MALT

The grains used in making beer can be loosely and informally classified as either brewing grains or specialty grains. "Brewing grains" are those grains that provide enough fermentable sugars to actually create a beer. The "specialty grains" are used to add specific color, flavor, body, aroma and/or mouthfeel to the beer but usually do not contain enough fermentable sugars by themselves to create a beer. Barley is by far the most common brewing grain. Wheat, rice, corn, oats, rye and other grains may be used as a part of the grain bill or an adjunct. As barley is by far the most common brewing grain, it will be discussed at length below with only a brief mention of wheat and rice.

Raw grain is not sufficient to create beer. It must be malted in order to create the exact conditions necessary to brew. To begin the malting process, barley seeds are cleaned and sorted then soaked until they germinate (sprout) and begin to activate the enzymes - called diastase and proteases - necessary for converting the grain into something useful for brewing. Diastatic enzymes convert the insoluble starches in the grain into fermentable sugars. Proteolytic enzymes convert long, complex chains of proteins into smaller proteins that can be used by yeast as a nutrient during fermentation. After a period of soaking and draining and the moisture content of the grain reaches 40-45%, the barley is removed from the steep tanks and moved to the germination room. In the germination room, the barley is allowed to germinate at approximately 60º F for five days while air is blown through the bed of grain. At this point, the wet malt is referred to as green malt. Over the next day and a half, the green malt is kiln-dried at differing temperatures depending on the type of malt desired. Different malts create different flavors in the beers. For example, a CaraVienne malt used to make a Belgian tripel is kilned less than a black patent malt used to make an Irish stout. After kilning, the tiny sprouts grown during germination are removed. Finally, the malt is ready for brewing.

Once the barley is malted, the first step in brewing is mashing. Mashing is nothing more than brewing terminology for mixing the grains with hot water. The first step in mashing is to grind or mill the malt so that the husk is removed and the kernel broken into granular-size pieces. Next, water is added and the temperature raised to specific temperatures at which the diastatic enzymes in the malt become most active and begin converting the remaining starches in the malt into sugars. These sugars are important later during the brewing process as they provide the food for the yeast during fermentation. After mashing, the spent grains are removed from the sweet liquid, now called malt extract. The malt extract is finally transferred to the brew kettle for the remainder of the brewing process. This entire mashing process can be avoided by the homebrewer by brewing with malt extract syrup or dried malt extract where the mashing process is already done for the brewer.

Although barley is the most widely used brewing grain, wheat, rice and corn are also commonly used. Wheat, used heavily in German and Belgian brewing, is believed to lighten the body of the beer as well as heighten its thirst-quenching qualities. Wheat malts can be used in various amounts ranging up to 70% of the total grain bill depending on the type of beer being brewed. Because of its low diastatic enzyme content, malted wheat should be combined with highly enzymatic malted barley. Wheat malt extracts are, therefore, usually a combination of malted wheat and malted barley. Rice extract syrup is the ingredient that gives some American and Japanese lagers their dry, crisp clean taste and light body. Rice extract usually composes less than 15% of the total grist.

Three different scales are used to describe the color of malts that leave the malt house. The most widely used scale is the Standard Reference Method. This scale, used primarily in America, goes from 1 to 600, with 1 being the lightest (pilsner malt) and 600 being the darkest (black patent malt). The Lovibond scale, used primarily in Britain and expressed as "degrees Lovibond," "Lovibond" or "L," is an older color measurement scale close enough to the SRM scale that the two are often used interchangeably. The EBC (European Brewing Congress) scale, used primarily in continental Europe, ranges from 3.5 to 1,400 and is approximately double the SRM and Lovibond scales.

Below is a list of some of the most common brewing malts and their SRM color measurement:

1. Dry Malt Extract (DME) - Malted barley (and possibly other grains) reduced to a thick syrup then spray-dried to a powder form. Water is added to create the wort. Available with or without hop extract added. The recipe basis for beginning and intermediate homebrewing. Color ranges from 10-55 SRM.

2. English Pale Malt - Easily converted during mashing, the preferred malt for English ales. Higher kilned and lower enzymes than American two-row pale malts. Color is 2-4 SRM.

