2 Stroke Barley Grain Heads Before Harvesting Stock Image

Used as a flour or an animal feed, barley grain can be dead and still be nutritional, like any grain. But for malting, the grains must still be alive – at least 95 percent germinable – to drive the chain reaction that turns starch into sugar into alcohol. This is a tricky proposition in New York’s wet climate since water causes the mature grain to sprout and die before harvest.