Final Report

Executive Summary

The idea of the home malting system is to create a device to take raw barley and turn it into a dried and ready to use base malt. While brainstorming the idea we knew that we had a $500 budget, had to have food safe parts, and needed to be able to fit the machine on a tabletop and malt ten pounds of barley. When creating the malting machine, we used food safe plastic for the barrels. We had filters on our hose pumps and only used clean water for each cycle in the barrel. Any metal that had the possibility of touching the seeds were stainless steel so that there was no corrosion. Once set up the barley will be soaked in the water for several cycles. Then the water is drained, and a flow of heated air is pumped through a duct to dry the seeds, leaving the finished product.

Introduction: Background and Design Objectives

Consumers are increasingly looking for the newest craft beers, the demand for new variety is so hard to keep up with for the aficionados whose new beer tastes are so insatiable that they resort to cutting out the brewery and try their hand at making their own brew, a unique option! The typical home brewer has two choices, be limited to the barley offered by the brewer’s supply or malt and roast their own, which can be a tedious and challenging task for the average person. A sophisticated all-in-one malting machine for the home scale is something that can be created to fix this problem. A simple, easy to use, and inexpensive device to take raw barley and turn it into a dried and ready to use base malt (which can be roasted further for amber beers) is what is needed to accomplish this task. When creating the machine, there will be two barrels. The outer barrel will hold the water while the inner barrel will hold the barley. The barley, once placed inside, will be submerged in water to increase moisture content. There will be a couple of cycles of wetting the seeds and letting the seeds dry so that they can have a chance to sprout. The reason for the soaking and draining cycles is to allow the seeds sufficient oxygen. To combat mold, we have limited the drying process duration to 24 hours so that there is a decreased chance of contaminant growth. For maintenance and upkeep of the machine, there will be instructions on cleaning the barrel with vinegar and or alcohol which will evaporate and not leave any residue behind. Once the seeds have sprouted, a pair of fans will activate to blow hot hair onto the seeds. The hot air is to make the seeds dry faster, similar to drying clothes at home in a dryer. Lower temperatures require a more extended drying period, so we decided on the heating element to reduce the chance of mold growth. Once the seeds are dry, and the base malt is complete, the consumer can roast the seeds to whatever level they desire. In addition to being able to malt barley in the home, this machine also offers opportunities to learn more about the malting process in the home or a school setting and gain an appreciation of it. This machine would be ideal for the beginner brewer, as well as the seasoned brewer. The final unit will have a total build cost of $500 to keep it affordable, be simple to operate and fit on a tabletop.

Relevant Standards

When making calculations for the weight of the seeds after being soaked in the water for three cycle we used the ASABE Moisture Relationships of Plant-Based Agricultural Products to help us understand the moisture uptake rate for barley seeds know the end weight so that we can adjust the amount of torque power needed to turn the weight plus the inner barrel. Then the next standard we used was the ASABE standard for Density, Specific Gravity, and Mass-Moisture Relationships of Grain for Storage. We needed to know the percentage of moisture the seeds could have without growing mold and what would be the best condition for storage. To obtain the proper moisture content for the seeds, a fan needs to be used to dry the barley. Using the ASABE standard Thermal Properties of Grain and Grain Products, the document identified the proper temperature and gave numbers to calculate the length of time for the seeds to dry. Next standard is that everything we used that came into contact with the seeds and the water was food safe. We bought our food safe products from an exclusive container store that had food safe containers which is where we purchased our barrels, lids, and water tanks. Other materials were made of stainless steel such as the rod to support the drum, the screws, and also the bolts. Another constraint was that we used clean, fresh water for each cycle for the seeds. The wiring for the device was designed according to safety standards from the electrical journal by OSHA.

