All Grain Brewing - Preparation for a Local Suppy

A couple of our brewers have used the advanced all-grain method of brewing, using malted barley grains, hops and yeast.  Each brewer has created an all-grain smoked porter using the slightly smoked malted barley donated by Rick from the Copper Fox Distillery in Sperryville.  These porters will be tested out in our next meeting/tasting event towards end of January (more info on that to come).

Here are some photos of the process.  Involves removing the dried rootlets from the malted grains ("malted" means germinated & dried).  The rootlets will give off flavors to beer if not removed.  Next is grinding the malt (cracking/crushing husks) to prepare for boiling (mashing).  This releases the interior seed components of the grain from the husks - necessary for extracting the sugars and starches for beer making.  This puts us further along in our goal to use a local supply of malted barley grains, yeast, and hops to make quality locally crafted beer.

malted grains with dried rootlets attached

sifter (shaken and stirred to break up rootlets from barley grains)

rootlets sifted out of barley for disposal

barley grains being crushed/cracked

close up of cracked barley - ready for mashing

Barley Project Update: October 18th

Stopped by Jeff Jenning's Farm in Luray, to check on the 2 Row Malting Barley that he has planted in September.  It looks fantastic.  The single plants that initially germinated are now "tillering"- meaning producing off shoots from the parent plant.  Each off-shoot will produce a head of barley, which will ultimately be harvested and used to make malt.

This barley's growth will slow down during the winter and then start up again in the spring, with a projected harvest date of end of May of June.

The Barley Project

First installment of our series:  "From the Field to the Tap"

Where we explore the process of producing the ingredients from scratch that create quality craft beer - from growing malting barley, harvesting, steeping & germinating the grains, to the drying/kilning process that creates the base malt from which the sweet liquor (called the wort) is extracted.  Next is producing speciality malts from grains that give added character and flavor.  Locally grown hops and yeast culturing will be be explored, the other two ingredients pivotal in creating delicious flavor and body, to all styles of ales, lagers, porters, and stouts.

First Step - Growing the Barley:
In partnership with a local farmer in Luray, (thanks Jeff!) approximately 1 acre of 2-row malting barley was planted on September 24th, 2012.  A barley variety recommended by Virginia Tech and the USDA was used that performed well in Virginia Test Plots in 2011.  As you can see, a week later, it has already germinated!   This is winter barley that gets planted in the fall, grows through winter, and is harvested in late spring (May/June).  Stay tuned for further updates.