Use diastatic malt in applications which call for non-diastatic

I agree that, in general, other squashes can be substituted for pumpkin. I have tried some different types of squashes but obviously there are many more that I haven't tried.

There are definitely differences in flavor- these will obviously change a dish but not ruin it.

The biggest differences I have run into are water content and texture.

When roasting squash the cooking time might need to be adjusted to obtain a product with the needed consistency. Using pie as an example- I have had to adjust my cooking to avoid a runny pie filling. Obviously in some recipes, such as soup, this won't be as important.

Some squash, such as spaghetti, have stringy textures that would be odd where smooth pumpkin is expected.

I don't see why not, it's the same process

Many commercial brewers make a barley and rye malt for beer (< 10% rye). A good brewers supply shop should have rye malt too

Rye is around ~40% carbohydrate, while barley is ~45% carbohydrate, so rye is not as sweet, but has a more interesting taste (IMHO)

The differences for making malt rye over malt barley, assuming you have hulled rye:

• Rye absorbs water faster, so steep for less time (~30% less)
• Do not let it go mushy or it will not germinate
• Rye is more fragile with no hull and a thin "skin". So must be handled more carefully once steeped. If it is damaged it wont germinate
• Lower germination rate (due to above), so less conversion, so less sugars and flavour

Otherwise just follow the normal malt barley process, which is well documented