Fermented malt rye

[bor]

Many East European rye breads are baked with fermented malt rye. It's malt rye that has been fermented and slowly dried at low temperatures, sold as flour or berries.

 

I haven't been able to find a US-based supplier; the only two ways of procuring it here seem to be importing from the EU (slow, expensive) or making at home from unfermented malt rye (very tedious). I'm about to start experimenting with the DIY version, but before I do - wanted to ask if anyone here by any chance came across a US maker/supplier of the stuff? (that for some reason or other does not have web presence, otherwise I guess I would have found it...)

 

Thank you!

 

P.S. In various English-speaking forums, crystal malt or chocolate malt are suggested as substitutes - they are not

Edited December 6, 2020 by bor (log)

[Kerry Beal]

https://www.morebeer.com/products/briess-rye-malt.html

[bor]

27 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

https://www.morebeer.com/products/briess-rye-malt.html

Тhat's the unfermented malt. Fermented malt is dark red/brown.

[Kerry Beal]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3-pcs-x-300gram-0-9-kg-900gram-Solod-Rye-malt-Especially-for-bread-makers-/332712788742

[bor]

3 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3-pcs-x-300gram-0-9-kg-900gram-Solod-Rye-malt-Especially-for-bread-makers-/332712788742

and that's in the category of "slow and expensive

[Kerry Beal]

Malting and fermenting your own will take around 10 days or so I suspect from my previous malting experiments. Have you checked the brew stores?

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

There are a number of Etsy sources - likely faster to receive as they’ve done the wait from Europe for you.

 

 

[bor]

29 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

Malting and fermenting your own will take around 10 days or so I suspect from my previous malting experiments. Have you checked the brew stores?

 

 

Yep, I get other supplies from the brew stores -  white malts, malt extracts, but not this one.

 

Etsy is the most affordable source indeed, but still - the cheapest is $12/pound, if I take 5... about 10 times the price across the pond.

[bor]

First attempt at DIY fermented malt rye. 5 days of fermentation and slow drying at temperatures increasing from 140f to 190f, during which time the Maillard reaction transforms the grains from malt to something that looks charred, but smells caramel. Milled and scalded, it tastes like sour rye bread. Off to baking now!

Edited December 18, 2020 by bor (log)

[bor]

Some process documentation, from the second batch - the transformation is quite fascinating. The temperatures range from 140F in the fermentation stage to 170F in drying.

 

Raw malt rye

 

Beginning of fermentation

 

7 hours all liquid soaked up

 

19 hours, already beginning to brown

 

52 hours, getting darker

 

72 hours, almost black

 

 

94 hours. Charcoal black

 

125+ hours: ready!

 

Edited December 23, 2020 by bor (log)

[teonzo]

Very interesting, thanks! Please continue posting your results!

 

 

 

Teo

 

[shain]

@bor did you use any starter or is it naturally fermented? 

[bor]

18 hours ago, shain said:

@bor did you use any starter or is it naturally fermented? 

Used starter. Process from here.