells like sweet yogurt also. I think as i stated befor that I am ahead of schedule may be roasting as early as tomorrow night!!

 

[Wingnutt73]

Okay guys this is sunday morning. As far as what I have read these are done. The hair like rootlets are about 3/4" long and the main shoot is about 3/4 to 1 full size of the barley itself. So now its time to stop the germination process and dry them out.

I found out that my oven does not go as low as needed which ended up working out fine. The Instructions I have found say to dry them out @ 100 degrees F. My oven only goes down to 170 F which again worked fine. I put them in for about 3-4 hours making sure to check them about every 30 minute to make sure they were not being over dried because I don't want to Roast them at this point.

The trick is not to dry them completly at the first drying attempt. you still want them to have some of the mositure in them.

Tonight I will hopefully be roasting. I guess what I am goign to do once everything is said and done is try to make a 1gal batch to see how this turns out. Again I'll Let you know and please if you have anymore information share it.

 

[GuldTuborg]

Good deal. I love the pics. Homemade black patent? Sounds like you have a stout or two to make. If you have the capability to cool it, now's a great time to brew a big stout to be ready come Christmas.

 

[chuckstout]

The heat from your oven lamp should reach about 100f

 

[Wingnutt73]

Good deal. I love the pics. Homemade black patent? Sounds like you have a stout or two to make. If you have the capability to cool it, now's a great time to brew a big stout to be ready come Christmas.

So I have not decided what roast I am going to put on them yet I'm still in the drying process. Think I'm gonna go with a crystal malt at first something simple make a light lager.

Thanks for the info about the Light in the oven didnt think of that. More pics to come when the roast is done.

 

[Ash_Mathew]

Soak half in water for a minimum of two hours. The roast them. That will give you crystal malt.