Malt is a very useful product: vitamins B and not only, fatty acids, phytohormones, trace elements, minerals, folic acid, amino acids, enzymes. ... Still, the germinated grain cannot be different. True, its preparation is not an easy process: it is easier to buy ready-made barley malt. But those who prefer homemade alcohol and homemade cakes, are not afraid of difficulties. How to make malt is worth a separate discussion.

What is barley malt and what is it drunk and eaten with

Malt is the result of seed germination. It is used to make beer, wine and whiskey, as well as bread. By the way, malt is not only barley or rye, but also from oats, wheat and even corn. However, these types of malt are not brewery and are only suitable for making wine and whiskey.

This product is needed due to the fact that when maize, barley or rye germinates, chemical changes occur in it, leading to diastasis. The latter is needed in order to dissolve and saccharify starch, as well as to obtain maltose, a fermentable sugar. So, malt is a fermented product. In order to obtain malt for beer, the grain is first soaked and only then germinated. Changes begin to take place already upon soaking, when the grain swells: here diastasis and carbonic acid are formed. During germination, these processes become even more intense. This dissolves starch and forms glucose, sugar and maltose. It is moisture that triggers all vital processes in rye and barley.

It used to be that barley malt was only suitable for beer when no leaf appeared during germination. In fact, a leaf is needed, but it is germinated only at a low temperature. Consider this before making your malt at home. Only barley malt is used in the production of beer. Rye is most often used for baking or added to sweets, soups, second, side dish, salad. It is also used in folk medicine, for example, for skin diseases and for "female" diseases (for example, erosion). Malt is also used for hair treatment: as a mask. But the main use of malt is still getting beer and other drinks. It is because of him, by the way, that beer is called liquid bread.

Barley malt is dry or green.

How to make malt yourself: theory

First of all, you need to be ready for the fact that this is a time consuming business.

The most important thing is to stop the growth of seeds in time so that they do not use up all their nutrients. For this, barley malt (and any other) is dried.

When brewing malt for beer, it is important to select the right grain. It must have a high germination capacity. In freshly harvested barley, it is small - it is better to choose grains harvested a couple of months (or more) ago. In addition, it is good if all the barley is the same size: this is easier to work with.

Beer malt should be brewed with good quality water. It should be free of heavy metals and chlorine. The best way- spring, filtered, from a well or settled.

Before making the malt at home, you need to check how hard the grains are sprouting. Just soak a hundred or two grains, and after a couple of days, see how many have sprouted. If sprouts appear in 90 out of a hundred, this is normal germination. In other cases, it is better to use barley for other purposes.

Germinating barley malt: practice

Malt cleaning

To begin with, beer malt must be disinfected and cleaned of debris that can interfere with germination.

For this, a bucket or a large saucepan is taken, and the cereals are poured with warm water. Water (from 35 degrees to forty) should cover the grains by 5-6 centimeters. Stir after five minutes, remove the debris and floating grains. Now we pour cold water. We are waiting for another hour. We remove the debris again and drain the water again. Fill with new water, add iodine or potassium permanganate dissolved in water. For a dozen liters of water, a couple of grams of potassium permanganate or three dozen drops of iodine are needed. We drain the water after three hours. Sometimes it happens that after disinfection the barley may not germinate, but on the other hand, if you do not disinfect it, mold may appear on the grain, that is, pathogens that destroy malt. So it's better to decide on your own whether to disinfect or not.

Saturation with liquid and oxygen

The next thing to do with the barley is to soak it, saturating it with liquid and oxygen. It takes one and a half days, that is, 36 hours. All this time, you need to fill the barley with water for 6 hours, then leave it dry. The water should cover the barley by three centimeters, its temperature should be about 12 degrees. After six hours, drain it along with the garbage, stir the barley and let it breathe for six hours and pour water again. So everything for a day and a half. This procedure should take place in a basement or any place where there is coolness and no light.

Sprouting malt

We germinate. One of the highlights of the transformation of barley into barley malt. This is where we start the process of breaking down starch and converting it into sugar. Here we will need a baking sheet or tray. Pour barley on it evenly (layer thickness - from a couple of centimeters to five). Cover the barley with a cloth (cotton) on top. It will absorb moisture that the grains do not need and give it back if the grains need liquid. The ideal room temperature will be 12-15 degrees. Also, the room must be well ventilated. Stir the barley every 24 hours, sprinkle with water. It will germinate for about a week, but if the roots have appeared and tangled so that you can unbraid them, you can finish germination earlier. Rye germinates in five days and on the last day it should not be watered. The roots of barley grains should be twice as long as the grain itself, in rye - no longer than the grain itself. If the cereal has sprouted, it smells like cucumber and tastes sweet. We now have green malt. This type of malt is used to make whiskey or moonshine, but green malt is stored for a maximum of three days. That is why we immediately proceed to drying it.

Removing water from malt

To begin with, we remove the remaining water from the tray with sprouted barley. Then it is transferred to a room or any other room where the air temperature is high. In winter, a section of a room near a radiator or stove is ideal for this. In the summer, an attic or even a roof will do (if the weather is hot and rain is not expected). The drying process takes four days. If roots have appeared, but there are still no shoots, it can still be dried.

There is another option for drying malt: sprouted barley or rye is placed in an oven (temperature about 40 degrees) and dried for 30 hours. It is important here to stir the grain every three hours.

Almost finish

The beer malt is almost ready. If you want to light beer or whiskey, it is dried in the oven (temperature 80 degrees) and the temperature is raised for the first half hour. The initial temperature is 30 degrees, then every five minutes it is raised. If the beer is dark, it is almost fried: the temperature is 105 degrees, the drying time is 4 hours.

Separation of grain from sprouts

It remains to separate the grain from the sprouts and stand. To do this, either crush the product with your hands so that all the roots are separated, or pack it in a bag and roll it. After the malt is winnowed with a fan or in the wind.

Malt aging

Now it is put into bags and before brewing beer or whiskey we keep it dry and warm for at least a month. The malt yield from barley is up to 79 percent, from rye - a maximum of 78 percent.

• To grind your malt, use a coffee grinder, meat grinder, or even a cereal grinder.
• Vinegar or vodka can be used as disinfection. The last grains are rinsed, washed in vinegar for a long time. A mouthwash is also suitable, but after that you need to rinse the barley to remove the odor.
• It is quite possible to germinate barley in the refrigerator.
• The grain must be clean, that is, without husks.
• If part of the barley is overgrown, and part is sour, you can remove the sour and continue to deal with the overgrown.
• Whenever possible, buy barley or rye of the highest quality: it depends on how they will germinate, and what your beer will taste like.
• Sometimes homemade malt beers are pale in color. You can mix two types of malt to give your beverage a golden color.