3. Lager Malt - Kilned at low temperatures for a lighter color and to preserve high enzyme levels. Appropriate as a base malt for most lagers. Color is 1-2 SRM.

4. Malt Extract Syrup - Malted barley (and possibly other grains) which are reduced to a thick syrup. Water is added to create the wort. Comes hopped or unhopped. The recipe basis for beginning and intermediate homebrewing. Color ranges from 4-120 SRM.

5. Pale Ale Malt - Fully modified and easily mashed, suitable for most ales and lagers. Color is 2-4 SRM.

6. Pale Malt - Highly modified and enzymatic, suitable for most ales and lagers. Color is 1-4 SRM.

7. Pilsner Malt - Also known as German pale malt, light in color and produces a very malty flavor. Color is 1-2 SRM.

8. Vienna Malt - Rich and aromatic, it lends a full flavor and deep amber color to beer. Used in brewing Viennas and Oktoberfests. Color is 3-10 SRM.

Below is a list of the most common specialty grains:

1. Amber Malt - A roasted specialty malt used for coloring and a biscuity taste in British old ales, mild ales, brown ales and bitters. Color is 15-25 SRM.

2. Aromatic Malt - A Belgian barley malt that adds a strong malt aroma and deep color. Color is 20-25 SRM.

3. Black Patent Malt (Black Malt) - Malted barley kilned at high temperatures for a long time. These high temperatures destroy most of the barley's starches, so black patent malt is used primarily for a brown or black coloring and imparts a burnt, smoky or nutty taste. Used primarily for porters, stouts and dark lagers. Color is 475-550 SRM.

4. Biscuit Malt - A darker Belgian version of victory malt, it provides a warm bread or biscuit flavor and aroma. Lends a deep red or brown color to the beer. No enzymes, so it must be used in low quantities. Color is 20-25 SRM

5. CaraMunich - A medium-amber Belgian crystal malt. No enzymes but used to impart a rich, caramel-sweet aroma, full flavor and deep color. Color is 53-75 SRM.

6. CaraPils - The brand name of dextrine malt.

7. CaraVienne - A Belgian light caramel malt. Traditionally used in lighter abbey- or Trappist-style ales but suitable as a substitute for caramel malt in any recipe. Not synonymous with Vienna malt. Color is 12-25 SRM.

8. Chocolate Malt - Refers primarily to the color not the taste. Slightly lighter than black patent malt, chocolate malt is used in mild ales and porters. Adds deep aroma and color and a nutty, roasted taste. Color varies from 350-450 SRM.

9. Crystal Malt (Caramel Malt) - No enzymes and very few fermentables, crystal malt is used primarily to enhance body, mouthfeel and head retention. Adds a golden or reddish color and a caramel, nutty or sweet flavor to beer. Comes in light, medium and dark - 10-120 SRM.

10. Dextrine Malt - A very light caramel malt. Lends body and a smoother mouthfeel without adding red color or crystal malt flavor. Color is 1-2 SRM.

11. Munich Malt - Provides a full, grainy, malty flavor and aroma, sweetness and amber color. Color is 5-10 SRM.

12. Peated (Smoked) Malt - Smoked barley that lends a smoky flavor to beer.

13. Roasted Barley - Made by roasting unmalted barley. Rich, dark drown in color, it lends a distinctive roasted flavor and bitterness to beer. Contributes significantly to the color of beer and creates a brown head on beer. Used in brewing stouts. Color is 300-500+.

14. Rye Malt - Lends rye's unique dry flavor to beer. Difficult to mash. Color is 2-5 SRM if raw and 400-600 SRM if roasted.

15. Victory Malt - A lightly toasted aroma and flavoring malt. Provides a warm biscuity flavor and aroma and a deep red or brown color to dark lagers and porters. Color is 3-5 SRM.

16. Wheat Malt - Used in varying degree in the grist (30% to 70%) depending on the style of beer being brewed. Can also be used in small amounts (5% to 10%) for head retention. Considered to lighten mouthfeel, improve yeast activity and raise thirst-quenching properties. Color is 0-3 SRM.