March 21, 2011 - 9:19am
Sprouting Barley
Can hulled barley be sprouted, or does it have to have the hull intact? I tried to sprout some hulled barley last year and was unsuccessful. I want to try this again because I would like to make some diastatic malt. Can anybody give me some pointers? I followed instructions that I found on TFL and as far as I know I did everything right.
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Hulled barley suffers too much mechanical damage during the de-hulling process for it to be viable afterwards. You might get a few to sprout but the percentage will be so low that it is a waste of time. I tried recently and failed miserably.
Naked barley, on the other hand, is a variety which loses its hull very easily during the threshing process (the hull, I as I understand it, loosely encases the grain and isn't glued to it as in the case of other varieties of barley. Apparently this sprouts well, but I bought some a few months back and only had marginal success with it. Perhaps it had been sitting on the health food store shelf too long. I don't know. I want to try it again, though. MiniOven had great results with it so I am thinking I just got a bad batch
So I have just used regular barely (still in its hulls) to make my diastatic malt. I have made it twice now with great success. I sprout it, dry it, grind it then pass it through two different grades of sieve to remove 90% of the husks. A little bit of extra work but I get such a high germination rate and the stuff is so fresh (and potent) that it is well worth the effort.
Syd
I kind of figured that was where the problem sourced. So, where would I buy unhulled barley? I don't see any at my health food store. A garden or farm supply store where it is sold as seed for planting, perhaps?
I got it at a garden store. Apparrently, it is sold to be sprouted and the resultant barley grass cut and made into a health drink. If you get it from a garden store just make sure it is untreated seed and is fit for human consumption. Or you could buy it online. :)
Syd
I got it at a garden store. Apparrently, it is sold to be sprouted and the resultant barley grass cut and made into a health drink. If you get it from a garden store just make sure it is untreated seed and is fit for human consumption. Or you could buy it online. :)
Syd
I tried hulled too and nothing happened. I found 'intact' barley at a local health food store. It is sold in small packages and displayed with other grains and seeds for sprouting such as alfalfa and mung beans.
Link below is a wonderful on of sprouting barley:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HauYECAEQ8I
First post. For those hunting for barley that has not been hulled so it will sprout, try this - 45 lbs Organic for $18.95! https://www.azurestandard.com/shop/product/876/ You will not find a better price unless you go to the farmer and he lets you gleen the fields after harvest.
Azure standard is a great company. I've not bought this, but I did buy about 400 lbs of other stuff and grain from them (you have to buy through a co-op to get it shipped via. their truck, which is a lot cheaper than UPS - from Oregon to Chattanooga, TN, my closest co-op drop point, only cost me 8%).
I'm getting set up to sprout almost all of the grain I bake my bread from. Like you, I hope to make my own diastalic malt powder when my current supply runs out. I've just been adding a teaspoon or so per loaf to help it rise. How much are you adding, more than that?
One can let the seeds soak too long! It is suggested on many sprouting sites not let them stand underwater longer than 6 hrs. Drowning can occur.