Of course, under industrial conditions, malt is prepared differently and using malt makers. But if you brew the malt at home, you can make the beer completely unique.

Video instructions

Attention: this article is intended for persons over 18 years of age.

Malt can be added to anything from vinegar and whiskey to milkshakes. In particular, barley malt is most commonly used in beer production and can be obtained at home if desired. Raw barley can be purchased at the supermarket, brewing supply store, equestrian store, and some pet stores. The malt process involves repeatedly soaking the kernels to germinate, holding the kernels moist during germination, and then drying them to stop the growth.

Steps

Part 1

Soak the barley

Transfer the barley to a large food bucket. You can use any number of barley grains to make malt, as long as you have the right equipment. You will need a large bucket, strainer, baking trays, and a dehydrator.

Pour cold water into a bucket and let the barley soak in it for 8 hours. Pour in enough water to completely cover the grains. The water initiates the germination of the grains. Leave the bucket uncovered and put it in a cool place. Soak the barley at 10-16 ° C.

• The soaking process will dissolve the dirt and husks in the water, and then you drain it. As a result, the malt is cleaned and tastes better.
• If necessary, the barley can be soaked for more than 8 hours, but do not soak for more than 16 hours at a time, otherwise the grains may drown in the water.

1. Drain the water. Transfer the barley to a large sieve or colander to remove the water. While the water is running down, wash the bucket with hot water and soap. Then rinse the bucket thoroughly to rinse off any remaining soap. This will prevent the growth of bacteria and fungus.

   Let the beans air dry for eight hours. After the water has drained off, put the barley in a washed bucket and let it dry there for eight hours at the same temperature so that the grains get enough oxygen.

   • While the barley is drying, wash the sieve with hot soapy water.

2. Repeat the soaking and drying process. After eight hours, fill the barley bucket with enough cold water so that it completely covers the grains. Let the barley soak for another eight hours. Then pour it into a colander, and then into a bucket, and let it air dry for eight hours.

   • Remember to wash the bucket and sieve (colander) with hot water and soap every time.

3. Check to see if the seeds are sprouting. Scoop up a handful of barley and look for small white ridges at the bottom of the kernels. These are small roots that should appear after the barley has absorbed enough water. As a result of the soaking and drying cycles, about 95% of the seeds will sprout.

   Part 2

   Germinate barley

   1. Arrange the beans in one layer on baking sheets. Transfer the beans to one or more baking sheets and flatten them with your hand so that they lie in a single layer. The grains can touch, but should not lie on top of each other.

      • If you have a lot of barley, you will probably need a few trays.

   2. Place the trays in plastic bags. Open a large plastic trash bag and place it on a flat surface. Insert the barley baking sheet into the bag and tuck the rim under the baking sheet to close. The polyethylene will retain moisture while the grains are sprouting.

      • Do the same for the other baking sheets.

   3. Keep the barley in a cool, well-ventilated place. Grains will germinate best at 18 ° C. The barley baking trays can be placed in a well-ventilated area such as an attic, garage or basement.

      • If the temperature or humidity is too high, mold can form in the barley. If it is too cold or dry, the grains will not germinate properly.

   4. Spray and turn the grains every 4-8 hours. When germinating, barley generates heat and care must be taken to keep it cool and moist. Remove the baking sheet from the bag and sprinkle the beans with cold water. While doing this, manually turn each grain. Then place the baking sheet back into the bag and tuck it under the bottom of the baking sheet.

      Keep track of the size of the seedlings. Each time you spray and turn the barley, take a few kernels and check how much the sprouts have grown. Flip the grain over to the flat side and use a knife to cut the husk lengthwise. You will find a sprout that grows upward (away from the roots). The germination process is complete when the sprouts are about the same length as the grains themselves.

   Part 3

   Dry the barley

   1. Arrange the barley on the shelves of your food dehydrator. Remove the trays from the bags and transfer the grains to the food dehydrator shelves. Spread them out by hand in one layer.

      • Drying the beans at a low temperature will stop their growth and remove excess moisture.

Few have ever done seed germination at home. And even those who decide to try it usually choose wheat as it is cheap and readily available. But it is far from the only one on the grain market. But people remember barley only in association with malt and beer. And completely in vain, because a small grain contains a huge amount of vitamins and minerals that our body needs. Today we'll talk about how to germinate barley. Perhaps for some, this will be the first step towards changing life and eating habits.

We select high-quality grain

Everything is very simple here. By purchasing grain from the market, you can get a spoiled product, grain with mold or treated with special compounds that do not allow germination. The latter technique is used when barley prepared for animal feed is poured. Even if the grain is damp, it will not sprout and spoil. But in our case it does not fit at all.

Any grain must be carefully examined and selected. Using low-quality grain, you get a small yield of the required product, that is, you are wasting time. So, there are a few rules to consider:

• Use barley that has been harvested no more than 2 months ago.
• It will not be superfluous to check it for germination. To do this, you need to soak about 100 grains from different batches. This gives the germination percentage. Practice shows that it is better not to use grain with an indicator of less than 90%.

Soak

It is important to carefully study the question of "how to germinate barley" before you move on to practice. At first glance, the question is not too difficult, but there are pitfalls that can deprive you of a good half of the seedlings.

So, the first secret: you must first soak the grain in water at room temperature. To do this, follow these steps:

• We put the grain in a container and fill it with water so that it completely covers it.
• We remove floating grains and debris, after which the water must be drained.
• Re-fill the grain with cool water.
• Disinfection. Since it is quite troublesome to germinate barley, you need to take care that the seedlings are not spoiled by mold. The most simple processing helps to make the barley more resilient. Iodine or ordinary potassium permanganate can be used as an antiseptic. For 10 liters of water, you only need to add 30 drops. The solution must be poured into a container with grain and kept for at least 3 hours. This does not affect germination, but allows most grains to give strong, excellent shoots.

On a note

If you are interested in how to germinate barley, remember: correct and prolonged soaking is the most main secret... It must be kept for at least 48 hours. During this time, you need to change the water every 6-12 hours and remove residual debris. Cold water is needed so that the grain does not start sprouting ahead of time. This procedure will create conditions for germination.

Germination procedure

You will need to prepare a wide drawer or tray. Its size depends on the amount of grain. Layer thickness - no more than 6 cm. The washed wet grain is carefully distributed over the bottom of the tray. Be sure to cover it with a cotton cloth on top. It will not allow water to evaporate, but it will also not interfere with ventilation. For this purpose, you can apply a stretch film, in which you want to make cuts. The first method is preferable, since it makes it possible to moisten the grain without removing the covering material and without disturbing the microclimate.

