September 30, 2013 - 1:30pm
vinegar smell normal for sprouting rye?
I'm looking for feedback from those folks with experience sprouting rye.
I'm currently 4 days in to the process for sprouting rye berries for diastatic malt, and for the for the past 2 days there is a distinct odor of vinegar coming from the sprouts. Visually, I see nothing wrong. I commonly make sprouts and have never encountered this odor before, but I've never sprouted rye before either.
Is it normal?
BTW, they are now in the dehydrator, they haven't developed roots the length of the berry yet, but 4 days is plenty of time for that to happen, so I cut it short.
TIA
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But I haven't sprouted rye nearly as much as wheat or barley, so maybe somebody else that has done it more has noticed a similar result.
However, 4 days seems to be a long time to not have gotten sprouts the length of the seeds, Does it seem longer than other things you sprout? Usually, after soaking overnight, then rinsing a few times a day, in just 2 days the sprouts are the length of the seeds, and by the end of the third day they are 1/2 in. or so. How often do you rinse? The more often I rinse sprouts, the faster they grow.
Dave
and never had them go vinegar but did forget them and they got white mold on them in 6 days. In 4 days they should have a long primary shoot the length of the seed - the length of the roots is not important.
happy sprouting
Thanks folks. I must not have rinsed them enough...or something.
Yeah, They were taking far too long to grow.
I dumped them out of the dryer tray and I'll try again.
Thanks again!
:-) I still don't understand the vinegar smell, but bacteria had to be involved.
Perhaps they were starting to ferment?
the rye had already been too moist and enzyme activity too active (already fermenting) before you had even started to soak and sprout the rye berries? That would invite speedy fermentation after soaking. Hulls might also factor into the equation. Check your rye berries' description carefully. What information came with the rye?
Rye is an interesting choice for diastatic malt. After reading this article, I get the impression that sprouting rye is not without various problems specific to rye and that soaking should be short and rinses thorough, more so than with barley, also care to prevent any damage of the berry (including hulling.)
Using badly bruised berries might be a problem as well. I would try again with naked barley or a different source of rye.
Yes, I was definitely of the opinion that some bacteria had grabbed my sprouting rye. I never smelled vinegar in any sprouts I ever made and I've made a lot for eating over the years.
That article helped alot. I had no idea it would be so different. I had already reduced my soak for this batch, and I'm going to increase the rinses. I'm not going to aim for such a long sprout either.
When I'm successful I'll report back. Also, if it noticecably helped reduce the starchiness in the loaf too. The latter might take some time.
Isn't naivete wonderful? (that written sarcastically at my expense) I never had a clue that sprouting rye would be so different.