HOWTO make GBR (germinated or sprouted brown rice)

Step 6 And one hack for making even better GBR!

That's the basics, but here's one more way to make it even more healthy. As reported by Mellow Monk in his Green Tea Blog, the Shimane Prefecture Agricultural Technology Center in Japan found that if you germinate the rice in green tea, the GABA is increased again--up to three times the amount in GBR that's available on the market in Japan.

Here's a clip from Mellow Monk's blog (previous link):
The researchers theorize that green tea prevents GABA loss in two ways: because of its higher osmotic pressure and because it naturally inhibits the growth of bacteria, thus eliminating the need to change the water during germination. One also has to surmise that the green tea also acts like a natural plant-growth stimulator--after all, many Japanese pour leftover green tea on their houseplants and use old tea leaves as a garden fertilizer. Finally, brown rice germinated in green tea obviously absorbs the tea's polyphenols and other good stuff.

Source: Nihon Nogyo Shimbun (Japan Agriculture Newspaper) http://www.nougyou-shimbun.ne.jp/modules/bulletin8/article.php?storyid=336

I should mention that the more bitter green tea is, the more healthy it apparently is. The goal is not to make a delicious cup of tea, but to make a strong one, so I really boil the snot out of my tea when I make it for GBR. With the green tea, I can germinate the rice for 16 hours without changing the liquid.

Happy sprouting, and don't forget to comment with your experiences!

Comments

[raw lady]

I am going to try sprouting rice with my Excalibur dehydrator. Take a few trays out and place shallow pan on try. Can use the rest of the dehydrator for whatever. Has anyone tried this method?

[bluescrubby]

Interesting. I think a dehydrator would not be a good environment for making sprouts, but it'll depend on how you do it--let us know how it goes!

[traductor3]

I go along with Xinia. The method with the rheostated hotplate or dutch oven is overly complicated. Her method, and mine, will work nicely in warmer climates (such as Tucson). After thoroughly rinsing the rice, as she says, I soaked the grains in a screw-top jar with the lid loosely in place for approximately 12 hours. (I confess that I was flying blind because I had never sprouted rice previously. I had only sprouted wheat and several varieties of beans. My main interest is to produce salad sprouts, so I wonder if the final product will be soft enough for this purpose.) Anyway, I poured the grains into a large strainer--rinsing them carefully once more and piggy-backing them onto another strainer holding black beans that had been soaking concurrently. Then I placed both strainers into a black plastic polyethylene bag and left them over night in a warmish spot in my kitchen. Toward noon of the following day I noted that the beans had begun to sprout and that there were fine protrusions at one end of some of the grains. (Periodic rinsing is necessary of course.) They are now out in our Tucson spring sunlight, hopefully to finish the job. My only caveat: the tutorial says they'll be soft enough to eat raw, but the jury is still out on that one.

[bluescrubby]

Traductor3, you answer your own question. If you live in a warm climate, good for you. If not, use a hot plate.

[traductor3]

Bluescrubby, you are correct. I thought I'd reinforce xinia's helpful comments for us warm climate denizens. Of course in summer many northern climes generate sufficient heat for several hours each day. (I grew up in N.Y. and we had long, sweltering summers.) But since you are the expert, can you tell me if my rice grains will soften up, and after how long? They have been germinating, in and out of the house, for over 20 hours; but the barely, though visibly, sprouted seeds are still quite crunchy. Also, will the sprouts get long and matted like my hard winter wheatberries do? Thanks.

[bluescrubby]

I usually soaked for 12 hours, then germinated for 2-3 days. You should be able to see them sprout after 1-2 days. Good luck!

[Rogues]

Are there any links to prove that GBR is more nutritious? I know that more GABA is produced but I really don't see the point when ingested GABA doesn't even cross the blood-brain barrier.

[xinia]

Well... I don't know why complicate something that can be sooo simple. Here's an easier way to sprout brown rice and it works!!