Main indicators

When talking about how to germinate barley at home, two points are important. The grain will hatch only at the optimum temperature and with sufficient moisture. The germination process should take place at a temperature of about 20 degrees. In this case, it is necessary to stir the grain every day and spray it with water from a spray bottle. Check the moisture content of the covering material and do not allow it to dry completely.

Basically, this is all you need to know about how to germinate barley at home. Usually you can see the first shoots already on the 2-3 day. How long should the grain be aged? It depends on the goals you are pursuing.

Eating sprouts

The maximum benefit lies in sprouts that do not exceed 5 mm in size. After the barley grains have germinated, they must be rinsed in cool water. It is best if you eat them right away. If any unused sprouts remain, refrigerate them to slow growth. Strongly germinated seeds are tough and taste bitter. Be sure to rinse them before eating. Now you know how to germinate barley for food. But there are other ways to use it as well.

Sprouting for malt

In order to activate the processes that are dormant in each grain, a soaking procedure is used. In fact, it mimics spring, when melt water and sun stimulate the grain to grow. We've talked about how to properly germinate barley for food, but it's also used to make malt. In this case, the conditions need to be changed slightly.

Temperature and humidity

For germination to start, low humidity is required, about 40%. That is, the grains are slightly moistened and remain in this state until the moment the embryo begins to develop. Now you need to increase the humidity to 50%. This is achieved simply, you just need to increase the frequency of spraying. This is important information for anyone looking for options on how to germinate barley for malt. In this case, it is required to control the humidity much more carefully.

The physiological processes during germination are also seriously affected by temperature. Ideally, it should be 14-15 degrees. At lower rates, development will slow down, and at higher rates, it accelerates and occurs unevenly. The duration of this process is 6-7 days. If all recommendations are followed, good malt germinates. Most believe that the warmer it is in the room where the grain is germinating, the faster it will germinate. But in order to get high-quality sprouts, you must adhere to the described rules.

Processes inside the grain

In order to understand well how to germinate barley grains, you need to imagine how the embryo develops. It first breaks through the fruit and seed membranes, and then moves between them and the dorsal colored membrane. With artificial germination, the embryo develops only to a certain size. If the temperature is higher, the germ sprouts from the top of the grain, which reduces the quality of the finished malt.

We evaluate the result

At the end of the germination process, the malt can be judged by its appearance. And first of all, you can appreciate the smell. The fresh cucumber aroma suggests that everything is done correctly. But the sour fruity one allows us to conclude that the malt sprouting was done incorrectly. Most often, this is too long soaking and excessively abundant irrigation. Do not forget that for proper growth and development, grains need a little and constant moisture. If the material is overdried, life in it will cease. At the same time, one should not forget that if the moisture is excessive, then it is fraught with decay and mold growth.

The appearance of brown, wilted sprouts indicates that they are sorely lacking in moisture. The increased fragility of the sprouts is the result of unsatisfactory work of the tedder. The sprouts must be turned over several times each day.

The main difficulties

When barley germinates during the first four days, its chemical composition changes significantly. Based on this, you need to control appearance germinated grain and the degree of its infection by microorganisms. This can usually be assessed fairly easily by the color of the grain. Bright, green spots, black or red specks are a sign of bacterial infection. That is, you need to process the entire batch of grain, otherwise you will not get sprouts that are fit for human consumption. The situation is similar with the batch that was intended for the production of malt.

Subsequent procurement

Since it will not be possible to germinate barley seeds at home too quickly, it is logical to make a larger batch at once. If the sprouts are intended for food, then the leftovers are stored in the refrigerator, where they can be stored for much longer. And the finished malt is dried. In addition, by changing the drying phases and temperature conditions, you can get raw materials that give the drink a unique taste and color. This applies to both kvass and alcoholic beverages.

Instead of a conclusion

Today a healthy lifestyle is becoming more and more popular. And without enough vitamins and minerals, it is difficult to imagine the right diet - the basis of the basics. To do without pharmacy vitamin complexes, you can use sprouted grain. This is a real pantry of the most important trace elements. Moreover, any grain has useful properties, be it buckwheat, legumes or wheat, oats or other cereals. The principle of germination is the same for any of them, so if you master this technology, you can easily provide yourself with fresh sprouts every day. There is evidence that the daily consumption of one spoonful of fresh sprouts gives the body a full set of trace elements for a whole day.

Barley is one of the most common grain crops. If you want to grow it yourself, be sure to read our article. You will learn all about plant varieties and growing conditions.

A detailed description of the technology of sowing, care and harvesting will help to cope with the cultivation of a grain crop, and you are guaranteed to get a rich grain harvest at home.

How to grow barley

Among grain crops, barley is considered the fastest ripening, so you need to know exactly how to grow it at home to get a good harvest.

When cultivating this culture, you need to take into account some features: requirements for soil, heat, humidity and lighting.

Growing conditions

Correct seeding is key to getting a good harvest. The main condition for high seed germination is early sowing. Due to the moderate temperature regime and sufficient humidity, the culture germinates evenly and quickly gains green mass.

Due to the structure of the root system, it is demanding on soil fertility. The area for sowing must be fertilized in advance and cleaned of weeds. The best predecessors of the crop are considered to be potatoes, corn, winter crops and legumes.

Growing technology

Sowing begins in the first week of spring field work. If planting is carried out later, the seedlings can be damaged by diseases and pests, and the volume of the crop will decrease. Despite the fact that the narrow-row and the row method are used for sowing, the priority should be given to the former.

Note: With narrow-row sowing, the row spacing is only 7.5 cm. This allows the seeds to emerge more closely and practically simultaneously, and the high plant density prevents weeds from growing.

Using the narrow-row method, it is necessary to strictly observe the sowing rates, since too dense plantings will negatively affect the quality and quantity of the crop. Depending on the region, the following standards are used:

• Far East and Non-Black Earth Zone - 5-6 million per hectare;
• Central belt and Chernozem zone - up to 5.5 million grains per 1 hectare;
• Urals and the Volga region - 3.5-4 million seeds per hectare.

The sowing depth also plays an important role. If the seeds are close to the surface of the soil, they will begin to germinate unevenly, and if the seeds are placed at a great depth, some of the sprouts will die without ever breaking through to the surface.

The average sowing depth depends on soil and climatic conditions. For arid regions, it is 6-8 cm, for sandy soils - 5-6 cm, and for heavy clay soil - no more than 4 cm.

The cultivation technology with all stages is shown in detail in the video.

Types of barley

For human consumption and the preparation of feed raw materials, only cultivated varieties are used. They are of several types (Figure 1):

• The two-row one yields only one spikelet, and the lateral shoots do not yield;
• Multi-row - a plant with multiple ears. Differs in high productivity and drought tolerance;
• The intermediate one forms from one to three ears. This species is considered a rarity for our country, as it is found only in some regions of Asia and Africa.

