Growing barley

Caporegime
Joined
30 Jun 2007
Posts
68,860
Location
Wales
has anyone everdone it?

im tempted to try on part of the garden this winter/spring.

has anyone here tried it how did it go?
 
You'll need to be in the plains biome for it to grow. Level the ground and make sure it's fairly protected all around. And then just plant away. Be careful of Fulings though!
 
For making beer?

I have a hops plant in my garden grows like crazy.

I'm sure it grows easily enough, but not sure it would be worth the hassle over just buying it.
 
All these types of crops are easy to grow
The difficult part is getting the right weather ;)

Now in your garden you may be able to influence that more than a farmer could, ie ensuring you have good drainage, but equally can water if needed

Is it really worth it though as others have said, is this for a very specific thing or do you just fancy growing something
 
For making beer?

I have a hops plant in my garden grows like crazy.

I'm sure it grows easily enough, but not sure it would be worth the hassle over just buying it.

Any pics? And where in the country are you? I like the idea of trying to get a hops plant to grow as a climber outside my new house but doubt it’ll be possible in Scotland.
 
I thought for beer you need to germinate the grains just before use, then there's getting an even germination using heating etc etc.
You do, you need to germinate them first then at a certain stage you need to cook them slowly turning them over regularly to get an even colouration. The germination has to be stopped whilst the starch is still present and once the enzymes are available because this what makes the sugar when mashing for fermentation. The roasting stops the germination process and the degree of colour has a marked impact on the taste of the malt. It's one of those very simple but probably really difficult crafts, maltsters used to be big buildings for doing just this in nearly every town in the country, all but gone now. I imagine a very clever industrial process does it now.
 
Any pics? And where in the country are you? I like the idea of trying to get a hops plant to grow as a climber outside my new house but doubt it’ll be possible in Scotland.

North East Cambridgeshire

IMG-20210815-114626.jpg
 
You do, you need to germinate them first then at a certain stage you need to cook them slowly turning them over regularly to get an even colouration. The germination has to be stopped whilst the starch is still present and once the enzymes are available because this what makes the sugar when mashing for fermentation. The roasting stops the germination process and the degree of colour has a marked impact on the taste of the malt. It's one of those very simple but probably really difficult crafts, maltsters used to be big buildings for doing just this in nearly every town in the country, all but gone now. I imagine a very clever industrial process does it now.

Yup, I've made my own full grain brews before - including using some 2000 y/o species that Bruichladdich sent me when I enquired if I could buy some. I remember vaguely that it needs treatment but not all the steps :)

Normally I'd use Challenger, Fuggles along with Spaz.

If you get the chance get some oak - ensure you get American oak rather than the French wine making oak. You can get small cubes - put it in when it's aging. If you over hop then leave for a year or two in the bottles (it will taste dire for the first year), the final brew is like Innes and gunn but better tasting.
 
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