No need to waste energy keeping the concoction warm for 3 days.

http://radishboy.blogspot.com/2008/05/sprouted-brown-rice.html

If you cant get to the site here's the method:

1. Rinse 1 1/2 cups (or more if desired) brown rice several times until the water is clear.

2. Place the rice in a bowl and cover well with filtered water.

3. Let stand 12 hours or overnight.

4. Pour rice into a strainer and rinse well.

5. Set the strainer over a bowl to drain out of direct sunlight. Cover with a clean dishtowel.

6. Every 12 hours, rinse the rice well.

7. After 24 to 48 hours, small sprouts will appear. Use or refrigerate the rice until ready to use.

8. Cook as you would cook unsprouted brown rice, using slightly less water (for the 1 1/2 cups of rice in this recipe, use 2 cups water). The cooking time will also be shorter.

[bobk_nyc]

anyome do this in a pressure cooker. and have a time guess to start at?

[bluescrubby]

True, but brown rice will only germinate in an ambient temperature of 70 degrees or more. If it's cooler than that, a modified hot plate is the cheapest way to provide localized, low-level heat!

[jtodd5]

You don't need ambient temperature of 70 degrees for rice to sprout. I live near the coast in Northern California, where it's generally pretty cool (50s to 60s most days, down to 40s at night -- even in summer!). I soak the rice in warm water for a day, then drain and cover, rinsing at least twice a day, and it sprouts just fine after 2-3 days. I no longer eat brown rice myself, so I'm sprouting what we have left for our chickens.

[narniamermaid]

what i did was: I put the rinsed & picked over rice in a glass casserole dish & put that in a gas oven with just the pilot light on. I did that on Monday at 10:30 am. I rinsed it a couple of times & put it back in the oven. It is now Wednesday at 5 pm. I didn't really see any sprout action. (I used organic short grain brown rice.) It is kind of stinky....but not horrible. I am going to give it a shot & cook it.

[Brownrice]

Seems my last comment was totally lost. As a reply to the commentator Brown Rice, I also ferment my rice. I have been failing drown your Rice in green tea method. So I am going back to the sprouting in a sieve getting the rice more contact with the air. I still think the dimmer control of the heat is a good idea. so I am going to put hot water in the bottom of the pot and put the sieve in the same pot. My object is to keep the air moist and warm. As for cooking in the pressure cooker, in the inner pot, I use just enough water to cover the rice. Otherwise as all other conditions are the same.

[fpfighter]

I found the perfect appliance to keep the water temp at around 102-104 (lid off) to be my oil filled radiator set on LOW with the thermostat all the way up. It's currently winter so I do not know if this will work (or if I even want to have a heater going) during the summer.

[voide]

ive heard that only certain brands or varieties of brown rice will work. I did try short grain brown rice, i forget from which vendor, and did not notice any sprouts after 3 days. I tried again with wild brown rice from ludenburg, and it did sprout, but i dont really like wild rice. Anyone know a good, cheap, available brand of brown rice (short grain if possible - i like to make sushi with it)? Thanks

[ggladish]

voide, I don't know if this will help you since I buy long grain brown but check out Honeyville Grain at http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/longgrainbrownrice50lb.aspx. I buy 50#s for $62.00 and shipping is only $4.99. I don't know how well it germinates as I only found bluescrubby's posting 12/13/08 and I'm still gathering equipment. Good Luck.

[Brownrice]

I've been doing a routine where I ferment my brown rice in a pot that restaurants normally use to keep race warm. I decided to try to ferment this rice. I cook it with a pressure cooker, and because it's soaked so long it gets really mushy. I'm thinking I'm overcooking it. I'm wondering how to Cook it with a pressure cooker. I'm going to try the new green tea method. So far my rice has been very unappetizing. Overly fermented I'd say. But it's great for the bowel movements. certainly it digest very well.