Figure 1. The main types of culture

In addition, a classification by species has been adopted depending on the nutritional value. Grain 1 is used for the production of cereals, and the second - for the preparation of malt and animal feed. Additionally, it is divided into winter and spring (it differs in terms of sowing, germination and yield).

Where is barley grown in Russia

It is difficult to unequivocally determine where barley is grown in Russia, since this grain is considered one of the most widespread in the world.

Note: In the world, it ranks fourth in terms of crop area, second only to wheat, rice and corn. In Russia, it is the crops of this plant that occupy a leading position due to the undemanding culture.

The culture is grown everywhere in Russia. The only exceptions are the northern regions (the northern border of crops passes through the latitude of the Kola Peninsula and Magadan). In general, the undemanding culture and varieties specially bred by breeders make it one of the best for cultivation in the Russian climate.

Barley varieties

Due to the wide variety, novice farmers often have the question of which plant variety to choose. In this case, you need to be guided not only by soil and climatic conditions, but also by the level of yield and the characteristics of certain varieties.

The following will be the characteristic features the best varieties barley for cultivation in the Russian climate.

Barley variety in memory of Chepelev

The Chepelev memory variety was created by breeders by crossing several varieties. The main feature of the variety is that it was created specifically for growing in the climate of Siberia and the Urals (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Variety of Chepelev's memory

In addition, the culture is distinguished by good acclimatization to different conditions cultivation and has a stable yield regardless of soil, temperature and lighting conditions. Also, the variety effectively resists drought, and although they are considered mid-season, the shoots are highly resistant to diseases and pests.

Description of the variety of barley Bogdan

This variety is one of the subspecies of grain crops. This grain is mainly used for the manufacture of animal feed.

A characteristic feature of the variety is that it can not only be grown in the field by sowing, but also found in the wild. It is most commonly found in arid regions. The culture is valuable due to its unpretentiousness, and high yields and quality of grain make it possible to produce nutritious and fortified animal feed based on it.

Maned barley planting and care

It is rather a decorative culture that is actively used in landscape design. The plant has soft stems that end in lush tassels (Figure 3).

Note: During the flowering period, it is better to pluck the brushes in order to prevent self-seeding.

Planting and caring for the crop is very simple. Since it is unpretentious, it is enough to sow it in the garden just once. Further care only involves removing the tassels during flowering, but even if the crop spreads through the garden it will be easy to remove. The root system is shallow, so the plant is very easy to pull out from the roots.

Figure 3. Maned barley: photo

Crops can not be fed, but in the spring, after the first shoots appear, it is advisable to remove the weeds, and in dry weather organize regular watering.

Soil preparation and fertilization

The soil for sowing is prepared in the fall, immediately after the harvest of the predecessor. The soil is dug up and measures are taken to keep the snow cover. This helps to saturate the soil with moisture before spring sowing.

See also: How to grow wheat at home

In the spring, immediately before the introduction of seeds into the soil, additional shallow loosening is carried out, which allows the soil to be saturated with moisture and air.

Figure 4. Fertilizing crops at home

Timely fertilization plays an important role in obtaining good yields (Figure 4). Since the culture is demanding on soil fertility, fertilizers are applied in autumn and spring (repeatedly).

Note: After the emergence of seedlings, it makes no sense to fertilize the plants, since they will not be able to fully absorb the nutrients.

To strengthen the roots and form large ears during autumn plowing and directly during sowing, phosphorus and potash fertilizers are applied. It is important that the plant responds better to mineral than to organic fertilizing.

Sowing site requirements

Despite the fact that the crop is grown in all climatic zones, it is demanding on the level of soil fertility. If the soil is acidic, young shoots may stop growing or even die, and with high humidity, the culture is affected by rot and fungal diseases.

Lighting

Plants require good lighting for normal fruiting. If the area is poorly lit, the plants will develop slowly and the ear formation will be delayed.

This condition is relevant not only for mid-ripening, but also for early varieties, therefore, the areas for sowing should be well illuminated throughout the day.

Barley: heat requirements

The culture grows well in all climatic zones, regardless of temperature regime... Thanks to early sowing, young shoots are frost-resistant and yield high yields.

In addition, it belongs to one of the earliest grain crops, and the timing of sowing and emergence allows shoots to grow stronger before the first weeds and pests appear.

Humidity

The culture tolerates drought well, and excess moisture can cause rotting of the roots and provoke fungal diseases. Plants need most of the liquid at the stage of going into the tube and at the beginning of the formation of ears.

A strong lack of moisture, like its excess, at the initial stage of plant development leads to the formation of sterile shoots or causes the death of plants.

Barley crop care

Caring for crops includes only a few activities, since this grain is considered unpretentious:

1. In arid regions and in areas with light soils immediately after sowing, rolling is carried out, but if a crust appears on the surface of the soil, it is necessary to carry out surface transverse harrowing.
2. In the later stages of cultivation, already in the ripening phase of the grains, a supplement is introduced, which helps to increase the amount of protein in the product.
3. During the growth of culture use herbicides to control weeds, and special preparations to prevent lodging of crops.

It is also necessary to regularly inspect the field, and if pests or their larvae are found, spray it.

This video will show you how to grow cereals hydroponically at home.

Storing unripe barley

The main purpose of storing grains is to preserve them nutritional value and the ability to germinate. Small quantities of crops can be stored on the floor in barns or sheds. The main condition is that the room must be dry and clean, and the interior must be well ventilated (Figure 5).

Figure 5. Methods for storing grain

Varietal seeds intended for sowing are stored in dense fabric bags. In such a container, the seeds consume less oxygen and retain the ability to germinate.

See also: Methods of dealing with diseases and pests of barley

When storing grain, moisture and temperature are especially important. The moisture level should not exceed 12%, otherwise the raw material will start to rot and become moldy. The temperature should not exceed 10 degrees. With an increase in this indicator, microorganisms begin to develop in the storage, capable of destroying the entire crop.

One of the most effective green manures is barley. It is planted both before winter and in spring, the grains of this culture sprout quickly and well-rooted seedlings are not afraid of frosts. In addition, these are winter crops that, after sowing in autumn, can be used in spring. Barley is undemanding to growing conditions, but it is strongly influenced by the nutritional value of the soil.

This culture perfectly structures the soil, destroys many types of weeds and quickly forms a green mass in the spring. In addition, barley has a special property - in comparison with other cereals, it perfectly withstands drought. For this reason, it is desirable to grow barley in arid regions as green manure. He develops well with early spring planting, with winter sowing, it can withstand without shelter (without snow) a drop in temperature to 5 degrees below zero. Seed consumption per 100 m2 - 1, 8-2 kilograms. You can mow the green mass of barley 1-1.5 months after sowing.