Proposed Solution

To malt the seeds, they need to sprout so that we can access the sugar from the grain when brewing the beer. The inner drum will hold the seeds and will have holes drilled into the top and bottom of the drum; then the outer drum will hold the water. The water will wet the seeds and let them sprout. There will be a rod going through the center of both barrels, but only the center barrel will be rotated to keep the seeds from drowning and prevent clumping. A motor and gearbox will be connected by a Lovejoy connector to the rod to turn the inner barrel. There will be two supports on the rod, one on each end. The water is pumped into the barrel, and the seeds are allowed to soak for a time before being drained. After a period of germination, the cycle is repeated two more times. The motor will turn periodically as the seeds are germinating to prevent the sprouts or “chits” from clumping. Then, during the drying period, the heating element and fans are activated. The heated air from the heating element is funneled into the bucket from the side through an air duct and passes over a temperature sensor to ensure the air remains at the proper temperature. Once done the consumer can open the outer and inner lids to take out their malted barley.

Testing/Data Analyses

Due to time being short the barley was run through one cycle to test the moisture content after six hours of soaking. Then next we tested the fan to see how well it dried the seeds. After twelve hours of drying the seeds, the moisture content went from 38.5% to 11%. The 11% is slightly higher than what we predicted, which was 8%. However, the moisture content is an acceptable number for storage and preventing mold growth. The calculations for the data can be found in the appendix section under the subheading calculations for testing results.

Manufacturability

The majority of the machine can be manufactured in bulk, including the motor, gearbox, rod and other connecting parts. The food safe buckets can be made by factory machines by drilling holes into the inner drum and cutting out sections of the outer drum for the fan and duct as well as the rod. The supports were also custom made but could be substituted for something else to help lift the rod. Another part of the machine is the specially made table; the original design would have to be modified if the table was not sold with the machine because of the pumps and water tanks are mounted under the table. There would be slight difficulty manufacturing the table to the point where a consumer could buy and assemble at home. Due to the weight of the machine, a specific table would have to be outlined in either the final design to be purchased with the machine or specify to the buyer that he or she must buy a sturdy enough table to hold the weight.

Environmental Sustainability

The effect on the environment from the machine would be very minimal. The only part of the machine that needs to be replaced is the water in the tanks, the water is not safe for human consumption but can be used to water indoor or outdoor plants. The energy used to power the machine is supplied by a wall socket and does not create any emissions.

Ethical, Health and Safety

The first safety concern was the potential mold growth in the seeds, so we decided to change the water three times during the process with clean water, and the product should be dried for 24 hours to moisture content at or below 11%. Next, we housed the electrical wires and placed electrical tape over the active areas to prevent accidental shocks. Another potential hazard would be the rotating shaft, where hair or objects could be caught. Warnings in the manual, if one was written, as well as a sign in bold letters on the gearbox. The Manuel would state that water tanks must be filled away from the electrical wiring and when attaching tubes to the tank, the tank must be on the ground and not on the table. Based on the weight of the machine a proper space and foundation must be considered. Placement on concrete flooring in an enclosed environment that is adequately insulated from humidity and rapid temperature changes would be best to maintain the life of the wires and machine. Also, if placed in the house, the consumer must know the floor plan of their home to know which part of their wooden foundation can handle the load, if not correctly placed the floor could sag over time. Warnings like these would be in the manual and labeled on the machine.

Economics

The total cost of replacement parts was $1174.90, and the total cost of parts without replacement is $1115.09. Next, the payback is calculated first by finding how much barley and malted barley cost for 50lb. The barley is $0.30/lbs, and the malted barley is $0.33/lbs making the total price be $15 for barley and $16.5 for the malt. The price can vary due to the barley prices fluctuating each year. Then the malt, if used all year would cost $792, and the barley would cost $720, then using the machine to make your own malt would save the consumer about $72 a year. Making the payback come out to 15 years. However, if we manufactured the parts, it can drop the price down to $750, but the price would increase by $200 for parts and labor making it $950. The payback period would then come out to 13 years. The cost payback can vary due to the grain prices changing as said before, and it also depends on where you buy the seeds. The amount paid for 50lbs of barley or malt is usually a price that the producer sets, and businesses will buy and sell back to consumers with inflated prices. Also, if the consumer was to buy the mass-produced parts and build it himself the total cost would estimate be $800.

