Growing barley

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Peatbogbrewer
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Growing barley

Post by Peatbogbrewer » Mon Aug 08, 2016 10:56 pm

Yo! I have some space next year to grow barley, which i intend to malt myself. The space i have should provide enough grain for 10 gallons. Can i buy a small amount of malting barley from stockists and if so which one have people used? Also i'm in Yorkshire so are there any types of barley that will suit local conditions? Cheers...

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dean_wales
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Re: Growing barley

Post by dean_wales » Tue Aug 09, 2016 7:56 am

Hi Peatbogbrewer. That's a big question! I'm afraid I would have some more before I could help.

Exactly what is your plot line? Size, soil type, soil state, aspect, elevation etc?

What kind of equipment/growing method are you planning on using?

Do you know any local barley growers, malt places etc?

How fussed are you about chemicals/organic etc?

I was born and raised a farmer and am a keen veg grower but won't pretend to be a cereals man!

Dean.

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Peatbogbrewer
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Re: Growing barley

Post by Peatbogbrewer » Tue Aug 09, 2016 8:54 pm

dean_wales wrote:Hi Peatbogbrewer. That's a big question! I'm afraid I would have some more before I could help.

Exactly what is your plot line? Size, soil type, soil state, aspect, elevation etc?

What kind of equipment/growing method are you planning on using?

Do you know any local barley growers, malt places etc?

How fussed are you about chemicals/organic etc?

I was born and raised a farmer and am a keen veg grower but won't pretend to be a cereals man!

Dean.

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Cheers Dean, i can answer your questions thus far:

A raised bed approx 40cm deep, 2m width, approx 20m in length, additions of well rotted FYM, its the same as other beds that various legumes and brassicas have been grown in so assume pH is slightly acidic? It is in full sun and at elevation of 195m.
Equipment, usual gardening and a sickle for harvesting. Growing in two big rows with gap down middle to prevent lodging and easier to weed(??). No chemicals allowed. No known local barley growers or malt folks.

Peat

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Hanglow
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Re: Growing barley

Post by Hanglow » Tue Aug 09, 2016 10:38 pm

I think this guys blog has something about home malted barley. He is also a forummer....I think but not sure of his forum name. You could try emailing him for info on home malting at least.
http://edsbeer.blogspot.co.uk/

just found it
http://edsbeer.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/home-malting.html

good luck. My mother grew spelt on her allotment now it is growing as a weed, although nowhere near enough for me to try and harvest/malt some sadly

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Re: Growing barley

Post by scotsloon » Wed Aug 10, 2016 8:19 am

I'm exploring this very issue locally here in the NE of Scotland. I have 13 Acres of Propino Barley (and its a brewing barley rather than a barley for distilling) growing in my fields courtesy of my neighbour. When it comes to harvesting, he sells the barley to a contractor who gathers the grain into large quantities, it is then sold off to the maltings - I have 2 in my localish area - I'm thinking thats where to intercept the malted grain. I've had grain from maltings (freely given) in the past and this seems to work.

We are just about ready to harvest my grain in the next few days so I'm planning my visit to the maltings now and see if I can get a 25Kg bag.

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Re: Growing barley

Post by barneey » Wed Aug 10, 2016 8:32 am

Image

Image

Mine from this year, only a 3m x 3m patch, the bad weather at beginning of June hit it hard, ended up with a small crop circle, harvested by hand a few weeks back, got as much back as I put in. :D , enough to try again next year.

Concerto grain used for the experiment, ground dug over, seed hand sown, light cover & left.
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Re: Growing barley

Post by Peatbogbrewer » Wed Aug 10, 2016 6:50 pm

Hanglow wrote:I think this guys blog has something about home malted barley. He is also a forummer....I think but not sure of his forum name. You could try emailing him for info on home malting at least.
http://edsbeer.blogspot.co.uk/

just found it
http://edsbeer.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/home-malting.html

good luck. My mother grew spelt on her allotment now it is growing as a weed, although nowhere near enough for me to try and harvest/malt some sadly
Spelt, now your talking. Maybe i could grow this instead.... Thanks for the links....

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Peatbogbrewer
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Re: Growing barley

Post by Peatbogbrewer » Wed Aug 10, 2016 6:52 pm

barneey wrote:Image

Image

Mine from this year, only a 3m x 3m patch, the bad weather at beginning of June hit it hard, ended up with a small crop circle, harvested by hand a few weeks back, got as much back as I put in. :D , enough to try again next year.

Concerto grain used for the experiment, ground dug over, seed hand sown, light cover & left.
Where did you get your grain for your initial sowing?

Chug

Re: Growing barley

Post by Chug » Fri Aug 12, 2016 5:22 pm

Interesting blog on barley growing/fermenting/malting
https://brewingbeerthehardway.wordpress.com/

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Re: Growing barley

Post by Eadweard » Sat Aug 13, 2016 8:26 am

Hanglow wrote:I think this guys blog has something about home malted barley. He is also a forummer....I think but not sure of his forum name. You could try emailing him for info on home malting at least.
http://edsbeer.blogspot.co.uk/
That's me.

Malting barley seems to be a lot harder to get hold of than malt. I can get mine through work but as to where you could buy a small amount I'm not sure. Grain merchants Robin Appel? Or perhaps ask a maltster if they could spare a few kilos?

Bogbrewer

Re: Growing barley

Post by Bogbrewer » Tue Nov 15, 2016 9:03 am

I have grown barley for several years. If your patch is large and you intend harvesting by hand, be prepared for hard work. It also rips your hands to bits. The biggest issue I have found is getting the crop dry enough for storage. It is very easy to get it wrong and end up with the lot growing mould.

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