# Malt Dryer/kiln



## absinthe (27/7/09)

i have built myself a prototype malt dryer from an old clothes dryer (no need for a pillow case) i covered the inlet holes and replace the front filter with heavy duty fly-wire..
i had an old drum that matched the dryer i had so i cut the back outta the drum and bolted it to the back of the complete one sandwiching the fly-wire in between..

i also removed the original thermostat and the timer so i can run as long as i like and what temp i like..

the only problem so far is it makes lots of fine dust (and the rootlets on the floor in front of the door but that i can handle) so i might have to have it outside under the bbq area or something

some pics:

malt sitting inside:






it running (taken through the door):





the fiy-wire in the back:





the old drum minus the back:





the fly-wire in the door:


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## RdeVjun (27/7/09)

So, you're malting your own barley, yeah? Brilliant work, quite ingenious in fact!

Do you screen roots off in any particular way? Looks like the dryer does a fair job of that anyway.

BTW, if folks are wondering why anyone would malt their own, consider the markup from $400/t (say $250 - $350 at farm gate) to what we pay for retail malt, even for sack prices. Obviously there's a significant energy cost, and lots of things can go wrong, but at those margins it does get attractive.

Not sure if AHBer farmer greg (sorry, can't remember the correct username) was intending to malt any of his crop, we saw some pictures of it a while back after planting. Greg?

Anyway, hats off to the OP, now we just need to hear how it brewed!


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## kenworthy (27/7/09)

Love your setup! been thinking of something similar .Now what Id love to see is how you germinate and kiln the barley ,please please can you show us some more photos?Got to go time to start mashing regards


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## kirem (27/7/09)

that is awesome, I'll be following this thread with interest.

well done.


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## domonsura (27/7/09)

Good thinking  Kind of takes care of both drying and knocking off the rootlets at the same time! What kind of temperature does it run at do you know?


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## kenworthy (27/7/09)

kenworthy said:


> Love your setup! been thinking of something similar .Now what Id love to see is how you germinate and kiln the barley ,please please can you show us some more photos?Got to go time to start mashing regards


Oops another read and I see its the kiln as well as the rootlet remover ,, ingenious how much grain can it do in one sitting? keep up the good work


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## absinthe (27/7/09)

what i have learned so far..

DO NOT RUN THIS INSIDE!!! 

after running it for about half an hour in the shed i thought it was on fire as the shed was filled with a smog like hase..

it wasnt smoke it was VERY fine dust and it messed me up a little (i'm still feeling clogged up) atleast its not toxic.

but back to the malting etc, to malt my grain i use the "hole in my bucket" method. simply put you get a bucket and drill about 5 3-4mm holes in the bottom then you fill to about 3/4 with barley (otherwise it will over flow when it swells).. 






stick the bucket in the laundry sink and fill with water.. 

the holes will let the water slowly drain so the barley gets both water and air. stir and refill the bucket 3-4 times a day (less will work like in the morning before work as soon as you get home and once more before bed).

after about 2-3 days you should see the "chit" start to poke outta the blunt end o the grain: (like the middle grain, the bottom is unsoaked, and the top is almost ready for kilning)






once you see the chit spead the grain about 3-4inchs thick on plastic (i use the black stuff for under concrete) and as offten as you can mix the grain around so they dont get tangled and so they get some air. if the weather is hot you might need to put some back in the bucket (about half the grain you started with will almost fill the bucket now) and resoak then mix into the grain well to keep it moist.. i have used spray bottles but had infections from this and i find the bucket works the best
















you will know when its finished when the shoot (acrospire) reaches the pointy end of the grain..

you will need to split open some to see it. the shoot is on the smooth side of the grain.. you will also notice that as the malt modifys it becomes easier to pull the roots and shoot out as the protin in the grain it being consumed






this grain is not quite ready but its close as the roots and shoot pulled out in one peice


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## absinthe (27/7/09)

once shes finished malting its ready to kiln:






start by drying the malt gently (i am using 37C)






and as she drys the screen on the front will remove all the rootlets etc:











once shes dry then you can ramp up the temps "Pale and pilsner malt are generally kilned at temperatures of about 176-185 F (80-85 C) . Vienna and Munich malts are kilned at a somewhat higher temperature. They are kilned at about 185-194 F (85-90 C) and 221 F (105 C) respectively" #






and for darked malts just roast in your oven : (notice they still have lots of rootlets as this malt was made before i had my "rolling malt kiln" )











#(taken from a great site: http://mosquitobytes.com/Den/Beer/Hmbrewing/Malt.html )


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## seravitae (27/7/09)

mate bloody well done. this is awesome, and just shows the ingenuity born from the addictive adventure for a cold one.