Conclusion

The design solution does meet the necessary objectives. It was observed that the machine was able to perform one full cycle of pumping water into the barrel for one and a half minutes. Then the barrel rotates for six hours and then the fan was activated and dried the barley for twelve hours. The moisture content was brought down from 38.5% to 11% which is acceptable for storage. However, if we had 6 more weeks of testing I would increase the drying time to twenty-four hours. This would be the best option because the barley sprouted three days after the first soak meaning the moisture content was low enough to stop mold growth but not dry enough to stop the seeds from sprouting. If time would allow, changing the barrel to be standing up rather than on its side would solve leaking problems and barely falling out each time the lid is opened. Also, another point to change would be choosing different water tanks that are smaller and easier to open. The next change would be finding a newer more well-made version of the Arduino or buying another one for the project because some of the pins currently do not work which lead to testing issues. The last issue to address is the cost of the machine. To reduce the machine cost from $950 to possibly $600 the amount of grain being malted would need to be decreased to 25lbs when decreasing the weight, it also decreases the amount of torque needed to turn the bucket and the weight of seeds. So, a smaller motor and gearbox combo would be needed as well as a different sized shaft. The smaller motor size would be easier to find at a lower price, and the same can be said for the rod because the rod was expensive due to the need for the diameter to be at least half an inch.

References and Advisors

● Dr. Sue Nokes

● Dr. Jennifer Lovely

● Dr. Mick Peterson

● Special Thanks to:

○ Dr. Joseph Dvorak

○ Ricky Mason

○ Dr. Michael Sama

○ Dr. Czarena Crofcheck

● “Malting Process.” Great Western Malting. www.greatwesternmalting.com/gwm/malting-process/

● Harvest Hop and Malt . “Malt.” Harvest Hop and Malt, Michael Driscoll, 2018, www.harvesthopandmalt.com/malt.

● Briess Malt & Ingredients . “Malting - A Three-Step Process.” Briess Processes - The Malting Process, Briess Malt & Ingredients, 2018, www.briess.com/food/Processes/malttmp.php.

● OSU Department of Food Science & Technology, et al. “OSU Mini Malter Project.” OSU Mini Malter Project, Oregon State University, 6 May 2011, osuminimalter.weebly.com/index.html.

● IK Whitegoods. “Washing Machine Buying Guides.” Washing Machine Spare Parts, UK Whitegoods, 8 Feb. 2011, www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/help/buying-advice/washing-machine/2974-washing-machine-washing-machine-sealed-tubs-a-why-you-should-care.

● John Palmer. “Serving Day.” How to Brew, John Palmer, 2015, howtobrew.com/book/section-1/a-crash-course-in-brewing/serving-day.

● Malt Academy, director. Barley to Beer (in 100 Seconds). YouTube, YouTube, 17 Dec. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lo2LNHqDt8&feature=youtu.be.

● Industrial Netting. “Dehydration Netting.” Dehydrating Netting, Industrial Netting, 2016, www.industrialnetting.com/applications/dehydration.html.

● 1981 Agricultural Engineers Yearbook. “Psychrometric Data .” ASAE, no. D271.2, ser. DEC94, 1996, pp. 24–31.DEC94, doi:10.2172/515493. www.doa.go.th/aeri/files/pht2009/documents_slide/viboon_psychrometric%20data.pdf

● Adafruit Industries. “Adafruit HTU21D-F Temperature & Humidity Sensor Breakout Board.” Adafruit HTU21D-F Temperature & Humidity Sensor Breakout Board , Adafruit Industries, 2018, www.adafruit.com/product/1899?gclid=Cj0KCQjwruPNBRCKARIsAEYNXIhZU50PIRo6_S2K3XT8TMkBmGDwbfDTGovVBr2L7gxNIq8dkgo39nMaAigDEALw_wcB.

