The North State Brewers' Cooperative

Contact: 315 N. State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
nsbc@umich.edu

established 1997

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Lesson 3: Gorgeous Malt

History

Barley is an ancient and extremely hardy cereal grass that has all but vanished from our diets, except in beer. Long before advanced agricultural techniques developed, barley was a staple of the human diet, mostly because of its ability to flourish under adverse conditions, particularly in Europe.

Definition

Malt is derived from barley, as shown and described in Appendix A. The malting process develops soluble starch, starch-to-sugar-converting enzymes, and finally, fermentables - sugars that can be converted by yeast to create alcohol and other products.

Forms

There are three forms of malt: 1) grain, 2) liquid extract, and 3) dry extract. The difference between a grain and an extract is that a grain requires more processing than does an extract in order to fully develop fermentables for yeast. In order to completely understand how an extract is derived from a grain, see the description in Appendix B.

Types For extracts, there are only a few types of malt available, generally classified by color. These colors include amber, light amber, pale-gold, and golden. For grains, there are many types available, with a thorough listing given in Appendix C.

Usefulness Our beers will be comprised of mostly extracts, with specialty grains as supplements. Light colored extract will be used, since darker color can easily be added with grains. Dry extract will supplement the majority liquid extract when more precise quantities of malt are necessary. For a specialty grain, we will generally steep it at 152F for 45 minutes. We will never let the temperature of a steeping grain go above 172F, as that would create a harsh, bitter, bad off-flavor resulting from the husks of the grain. In contrast, it is perfectly fine to boil extracts.

Conclusion

As one of the four primary ingredients in beer, malt provides the goods for yeast to create alcohol and other products. Malt provides many important qualities to beer, including: sweet flavor, body, color, head formation and retention. Sources

Appendix A: The Malting Process

The malting process begins with fresh barley. This barley is cleaned, sorted and conveyed to steep (water) tanks. The procedure from the steep tank to the finished malt varies depending on the type of malt desired. Generally, the barley spends about 40 hours in tanks of fresh clean water with three intervals, 8 hours each, during which the water is allowed to drain. Once the moisture content reaches about 40-45%, the wet barley is conveyed to the germination room. Here it is allowed to germinate at temperatures carefully stabilized at 60F. Over the approximate 5 day germination period, air is blown up through the bed of grain. After this period, the wet malt becomes what is referred to as "green malt." This concludes the above flowchart box labeled "malted."

Appendix B: From Malt to Malt Extract

From malted barley, malt extract can be made through a process called mashing. The first step in mashing involves the milling or grinding of the malt. A measured amount of water is mixed with the ground malt to dissolve sugars, starches, and enzymes. As the temperature of the "mash" is raised to 145-158F, the enzymes become most active and convert soluble starches to sugars. The liquid mash becomes sweet in a matter of time. At this stage, the "spent" grains are separated from the sweet liquid. The sweet liquid is called "malt extract." From this point, the extract may be further boiled to evaporate part of the water and concentrate it (commercial liquid extract) or to evaporate all the water, thus drying it (commercial dry extract).

Appendix C: Specialty Grain Types

Aromatic
A mildly kilned Belgian barley malt that adds a strong malt aroma and deep color. Much like a Munich malt.

Amber
Commonly used by brewers from the late 1700s to mid-1800s for making porters. Today, used primarily by British brewers for coloring and imparting a biscuity taste in old, mild, and brown ales, and the occasional bitter.

Biscuit
This toasted malt provides a slightly burned, warm bread or biscuit flavor and aroma. Also lends a garnet to brown coloring.

Black
This may be found in small quantities in styles such as Scotch ales and in larger quantities in porters. It contributes a dry, burned bitterness with an ash-like character. Many commercial brewers use this malt to color their beer, as it imparts little color to the head.

Brown
A roasted product that is lighter than chocolate malt. Used in bitter and mild ales, sweet stouts, and London porters, it contributes a light, biscuit-like dry flavor.

Chocolate
Flavors are sometimes described as sharp and acrid, while others find it imparts a nutty, toasted quality in both aroma and flavor. It is often found in porters and some stouts, brown ales, and dunkels.

Crystal/Caramel/Carats
These names are used interchangeably for products made in the same general way. The flavors imparted to the beer may include caramel, toffee, and/or biscuit-like. Also contributes body and mouthfeel. Appear in many styles of ales and lagers

Dextrin
Contributes mostly body, with little flavor or color impact; may be used in light beers, such as Pilsners.

Honey (Brumalt)
Light-colored European malt with an intense sweetness.

Mild
A lightly toasted malt used predominantly in mild ales; has a slight nutty flavor.

Munich
Often described as sweet and mellow, this malt lacks the flavors associated with crystal malts. The color may be gold to reddish amber. Used mostly in Vienna, Märzen, Oktoberfest, and bock styles.

Peat
Smoked over a peat fire, this is primarily used in Scottish-style ales.

Rauch
Smoked over a rauch fire, this relatively pale malt provides the characteristic smoked flavor of Bamburg-style rauchbier and other specialty smoked products.

Special
This product gives a dark orange color and a biscuit-like flavor.

Victory
Provides an increased color and a toasted flavor sometimes described as "warm." Used mostly in pale malts.

Vienna
Lighter in color than Munich malt, which gives a gold to orange effect. Lends a full flavor and is primarily used in Vienna, Märzen, and Oktoberfest styles.

Wheat
Often added in small quantities to a wide variety of styles since it improves head formation and retention. Used primarily in Berliner weisse, Bavarian weizen, dunkel weizen, and weizenbock.