Beer Grains.

The straw is not enough.

(that one James Bond theme song slowly drifts through my mind as I write)

The clover, root veggies, lentils, beans; that's all great stuff.  However; I need biomass.  I need quick-growing grasses that I can cut back in large quantities for the sole purpose of adding loamy depth to the topsoil, and further breaking up the subsoil.

I'm growing beer stuff right? (montage of working in a laboratory, writing complex equations, on a chalkboard, falling asleep in a library surrounded by a mountain of textbooks)  Yeah, I am definitely growing things for tasty beer.  So, what kind of annual grasses are used in brewing beer?

Readers, the Elgin Hops Project is growing barley and oats.

I decided to go with the Territorial seed company this time.  They had a nice selection of annual grains and grasses.  I ordered 5 lbs of barley, 1 lb of oats, and for good measure, 1 lb of mustard greens (brassicas!), turnips (biomass!), and some super radishes bred for the sole purpose of tunneling through clay soils.  This makes johnny a very happy boy.

 I am far from being even very knowledgeable about the process behind brewing, but I can give some small insight for those unaware of simple barley facts (not to be confused with "alternative" barley facts) There are two primary types of barley.  There is 6-row barley which is used for food grain, animal feed and such.  Then there is brewer's barley, which is a 2-row variety.  I am planting the latter of the two.  Once grown, I will send the barley and oats to a malter (who then roasts or "malts" the grain) and I can then sell it to a local homebrewer who might be interested in local (see: cheaper) truly organic barley. I have been told that home-malting requires too much equipment investment, specialized knowledge, and vast quantities of barley to be any kind of worthwhile.  I know nothing of oat facts, please feel free to research on your own time.

So, as of April 1, this last planting session is complete, the clover is coming up strong, the hops are planted (trellis complete).  As of today, April 6, the barley and oats are already sprouting.  I think it is time to sit back and watch what happens.

2-row barley seed