● Kuehl, Kelly J. “MALT & THE MALTING PROCESS.” MALT & THE MALTING PROCESS, www.ahaconference.org/wp-content/uploads/presentations/2010/Malt___The_Malting_Process-Kelly_Kuehl.pdf.

● University of Nebraska - Lincoln. “Supplying Craft Breweries With Locally Produced Ingredients .” Digital Commons, Dec. 2001, pp. 48–49., digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1007&context=fpcreports.

● Putnam, Daniel H, et al. “Does Hydroponic Forage Production Make Sense?” ANR Blogs, UC Cooperative Extension, 11 Oct. 2013, ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=11721.

● OSHA. “Electrical.” OSHA OFFICE OF TRAINING AND EDUCATION, www.osha.gov/dte/library/electrical/electrical.pdf.

● Calculations done by Nick Wideman, Robin Swoveland, David Cline, and Kimberly Stehno

● Video and photos done by Kimberly Stehno

● CAD Drawings by Nick Wideman

● ASABE. “Density, Specific Gravity, and Mass-Moisture Relationships of Grain for Storage.” American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, Oct. 1992.

● ASABE. “Moisture Relationships of Plant-Based Agricultural Products.” American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, Oct. 2007.

● ASABE. “Thermal Properties of Grain and Grain Products.” American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, May 2003.

● Henderson, S. M., et al. Principles of Process Engineering. 4th ed., American Society of Agricultural & Biological, 1997.

Appendix/Appendices

Expenses

• Barley = $0.30/lb. * 50lbs. = $15.

• Malted = $0.33/lbs. * 50lbs = $16.5 (Ranges $0.16 to $0.60 per lbs.)

• Malt (Payback Period)

• 16.5 $/week *4 weeks/month*12 months/year=792 $/ year

• Barley (Payback Period)

• 16.5 $/week *4 weeks/month*12 months/year=792 $/ year

• Saving =792 $/year -720 $/ year = 72 $/ year

• Payback

• $1115.09 / = 15 years

• The new payback period would be:

• $950 / = 13 years

Finding Moisture Content

Calculations for Testing Results

· _____________________________________________

· M(wet grain)=(container+can)=155.03g-34.925g=120.105g

· After soaking: 157.94g-35.135g= 122.805g

· M(dry/oven)=108.956g-34.925g=74.031g

· =110.04g-35.135=74.905g

· =Mw/Mt=(120.105g-74.031g)/120.105g=46.074g/120.105g=0.3836=38%

· =(122.805g-74.905g)/122.805g=0.39=39%

· _____________________________

· 122.03g-36.075g= 85.955g

· 128.94g-36.65g=92.29g (85.955g+92.29g)/2=89.1225g

· ____________________________

· 120.4g-36.075g=84.325g

· 144.976g-36.65g=78.326g (84.325+78.326)g/2=81.32g

· ______________________________

· Mw1=85.955g-84.325g=1.63g

· Mw2=92.29g-78.326g=13.964g (13.964+1.63)g/2=8

· Mw/Mt=8g/89.1225g=0.109=11% after being dried by the fan

Torque and Mass Calculation

· Average bucket=11.5in

· Wight of grain+water=17.1lbs

· Conservative estimate for torque on shaft

· T(water+grain)=17.1lb.*(11.5in/2)(1ft/12in)=8.19ft*lbs

· Tmotor=31.33ft*lb

· So 3.82ft*lb is torque on shaft

· T(w+g)<T(motor)

· When the bucket spins

o Shear force on 5 bolts at r=4in then sigma(total)=(Tmotor / r (flang/bolts)) * (#bolts)

o Sigma(bolt/each)=93.99lbs or sigma(tot)=469.95lbs

o No shear on bolts except for set screw into the shaft or use the keyway on shaft to lovejoy

· Sy,shaft=30ksi

· S=Tc/J=(T(d/2))/(pi(d^4 )/32)

o If we assume Sshear=Sy/2 < ”%60 rate”

o Then d=0.5035in