Micro malt house DIY for home malting automation

[mr_wibble]

By "certain moisture level", I meant that I know grain needs to be soaked somehow, but I did not know how much that is.

Looks like Not for Horses has explained it fully.


Perhaps it can be soaked based on a timer?

 

[Not For Horses]

There is no need for the drum to rotate during the soak.
You could rotate the drum during the air rest but it is not necessary.
I don't start turning my grain until the soak and air rest regime is finished.

 

[mr_wibble]

There is no need for the drum to rotate during the soak.
You could rotate the drum during the air rest but it is not necessary.
I don't start turning my grain until the soak and air rest regime is finished.

Hey ... any chance you could give us a quick "HOWTO" of your malting method?
It sounds like you've plenty of experience.

 

[Not For Horses]

Absoulutely. When I get a bit of time at my computer instead of my phone I'll chuck some stuff down.

 

[arzaman]

There is no need for the drum to rotate during the soak.
You could rotate the drum during the air rest but it is not necessary.
I don't start turning my grain until the soak and air rest regime is finished.

[SIZE=10.5pt]Back again on the workflow of the process..[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]I have seen some video showing that during the soaking period the grain are in some way mixed and aerated[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Give a look to this[/SIZE]


during the air rest I think could be mandatory to keep the moisture level uniform inside the grain mass

I’m working to a flow schema of every step, I will post soon for comment and amendment

Davide

 

[Bizier]

Killer work mate! Inspiring.

 

[Not For Horses]

[SIZE=10.5pt]I have seen some video showing that during the soaking period the grain are in some way mixed and aerated[/SIZE]

Some people do and some don't.
I have read several research journal articles that have concluded that aeration during the steep has very little effect on the final malt product.
What they did conclude seems to me to be that as long as you have a suitable regime for soak and air rest, then aeration during the soak is not necessary.
The length of the air rest does affect the production of free amino nitrogen but this is not something you will really need to worry about just yet.

 

[MauricioUY]

Hi arzaman, great proyect!
How are you thinking to separate the grain´s roots at the final of the process?
The same machine will allow it, with another speed?

rgrds
Mauricio

 

[arzaman]

Hi arzaman, great proyect!
How are you thinking to separate the grain´s roots at the final of the process?
The same machine will allow it, with another speed?

rgrds
Mauricio

Thank you Mauricio
The idea is the one you suggested maybe increasing drum rotation speed and inserting sum teflon object inside
The point that I have no such an experience so I'm not sure about drum hole size..everything is a little bit empirical.

Davide

 

[arzaman]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Some little progress on the project[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]I have ordered two fans slim line 12 cm (PC fan ) to insert in the top ..on the opposite side of the heating element.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]

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[SIZE=10.5pt]

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[SIZE=10.5pt]They are used to extract hot air flow from the box generating a constant flow (they are rated [/SIZE]41 m³/h[SIZE=10.5pt] ) inside supporting the inlet fan[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]In order to avoid over heating of the plastic chassis I have used dedicated silicon “screw” the keep the fans in place without contact with metal case[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]

[/SIZE]


Tested with heating element on and I’m able to reach easily 80C measuring hot hair exiting the fan

now I have to focus on the motor and drum rotation..not easy to find the right belt and pulley

stay tuned
Davide

 

[arzaman]

The project is a little bit slowing down and I'm working to traction control waiting for new pulley and belt

In the meanwhile I'm doing some experiment with manual malting process according to BYO recent article with locally produced barley.

now steeping

stay tuned
Davide

 

[mr_wibble]

Which issue of BYO is that?

Ah, Jan-Feb 2013.

 

[arzaman]

Yes January-February 2013
Good theoretical and practical article

2nd day steeping..

 

[arzaman]

I'm continuing my manual experiment at home

After 3 cycle of water-air rest of 12 hours at 15C the germination has started regularly and after 24 hours first rootlets appear

I have left the barley in a fresh room mixing sometimes and after one week of germination I have tried to understand acrospire development

Is not so clear to me what to observe but I have dissected some grains and to me seems that the length is below 50% of the total so I still wait for drying

stay tuned
Davide

 

[MauricioUY]

Hi Davide,
Are you already using your malting machine? or just making some tests?

rgrds,
Mauricio

 

[Not For Horses]

Hi Davide, looking at the rootlet development in your third photo, I would say that 50% is about right. Hard to know from a photo but looking good so far.

 

[arzaman]

Hi Davide,
Are you already using your malting machine? or just making some tests?

rgrds,
Mauricio

Hi Mauricio just doing malting experiment in order to familiarize with the process
The drum malting machine is slowing progressing..now solving drum traction problem

Davide

 

[arzaman]

I have progressed a little bit also on the malthouse equipment

I have bought two timing belts 1,5cm wide with 2,5mm step and a proper pulley to insert on the stepper motor shaft

Than I have used one of the belts in order to make the wash machine pulley that is originally smooth a sort of coghwheel. I cut the belt and I stuck on the wheel

Than I have tested the assembly connecting the stepper motor to a H-bridge driver based on LM298 and an Arduino Uno controller where I have loaded a basic stepper motor sketch

This is the result.. it seems to work!

http://youtu.be/awmj4AM9UFo

Unfortunately the bipolar motor absorption exceeds the 2A of the driver so after a while the heating protection starts
Next step source a more powerful driver

Davide

 

[mr_wibble]

What part is making that noise ?

 

[arzaman]

What part is making that noise ?

Good question , I'm surprised me too
I guess that the cause is the stepper motor controller: due to the fact the controller is not supporting that power and is chopping the current the stepper starts after few seconds “vibrating”
Moreover all the assembly nuts are very loose in order to test the solution

Hope the final version will be much more quiet