Buried roots and vegetative mass of barley inhibits the growth and development of weeds... The greens of this culture contain as many minerals as animal waste. In the soil, barley decomposes quickly and immediately supplies the plants with essential nutrients. With the help of the greenery of this culture on the site many beneficial microorganisms develop... In addition, it reduces acidity, increases the permeability and moisture content of the soil. The beneficial influence of this green manure continues for 4 years.

Barley growing conditions

Temperature. Seeds can be sown in early spring after the soil warms up to 1-2 degrees Celsius, viable seedlings are formed at 4-5 degrees Celsius. But at these temperatures, the emergence of seedlings is prolonged, the most suitable growth temperature is 15-20 degrees. Barley, sown before winter, does not tolerate winters with little snow, with severe frosts, stagnant waters and sharp spring temperature changes.

Seedlings not covered with snow can withstand short-term frosts up to 8 degrees. In the later stages of growth, resistance to low temperatures goes down. Adult barley is damaged by frosts of 1-2 degrees, if the grain has formed, then it is unsuitable for brewing.

Humidity. Barley - better than other spring crops withstands drought. But moderate temperatures and normal humidity favor the formation of many shoots. This crop requires the most moisture during booting and earing. In arid conditions, it forms more grain, but due to a weak root system, less green mass.

Pick-up location The most important condition for obtaining a large number barley - the choice of predecessors suitable for this culture. When growing winter barley, they showed themselves well - rapeseed, early potatoes, peas. For spring crops, crops that leave a lot of nitrogen in the soil are best. Fertilizers of organic origin are applied to the soil only when its fertility is low; most often, barley is sown after row crops that require feeding with fresh manure. Mineral fertilizers are favorable for both spring and winter barley, potash and phosphorus fertilizers are applied during autumn plowing of soil, nitrogen during pre-sowing cultivation.

Barley subspecies Varieties of barley - multi-row, two-row and intermediate.

In a multi-row crop variety, grains are formed in all spikelets. There are two groups of this subspecies:

1. With six-row regular caryopsis;

2.With the wrong ones.

Spikelets of the first type are hexagonal, dense and hard, the second type outwardly resembles a quadrangle and are located slightly incorrectly.

Two-row barley became so called for the reason that one of the three spikelets is female, and a caryopsis is formed from it. "Male" spikelets are outwardly only scales. The cultivation of this type of barley is practiced in large areas; the appearance of an ear can be seen in the photo.

The intermediate subspecies of the culture grows 1-3 spikelets, the final number of grains also depends on this.

Most often, multi-row barley is grown.

Sowing barley

Winter barley is grown, usually in areas with a mild climate. Its main advantage is a short period from sowing to harvest, it lasts 2-4 months. For this reason, after it, you can grow crops with a short growing season. Or this area will be able to "rest" more time, which will better prepare it for the next season. The timing of sowing seeds is calculated taking into account the variety and climatic conditions of the region. For him, not only the sowing site is important, but also the weather conditions of the planting area. Most often, the planting date for this culture is the second decade of September.

Barley will grow well after crops such as legumes, sunflowers and forage grasses. After growing the previous plant, the site needs to be fenced to a depth of 7-10 cm in order to process the remaining weeds and roots of the previous "owner".

Seed material is pre-sorted. Seeds intended for sowing are treated with substances that destroy pathogenic microorganisms. Sowing is carried out with seeders, after which it is necessary to roll the soil. In late autumn, if a little snow falls, operations are performed to exterminate rodents and retain snow. After the snow melts in the spring, the site is fertilized and sprayed with compositions intended for the extermination of weeds.

Spring barley- a cereal plant that can develop very quickly. It is classified as a crop that requires very early sowing in the spring. If the start of work is delayed by 2-3 days, you can lose a large amount of the crop. The soil is prepared for it in the same way as before sowing winter barley. Seeds are sown in a narrow-row or row method. Only for this culture, the free space between the rows is reduced. For the friendly appearance of seedlings, it is necessary to sow them in moist soil, to the same depth after sowing, the site is rolled without fail. If you do not perform this operation, then some plants will appear earlier, the pecking of others will be delayed, they can sit in the ground even before the first rain.

Before sowing, the seed is treated with compounds for diseases and pests and the seeds are sorted.

Spring barley is sown very early - this can happen even in February, so weeds do not pose a great danger to it - they simply do not have time to break through and grow. But when sowing at a later date, it is necessary to carry out work to combat weeds. During the development of barley, it is advisable to feed the crops with mineral fertilizers.

Barley is an agricultural plant that satisfies not only food and feed needs, but also technical purposes.

Barley is grown for grain, green manure and as a fodder base for livestock.

A grain of barley, a nutritious product, a cereal from which cereals, flour and even a coffee drink are obtained during processing. Barley grain is actively used in brewing, but for the production bakery products Barley flour is rarely used due to its low gluten level, which has a detrimental effect on the quality of bread.

• Description of the plant
• Barley planting care

Description of the plant

Barley is a crop that is massively cultivated for grain. Barley grain is the basis of nutrition for the livestock and poultry industry.

Barley unites more than 35 species, wild and cultivated forms.

The culture has been known since ancient times, its age is about seven thousand years. The first to be cultivated was the two-row cultivated form of barley, the plant found wide distribution in Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt, and from these countries migrated to Europe.

Two-row barley has two forms: spring and winter. Botanical characteristics are represented by a thin erect stem, about half a meter high, golden or brown ears of linear, flat shape, with awns diverging in different directions. Osti are represented by three-horned lobed appendages - furkat spike.

But there are ears without awns. Three spikes located on the ledge of the rod differ: the middle one is one-flowered, bisexual, fertile. The grain is flaky, golden in color, is actively involved in agriculture in Europe and Asia.

Six-row barley, which is considered to be the homeland of Asia, is represented by a one-year spring crop. Spikelets are light yellow, brown, rarely black, differ in density, shape and size, spinous and without.

Rod ledges are crowned with fertile single-flowered ears, hexagonal or tetrahedral. The grain is filmy, with a classic yellow color. The culture shows excellent qualities of resistance to weather anomalies: drought and low temperatures.

For these qualities, barley has won recognition all over the world.

The productivity of barley is high, the culture is not demanding for heat, it is drought-resistant and is not afraid of cold weather, it grows on any soil, including acidic soils.

The plant is early ripening, ripens 70-90 days after sowing. After the formation of the panicle and during the ripening of the grain, it is picky about the presence of sunlight and heat.

During the ripening of the grains, barley is able to withstand temperatures up to 45 ° C. With such a hardy feature, the plant differs from other cereals, however, when pouring ears, the plant needs an additional source of moisture and nutrition.