I think we should start having stickies for kickarse equipment..


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## RdeVjun (27/7/09)

Wow, I'm just drooling! I'll never turn my nose up at a knackered clothes dryer ever again! Although, having said that, most of the major systems need to be intact for this process.

So, have you actually brewed with this home- spun malt absinthe? How did it go? Looks to be the grouse, but the proof is in the pudding!

I've seen reports of other folks faffing around with trays of green malt in the oven etc and it didn't seem all that convincing nor repeatable so I lost interest. But this process along with that link have some terrific info and technical data, one of the few that get bookmarked for follow up. Thanks!


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## absinthe (28/7/09)

i have brewed with this malt before and its great (all be it spun in a unmodified dryer in a pillow case protector this will be heaps better as the rootlets get removed at the same time) i do recomend a proten rest though as its not quite as evenly modified as the bought stuff..

so if you want to try, get a pillow case protector (like $6 from target, looks like a pillow case but has a zip in the end) fill with grain zip shut and put some safty pin through to stop it from unzipping and run it through the deilcate cycle a few times (will take all day) it will make a small mess of the filter but nothing that cant be cleaned, then have fun removeing the rootlets 

and most old dryers just need a new bearing the timer doesnt need to work nor the thermostat (i use my PID from my modular herms)

i have a few more links but finding ANYTHING on malting is dam near hen theeth status on the net:

malting

http://beerme.wordpress.com/2007/04/09/cha...barley-at-home/

roasting

http://oz.craftbrewer.org/Library/Methods/.../roasting.shtml

and a real cheap grain mill

http://www.heydenrych.info/malt_mill.html


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## Yorg (28/7/09)

I don't understand what you mean by using another drum bolted to the dryer.
Can you say/show more on this?


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## Wisey (29/7/09)

Awesome. Completely Awesome.

Last time I asked about malting barley everyone said its in the too hard basket.

JW's in Tamworth were paying $275/t Delivered for malting barley last year, and when they retail it for $5.90 a kg it seems mighty attractive. ($5900 a tonne retail! woot)


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## absinthe (29/7/09)

Wisey said:


> Awesome. Completely Awesome.
> 
> Last time I asked about malting barley everyone said its in the too hard basket.
> 
> JW's in Tamworth were paying $275/t Delivered for malting barley last year, and when they retail it for $5.90 a kg it seems mighty attractive. ($5900 a tonne retail! woot)


should only cost me about $1.50 a kg plus time spent malting...


when i say another drum i mean just the back of the drum (the part with all the holes, like cutting the bottom outta a bucket) i then bolted this against the back of the complete drum with the fly wire sandwitched inbetween. 

the other thing to note is make sure you get a dryer that the drum sits inside the door not around the outside as grain will easly get in the gap


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## Thirsty Boy (29/7/09)

I think that's bloody fantastic!! 

BUT - I will play safety Nazi. You mentioned all the really really fine dust. That stuff is the reason that everything in the malt processing part of the brewery where I work has to be electrically shielded. There is a remote but real possibility of a dust explosion / fire.

So aside from the mess - there is another good reason to not use your kiln indoors. It might.... just maybe... blow your house up. Probably not, you need the dust levels to be pretty high and all manner of bad luck ..... but nonetheless, I would be making a regular thorough vacuum out of the nooks and crannies in the kiln and the area where you use it, a part of routine maintenance.

Safety Nazi hat off and back to being super impressed.

Thirsty


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## Leigh (29/7/09)

Very good point TB. 

The dust is also probably pretty dangerous to inhale...as most fine dust particles are...


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## brendo (29/7/09)

what can I say... I love this hobby... and most of all because there is always someone out there who is prepared to push the boundaries of what can and can't be done.

Bloody brilliant work mate... completely blown away...

Brendo


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## kenworthy (3/8/09)

absinthe said:


> i have brewed with this malt before and its great (all be it spun in a unmodified dryer in a pillow case protector this will be heaps better as the rootlets get removed at the same time) i do recomend a proten rest though as its not quite as evenly modified as the bought stuff..
> 
> so if you want to try, get a pillow case protector (like $6 from target, looks like a pillow case but has a zip in the end) fill with grain zip shut and put some safty pin through to stop it from unzipping and run it through the deilcate cycle a few times (will take all day) it will make a small mess of the filter but nothing that cant be cleaned, then have fun removeing the rootlets
> 
> ...


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## komodo (4/8/09)

When I first read the first couple of posts I was like yeah cool. Now ive come back and seen the results - im like YEAH THATS FREAKING AWESOME!
Top job!

Now just to see if I can steal the fun busters drier...


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