Malted nuts

Salyangoz

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I want to experiment with malting nuts and add them in a recipe. Is it possible to make malted nuts at home? I made malted barley but I'm not sure about nuts. Did anyone try this? If yes, what are the advantages/disadvantages? Would they sprout and produce enzymes to convert their starches into sugar? Are there any side effects like unwaanted oils or proteins, etc.?
 
You can get wheat berries from the bulk section of your local store and malt them. It'll be the same as buying malted wheat and not any cheaper but you get to play with the process.
 
I want to experiment with malting nuts and add them in a recipe. Is it possible to make malted nuts at home? I made malted barley but I'm not sure about nuts. Did anyone try this? If yes, what are the advantages/disadvantages? Would they sprout and produce enzymes to convert their starches into sugar? Are there any side effects like unwaanted oils or proteins, etc.?
Think sprouts, the micro-greens you can grow in those little plastic thingies. That's effectively the malting process. I don't see why you couldn't sprout nuts but why?
 
Think sprouts, the micro-greens you can grow in those little plastic thingies. That's effectively the malting process. I don't see why you couldn't sprout nuts but why?

Shelled nuts can't be sprouted. That's what I was picturing- but I suppose you could sprout raw nuts. They'd be sprouts, though, not malt. Malt has enzymes that would allow conversion of starch to sugar, and sprouts wouldn't.
 
Shelled nuts can't be sprouted. That's what I was picturing- but I suppose you could sprout raw nuts. They'd be sprouts, though, not malt. Malt has enzymes that would allow conversion of starch to sugar, and sprouts wouldn't.

If they sprout, then they should produce enzymes right? That's how grains proudce enzymes.
 
If they sprout, then they should produce enzymes right? That's how grains proudce enzymes.
They should.... You're charting some ground most of us have never considered. Nuts, you'd have to sprout then shell. I'm not certain all of them sprout in the same conditions or what conditions it would take to sprout, say, a pecan or a walnut. It's an interesting thought but not one I'm sure is very practical.
 
If they sprout, then they should produce enzymes right? That's how grains proudce enzymes.

Yes- but I think the reason we malt grains is because they are starchy and malting them allows the enzymes to be present to convert to sugar. I don't think nuts have that huge starch load. Protein and fat, for sure, but I don't think sprouting them will allow them to have convertible starches for brewing.
 
Youd probably have to extend your mash too to break down them nutty starches. A break down on the nut calorie content should reveal how many starches maybe present in the carbohydrates number %age.
 
All seeds sprouts but not many produce enzymes that break down the starches into sugars. If nuts could be used to make alcohol, there'd be a culture of nut-wine production somewhere in the world developed at some point over the last hundred thousand years or so. I'm going to trust the evidence and say that if it was a good idea, it would have been done by now. ;)
Nuts have a lot of protein and fat, like milk. When it ferments you're going to get something closer to cheese than beer.
Good luck with that. ;)
 
Yep that's how missus makes almond milk. Let soak over night in water add Contense to blender blitz strain through fine mesh Biab bag and walla almond milk.
 
Yep that's how missus makes almond milk. Let soak over night in water add Contense to blender blitz strain through fine mesh Biab bag and walla almond milk.
Nutty!
 
All seeds sprouts but not many produce enzymes that break down the starches into sugars. If nuts could be used to make alcohol, there'd be a culture of nut-wine production somewhere in the world developed at some point over the last hundred thousand years or so. I'm going to trust the evidence and say that if it was a good idea, it would have been done by now. ;)
Nuts have a lot of protein and fat, like milk. When it ferments you're going to get something closer to cheese than beer.
Good luck with that. ;)

1. Actually there are traditionally brewed chestnut beer in France. Chestnuts contain less fat than other nuts.
2. You can extract the oil and use the remaining.
3. Nuts are expensive to use in mass production, grains are cheaper and more convenient. But we are homebrewers right? We can do whatever we like. We shouldn't be conservative.
 
1. Actually there are traditionally brewed chestnut beer in France. Chestnuts contain less fat than other nuts.
2. You can extract the oil and use the remaining.
3. Nuts are expensive to use in mass production, grains are cheaper and more convenient. But we are homebrewers right? We can do whatever we like. We shouldn't be conservative.

There's definitely a strong conservative thread in home brewing (the real meaning of the word conservative, not a party political meaning). Many are trying to recapture the beers they struggle to find commercially. Personally I'm putting more time into my witbier recipe because Australian versions have all but disappeared. So there's nothing wrong with being a conservative home brewer. But, as you say, we can certainly do both.

There will undoubtedly be enzymes created as part of the sprouting process as it will be creating the simpler sugars for the young plants to start growth, But will it be enough to create an enjoyable product? Could be enough to make it an equivalent to a specialty malt. And I've certainly enjoyed a number of nut flavoured beers, though I doubt they tried sprouting/activating/malting the nuts first. So I'd be interested in any experiments you do.

Quick searches on the activated almonds craze definitely talks about enzyme activity. Though I'm not seeing anyone trying to push it to the point of creating something that'd be useful as more than a flavour addition.
 
We can do whatever we like. We shouldn't be conservative.
Party on!:D
Maybe you'll manage to completely disrupt brewing with the brewing world with your new nut-malting technique. :)
As regards Chestnuts, being more like acorns, they seem to be used the same as any adjunct with malted barley or converted with amylase. Sure, you can use nuts in beer. Pecan porter is definitely a thing and I could definitely see a Roasted Chestnut Christmas Ale.
Have fun with it! I'm sure you'll let us know if you come up with something interesting. :)
 

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