The most suitable soil for the cultivation of barley are neutral loams and deep-tilled chernozems. In general, barley is such a culture that easily tolerates all the hardships associated with weedy, poorly enriched or acidic soil.

Selective work to improve the barley culture continues, new varieties of barley, bred by domestic and foreign breeders, have introduced completely new characteristics into the culture.

Low lodging threshold, resistance to fungal and putrefactive infections, increased productivity, breeding of new, dwarf varieties, became possible by selecting and crossing the best varieties of barley, which have proven themselves more than once.

The resulting dry barley varieties are several times more productive than wheat, and the amount of harvested grain does not stop at 3.5 tons per hectare, but is constantly increasing.

Highly productive varieties of barley

A variety of varieties and forms of barley makes it possible to choose the type that will bear fruit with dignity in your region.

Priazovsky variety

One of the most common varieties in Russia, it shows amazing vitality, is not capricious, it gives yields even on unenriched soils. Ripens in 3 months, resistant to lodging, fungal infection, cold-resistant. It is cultivated in the southern regions of Russia and in the middle lane. It is used as food raw material, as well as for livestock feed. About 65 centners of grain can be obtained from 1 hectare. arable land. The mass of 1000 grains reaches 60 grams.

Variety Viscount

Hybrid variety, upright plant. Ripens in three months after sowing. The mass of 1000 grains ranges from 50 to 80 grams. The yield of feed grains is high. Viscount is used in brewing. Barley grains of this variety have a high protein content of about 12%. Shows resistance to fungal diseases and rot, temperature changes. The average yield is about 65 centners per hectare. Sowing dates begin in early spring, as soon as the snow melts. Grain consumption per hectare is approximately 4-6 million seeds; in arid regions, the density of crops increases.

Barley variety Helios

High germination, unpretentiousness to soil. In conditions of high humidity, it gives excellent grain yields. In terms of botanical characteristics, it is similar to the Vakula variety. Ripens in 3 months, yields high quality grain. With a seeding rate of 3.5 million grains per hectare, about 88 centners can be harvested.

Barley grade Mamluk

The variety is early maturing, productive, with high germination. Resistant to many forms of fungus, short-term drought.

It appears in the list of highly productive and valuable varieties of the country.

Grown for forage, processed into cereals. Compliance with agrotechnical measures when sowing the Mamlyuk variety excludes the development of rust and fusarium, but its tendency to lodging negatively affects the harvesting and yield of grain, so it is not worth delaying the collection of barley. He achieved his popularity thanks to the high harvests obtained in the Stavropol and Krasnodar regions. The yield per hectare reached 72 centners, with 4.3 million seeds sown.

Duncan variety

The Canadian variety of barley has become widespread due to high yields, with low costs of sowing material. The seedlings come together, the ears fully ripen in 2.5 months and yield up to 84 centners of high-quality grain per hectare.

The sowing rate of the Duncan variety is 2 million grains per hectare. In no case should the crops be too thickened, this will have a detrimental effect on the development of the ear. Duncan is unpretentious, cold-resistant, has good resistance to putrefactive infections.

Barley variety Vakula

Good yields and high adaptability to climate change. The variety is highly productive, the grain yield reaches 85 centners per hectare. The germination of grains reaches 95%, the protein content is 8%, the sowing rate is 2-4 million per hectare. It should be borne in mind that crops that are too thickened will not produce grain. High Quality and caliber.

Growing barley: for grain or green manure

Barley is good because it gets along with most agricultural crops; in many subsidiary farms, it is grown with chickpeas, lentils, peas, rapeseed and wheat. When cultivating industrialists, they resort to methods of intensive farming of barley.

It is not recommended to grow barley in the same place for more than three years in a row. Agricultural technology implies mandatory observance of crop rotation; cereals, green manures, and potatoes will become quite tolerable predecessors of barley.

Legumes can be considered as a precursor only when barley is grown for feed, but for brewing the crop obtained after legumes is not suitable, since the characteristics of the grains will decrease due to abundant tillering.

At a temperature of +1 degrees, crops begin to actively germinate.

Barley reaches its peak at a temperature of +21. A young plant can endure short-term frosts at -7 degrees. Barley becomes susceptible to climatic changes during the period of flowering and ear formation. The most resistant varieties are plants from the northern regions.

The soil for sowing is prepared in advance, first, deep plowing is carried out, then cultivation is carried out to get rid of weeds, then organic fertilizers are applied and the soil is harrowed.

Before harrowing, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, about 45 kg, are applied to enrich the poor soil. per hectare of arable land.

Barley sowing time is the first half of spring, as soon as the tractors can enter the field. Sowing on a personal plot is done manually. On an industrial scale, mechanized, with grain seeders, with a row spacing of 15 cm.

The method has disadvantages; at 100% germination, the crops thicken. The solution is the increased distance between the grains up to 1.2 cm, at a seeding rate of 4.5 million grains.

For sowing, use only large, seed material with high germination. Before planting, the seeds are treated with fungicides and treated with stimulants of effective growth.

Planting dates for winter barley vary depending on the region of cultivation and are carried out from September to October.

The standard seeding rate is considered to be about 165-215 kg. per ha. This is approximately 3.5-4 million grains. Varieties prone to tillering and lodging are sown in smaller volumes.

Barley planting care

Barley is an unpretentious and hardy crop, but, like all agricultural crops, it requires adherence to agricultural technology.

If the arable land after sowing is covered with a carpet of weeds or has a crust through which it is difficult for young plants to break through, it is recommended to carry out harrowing.

If the situation is different and weeds are already advancing on the seedlings, harrowing is carried out along the seedlings, it is not recommended to carry out the procedure with a low density of crops. The barley garden is cultivated by hand. Herbicides aimed at killing weeds are rarely used, as they adversely affect the germination and growth of crops.

But top dressing is welcome, and on scanty soils, you cannot do without them at all. Top dressing is carried out by spraying fertilizers. At the beginning of the growing season, nitrogen fertilizers are applied, during the formation of an ear, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.

Barley does not need regular irrigation if it is cultivated in a temperate region; in arid regions, irrigation is established to increase yields. For example, irrigation techniques increase the germination rate, and in the process of ear formation, increase the yield by almost 47%. Agronomists still recommend watering cereals 2 times during the growing season.

The situation is different with barley grown for brewing, these crops are watered only once, during the period of active growth, since late watering for beer varieties can cause the growth of false stems and delay the formation of high-quality grain.

Barley for grain and green mass, harvesting and storage

Small household barley plantations are harvested by hand, the harvest begins in dry, hot weather, from August, when the grain reaches full ripeness. The harvested headers are subjected to subsequent threshing.

