Making wheat not fit to eat
June 8, 2011 1:10 PM Subscribe
How would I dry/sterilize/preserve/lacquer wheat berries for an art installation?
I'd like to use wheat grains in an art exhibit, but don't want the display to turn into a bug habitat. The grains must remain recognizable as wheat.
I'd like to use wheat grains in an art exhibit, but don't want the display to turn into a bug habitat. The grains must remain recognizable as wheat.
Response by poster: It's not going to be in a container.
Is that 130° C or F?
posted by scruss at 6:35 PM on June 8, 2011
Is that 130° C or F?
posted by scruss at 6:35 PM on June 8, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
If it can, I'd do the following:
- Kill any bugs / moulds / fungi etc by freezing your wheat for 10 days. Yes, there are insects and things that can survive short periods of freezing.
- Dry the grain in an oven @ 130° for 19hrs (this is part of the standard method for determining wheat moisture content, & removes as much moisture as possible). To minimise burning & discolouration, use one of the new-fangled silicone oven trays (or a standard oven tray with foil pulled tightly over the top so it's not sitting on the bottom of the tray, & sit your wheat on the foil), spread your wheat out in a layer 1 or 2 grains thick, and use either a fan-forced oven or only the bottom element of a conventional oven.
- Fill the container with CO2 or nitrogen. N is probably better, but the commercial storages that use modified atmospheres almost always use CO2.
If it can't, I'd still do the freezing & drying steps, but then look at coating the grain with an epoxy or polyurethane resin. A tumbler would probably be best for this, to ensure a thin even coat without clumping. Hint: don't make your sealant too runny, because the grain will absorb the moisture & swell (although it'll still look pretty much like wheat). If you're only doing a small amount (say, ½kg or so) then you may be able to do this by taking a large tin, putting your grain in, tilting it 45° or so, and turning the tin to tumble the grain while gently spraying an aerosol can of polyurethane sealant on it.How long does it have to last for?
posted by Pinback at 5:04 PM on June 8, 2011