[bluescrubby]

I don't really understand how you ferment your rice or what the end product is, but please be aware that sprouting and the green tea method are ways to take RAW rice, make it grow a little into a plant, and then consume it. If you cook it in a pressure cooker you will kill it and it cannot grow.

[yeshecho]

After reading about the enhanced cognitive effects the anti-stroke and anti-Alzheimer's effects of germinated brown rice (GBR), its clear that eating GBR everyday will have significant anti-aging effects.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080728192817.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922155950.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070509161030.htm

First I obtained a heating element from local thrift store. Both an electric frying pan and a fondu pot gave nice temperature readings after adjusting their thermostats to around 101 +- 2 deg F. I did spend some time using an accurate thermometer to find where to set the thermostat (that came with each pot). I decided on the fondu pot for aesthetic reasons.

I filled the fondue pot with water and put a rubber pot holder in the bottom of the pot. I then put a 4 cup glass measuring cup into the water filled fondu pot creating a double boiler (the glass cup does rest on the rubber pot holder at the bottom of the pot). I prefer to germinate the rice in the glass measuring cup as the fondue pot is aluminum. Filling the fondue pot with water acts as a buffer so that the rice inside the glass measuring cup (inside the water filled fondu pot) never gets too hot or too cold (around 101 deg F). The rice loves to be coddled this way and germinates like crazy. You will see tiny tiny whiteish sprouts at the end of your grains in 24 hours or less. I soaked the rice in strong green tea, rinsing every 12 hours. After this then cook the rice.

Green tea seems to be an essential part of this process. I did not get stinky water. One day when a short cut was taken and I used really weak green tea, the rice became so stinky I was afraid to eat it because of bacterial over growth. Not getting this problem when soaking with strongly steeped green tea.

I notice enhanced mental clarity and significantly less fatigue at the end of the day (but I did also go off of all gluten grains). I will be doing this for the rest of my life. It is an inexpensive way to feel fantastic.

[bluescrubby]

Awesome!! Thanks for your great comments, information and detail! :)

[yeshecho]

Fondu pot and electric skillet turn themselves off and on according to their internal temperature sensor. The pots are off, way more often than on. The pots are on less than 5% of the time. So this maybe be a good solution to concerns about energy usuage. I believe temperature is really important all the literature indicated a temp above 95 F with 104 F being optimal. My guess is that above 104 F is too high. Yogurt makers I thought were at 105-110 deg F maybe too high for rice sporuting?

[healthyhappyhippy]

When using the green tea method, is it still necessary to rinse the rice before eating or will we just be washing away all the GABA? I am intending on eating the GABA rice raw, how long is it desirable to soak the rice for best taste, nutrition, and GABA content? BTW, thanks for this great instructable!!!

[bluescrubby]

I guess it depends on the taste of the rice. If you're fine with the taste you can eat is as-is, but small variations in temperature and time can alter the final product, so you'll have to judge it case by case. As for your second question, I've already addressed that to the best of my knowledge in the instructable. Without expensive machines and a cool white lab smock I couldn't make any further guesses.

[ldybgd]

a yogurt maker will keep your temps at just around 100F, which sounds like its about perfect for this. I'll give it a try.

[inxanadu1]

Hi Idybgd, Please read my 12/15 post. How did your rice turn out in the yogurt maker. Did it actually sprout?

[inxanadu1]

After soaking my brown rice in green tea in my yogurt maker for three full days, I don't really see any sprouts at the end of the kernels. I'm going to cook it anyway, but does anyone know whether I have created any gaba?

[tidk]

I tried the green tea method with a heated blanket around a crockpot insert and lid. I boiled three tea bags for a long time, then let them steep until the water came around 100 degrees, added the rice and let sit for 12 hours _{, wow, the smell, ick.}
I think the water still needs to be changed. Maybe I should have rinsed the rice first....

[vanuibui]

Is GBR the same as Haiga rice? If not, do you know which one is more nutritious?