Industrialists harvest barley using direct and two-phase harvesting. At the time of harvest, the barley grain should not exceed the moisture mark of 20%. Direct combining consists in a one-time harvesting with threshing.

Two-phase combining is used in fields with uneven grain ripening, ears are first mowed and placed in reapers, and then subjected to collection and threshing.

Barley grown for green mass is harvested by mowing in two stages. The first stage of mowing is carried out before the barley blooms, about 55 days after sowing, about 50% of the crops are harvested, the second stage of mowing occurs during flowering. After mowing, the green mass is sent to livestock feed.

After threshing, the barley is delivered to elevators for further processing for long-term storage. Wet grain is placed in grain dryers, then poured into storage in riots, granaries or sent for export.

The conditions for granaries are high, because if grain storage is improperly organized, losses can be up to 35%. Grain masses are thoroughly cleaned and cooled before being sent to storage. Barley can be stored for a long time both in bulk indoors and in bins.

How to germinate barley kernels Rinse barley kernels with cool boiled water, then soak in water for 24-36 hours. The water for soaking the grain must be changed every 7 hours. At the end of the soaking process, the moistened barley grains should be placed between two layers of gauze or cotton cloth well soaked in warm water, placed on the bottom of a glass or enamel dish (the grain layer should not exceed 2-3 cm). Then cover the dishes with a lid, put them in a dark place with a temperature of 18-20 degrees. During germination, the top layer of tissue covering the barley grains must be periodically moistened (as it dries), and the grains themselves must be ventilated once a day, opening the lid and the top layer of fabric for 15-20 minutes. Barley sprouts 1-3 mm in height should appear as early as 2-3 days (the rate of sprouting depends on the variety and quality of the barley grain). At the end of the germination process, the barley must be washed in cool boiled water 2-3 times, after which it can be eaten. Tips for germinating barley - The length of barley seedlings should not be more than 3 mm (it is in the shoots 1-3 mm in length that the concentration of biologically active substances and vitamins is highest). - Sprouted barley grains can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Why sprouted grains are more useful than non-sprouted grains In the process of germination in a grain of barley, the activity of enzymes is activated that contribute to the breakdown of nutrients into organic components that are simpler in structure and easily assimilated by the human body. Thus, when eating sprouted barley grain (barley malt) with a therapeutic and prophylactic purpose, the human body spends much less energy for assimilating nutrients than when using traditional food products made from non-sprouted barley grains (barley and pearl barley, barley bread). A characteristic feature of sprouted barley grain is also a higher content of vitamin E and vitamins of group B in it (compared to ripe, unsprouted barley grain). ️ Contraindications to the use of sprouted barley grain and barley broths: therefore, its use in food is not recommended for people suffering from flatulence, and is also contraindicated in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract in the acute stage. In addition, you should not consume sprouted barley grains at night. During treatment with barley broths, you should refrain from eating egg white... Barley water should not be combined with honey or vinegar. If this information turned out to be useful for you, click "Like" and save it to your feed!

The peoples of Mesopotamia learned to make something similar to beer long before our era. Even then, mankind understood the principle of making alcoholic beverages from starchy raw materials. The key role here is still played by malt, which our moonshiners have recently preferred to make at home.

A bit of theory. Alcohol is formed as a result of the vital activity of yeast cultures. Alcohol, carbon dioxide and heat are waste products of this vital activity, the result of processing simple sugars. Starch is a polysaccharide, "complex sugar," and as one seasoned moonshiner with homedistiller puts it, "... it's too much sugar and yeast won't fit in your mouth." Therefore, you cannot cook anything stronger than paste from starch. But it can be saccharified, that is, break the polysaccharide chain into tasty yeast monosaccharides. Malt will help us with this.

Malt is artificially germinated grains of cereals (barley, rye, wheat, oats, millet, etc.). As a result of germination (also "malting", "saccharification") of grains, enzymes appear in them that break down polysaccharides into monosaccharides. Also, in the process of saccharification, the cell membrane in which the starch is securely "packed" is destroyed and the contents of the cell become available for enzymes.

If we talk about the use of malt, then it is quite extensive. If you are not new to eau-de-vie, then you should definitely know that whiskey is made from barley malt (and not only). Also, malt is a key component of making beer, kvass and others like them. But for us, "hereditary moonshiners", malt enzymes are of a different value - they allow us to saccharify starchy raw materials quickly and with minimal cost, and then ferment them and make delicious moonshine. Cheap moonshine.

They do the same with, they do the same. Today we are talking more about green malt, that is, freshly sprouted and requiring quick use. Green malt is the most active and we will consider its ability to saccharify starch as 100%. From it, you can easily get the so-called light (white, aka diafarin) malt, the activity of which drops slightly - up to 80%. Diafarin is stored for 1 year or more.

With proper germination, 1 kg of dry grain gives a sufficient amount of green malt for saccharification of 6 kg of starch-containing raw materials.

I repeat once again: we germinate malt to a large extent for saccharification of starch-containing raw materials, for its further fermentation and distillation. A slightly different malt is used for the production of beer and kvass, although the technology for its production is very similar to that described below. The technology of making beer malt (for kvass as well), as well as barley malt for making whiskey, I will definitely describe in the following articles. So let's get down to practice.

This is a very important stage, since it is the good grain that gives the quality malt, which is what we strive for. First of all, you need to decide on the culture. For home germination, wheat and rye are ideal - these are bare-grain crops, so they germinate quickly enough and are easily crushed. Barley malt also sprouts well, but the process takes longer. On average, green barley malt is produced in 9-10 days, rye in 5-6 days, wheat malt in 7-8 days, and oat malt in 8-9 days.

Fresh, freshly harvested grain is not suitable - it has very poor germination (germination ability). From the moment of harvesting, at least 2 months must pass, but not more than 1 year. The kernels should be fully ripe, full, heavy and light yellow in color. Inside: loose, white and mealy. When immersed in water, full-bodied grains drown. Of course, the raw material must be well sifted, without weeds.

You can check the germination of grain yourself. To do this, you need to select 100 large grains and place them in a glass of water. Remove those that have surfaced and replace them with the same number of full-weight ones that sink. Then the grains should be laid out on a saucer, covered with a damp cloth on top and left in a warm, dark place. Moisten the fabric if necessary. After 2-3 days, we check the germination - we count the number of grains that have not sprouted, we get a percentage. A good raw material for any malt is grain that has a germination rate of at least 90-92%.

Cleaning and disinfection of grain, soaking

Pour clean, sifted grain into a suitable container and fill it with water. We remove floating, hollow grains and debris. Rinse a couple more times until we get clear water. Pour water again, so that it covers the cereals by 3-5 cm, and leave for 6-8 hours, no more. With this method, germination takes a minimum of time ("pouring method"). In traditional malting technology, the grain is soaked until its moisture content reaches 40% - the shell is easily separated from the pulp, the grain does not break when bent, a sprout is indicated. With this method, the water must be changed every 6 hours during the hot season, and every 12 hours during the cold season. It takes 24 hours or more.

The following procedure is optional, but highly desirable. After soaking, the grain must be rinsed again and poured with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or iodine for disinfection (for 10 liters of potassium permanganate water at the tip of a knife or 30-40 drops of iodine). If this is not done, putrefactive bacteria may develop in the grain during growth. We wait 15-20 minutes, drain the solution, rinse the grain again and send it for germination.

Important! The water must be drained completely. The grain should be moist, but not wet. The main thing is not to allow a white liquid to emerge from the grain when the grain breaks - this is a sign that the grain has been overexposed in water and is not suitable for making malt.

Malt growing

There are two fundamentally different ways of germinating grain: "pouring" and growing without watering. Let's start with a simple, often described method for sprouting malt without watering.

Growing malt without watering

After soaking, and in this case it is a long process for 24 hours or more, the grain should breathe. After disinfection, wet grain should be distributed among the boxes in a layer of 5 cm for 6-8 hours. Every 2-3 hours, the grain must be stirred, raised above the box, blowing it in this way and reducing the amount of carbon dioxide. Then the "breathed" grain should be poured into boxes / basins of 10 cm layers and left for 8-12 hours in a well-ventilated area. To even out growth, the boxes can be covered with a damp cloth on top.

Important! During the growing of grain indoors, it is very desirable to maintain the temperature in the region of 17-18 o C. If the temperature is lower, the growth of grain will slow down. If higher, there is a risk of decay and mold.

Further, the procedure is reduced to constant airing and moistening of the mass. After the first 8-12 hours, the grain must be turned by lifting it with your hands over the boxes, blowing it through. Also, during growing, it is necessary to maintain the moisture content of the grain in the region of 40%, therefore, dry grain (determined by eye) should be sprayed with water, but not abundantly - for 5 kg of dry grain, no more than 50-70 ml of water per spraying.

Every 6-8 hours of germination, the grain must be agitated and sprayed.

If moisture accumulates at the bottom of the box, if it is not perforated, it must be removed, and the grain must be dried - a lot of moisture is bad for growth. The first 3-5 days of growing grain (in this case, barley is meant, respectively, long periods) should be well and regularly ventilated. At the second stage, it is better to limit the air flow - this reduces the loss of starch, etc. It is not necessary to do this at home, this is done in production.

Barley malt in 4 days of germination.

When tedding grain, do not be afraid to break sprouts or roots, since biological processes inside the grain will continue anyway and enzymes will be synthesized further. On the 2-3 day of growing, the temperature inside the grain mass will begin to rise to 20-24 o C, and the mass itself will begin to increase. It is important to prevent grain "sweating", therefore, during this period it is necessary to stir it up especially often, and if necessary, reduce the layer to 5 cm.

The malt is ready when the sprout reaches the length of the grain itself or slightly more. For example, a barley sprout reaches a length of 5-6 mm. Do not confuse sprouts with roots. The latter are longer and thinner than the sprout (in barley they reach 12-15 mm).

Other signs of green malt readiness: the grain has become sweet, has lost its flour flavor, and crunches when bitten; the malt has a pleasant cucumber aroma; the roots are intertwined, it is difficult to take one grain separately.

Spillage malt growing

After disinfection and airing, the grain is loaded into any perforated container - basins with small holes, boxes with a sieve at the bottom, etc. At least twice a day, the grain should be watered abundantly with water, for example, from the shower, for about a minute. If you want to speed up growth, water it with warm water, slow down - with cold water. It is advisable to do the infusion 4-5 times a day. This is more necessary to flush out bacteria. It is advisable to change the top and bottom twice a day (boxes with a top and bottom sieve are ideal for this). Malt readiness is determined by the characteristics described above.

Drying green malt

After germination, the malt must be disinfected. To do this, it must be soaked for 30-60 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate or iodine. You can speed up the process up to 15-20 minutes using a strong solution of potassium permanganate - 0.2-0.3 g / l. Green malt can also be washed with 1% sulfuric acid solution.

Green barley and any other malt should be put into production as soon as possible. At this stage, it is an ideal breeding ground for various bacteria and fungi, which can seriously compete with the yeast in the mash. Of course, you need to grind it before using green malt. An ordinary meat grinder or special malt mills are ideal for this, which today can be bought without any problems in beer stores. If it didn't work out right away, put it on the lower shelf of the refrigerator in a rag bag - there it will last for another 3 days.

Drying malt outside. Photo: forum.homedistiller.ru

But it is better to dry the green malt. This gives you a pale malt or diafarin that can be kept in the jar for over a year, which is very convenient. Drying is carried out at a temperature not higher than 40 ° C - higher, which means the enzymes are destroyed. Drying should be fast, vigorous, with intensive ventilation and constant temperature. In everyday life, warm floors in a well-ventilated room are ideal for this. In general, special drying cabinets are used for this. You can get by with a free room with a wind heater. You can dry malt on a radiator in winter or on a balcony in summer. If you have a private house and you make malt in the summer, you can dry it on a hot day in the attic.

After drying, the malt should have a moisture content of about 3-3.5%. Signs: grains are dry to the touch, have sweet taste, roots and shoots are easily separated by rubbing in hands. "White" malt has a fairly high enzyme activity - about 80% of 100% green.

Grinding it is a little more difficult: you need the millstones of a malt crusher or coffee grinder here. 1 kg of diafarin saccharifies 4-5 kg ​​of raw material, which, in my opinion, is a good indicator. True, the drying process needs to be well thought out and done correctly.

Storing malt

Before packing the "white" malt, you need to get rid of the sprouts and roots that are still on the grain. To do this, rub the malt with your hands or pour it into a bag and roll it until the sprouts separate themselves. The malt then needs to be sieved in the wind or in front of a fan. Store it in a dry place in a sealed container. The resulting malt can be saccharified almost any starchy raw material: rice, wheat, barley, millet, peas, rye, corn, oats and even potatoes.

Light malt is ready. You can store it for years.

True, different cereals produce enzymes that are slightly distinguishable in their action, so a mixture of malts should be used to prepare malt milk (a mixture of malt and water). It is not recommended to use malt for saccharification of the raw materials from which it is made. For thought, the composition of the malt for saccharification of wheat and rye:

Wheat:

• 50% barley, 25% oat, 25% rye malt.
• 50/50 mixture of rye and barley or 50/50 of barley and millet.

Rye:

• 50% wheat, 25% barley, 25% oat malt.
• 50% wheat, 40% barley, 10% oat malt.
• 50/50 barley and oats.