Let’s deep dive into malt!

2-Row Pale Malt/ Pilsner Malt

This is the malt that typically makes up the largest fraction of an all-grain recipe. Pale malt contains starch, and is also high in enzymes. Mashing is required to allow the two components to react to produce soluble fermentable sugars. Pale malt is light in color and contributes a crisp malt flavour. This is the base for most of the light German styles. This malt has the lightest color and flavour. Pilsner malt usually needs a protein rest during mashing. Some varieties have low enzyme levels which require careful mashing.

6-Row Pale Malt

This malt is similar to 2-row, but it has higher enzyme levels. This makes it ideal for use with the adjunct grains. The protein content is higher too. This helps compensate for the lower levels found in rice or corn.

Munich and Vienna Malt

These European malts are kilned at a slightly higher temperature than pale malt. Hence, they have a darker, richer flavour, ideal for malty beers such as Bock and Oktoberfest. Both require mashing. They contain enzymes, but lower levels than pale malt.

Roasted /Colour Malts

These malts usually start with ‘green’ malt but finished malt can also be used. The main goal for these malts is to create colour enhancement.

• No soaking is required because further starch modification is not desired.

• Very high temperatures, far exceeding the boiling point of water are used to produce the colour.

• Roasting drums, similar to coffee bean roasting drums, are filled to one half to three quarters full with a malt charge.

• The roasting drum is rotated to ensure even exposure of the malt to the heating surface.

• The temperature is raised from ambient to 170°C in 30 minutes.

• Aromatic substances and vapours are boiled off and removed from the roaster, which results in a loss of the malt charge from 3 to 6% by weight

• The temperature is increased further to 215°C in the next 30 minutes, and then slowly raised to 200 to 225°C.

• Sampling is frequent as control is critical in determining the termination point of the process.

• Temperatures are close to ignition temperature so vigilance is very important to not start combustion within the roaster

• At the termination point, the malt is sprayed with water and the furnace is shut off

• Can be added directly to the mash and is usually very finely ground to get the greatest colour extraction.

• Other colouring, such as caramel and burnt sugar substrates, are used by some brewers

Crystal Malt

Crystal malt adds body, flavour and color to your beer, and can be added to just about any recipe. Crystal malts have darker color and a richer caramel taste. Most of the starch in crystal malt has already been converted into soluble and caramelized sugars, so the flavours can be extracted with simple water steep. This is the reason that crystal malts are especially effective with extract batches of beer. Crystal malt also adds quite a bit of protein. Excess amounts can lead to chill haze.

• The malt is heated to a degree so that the husk will be a light brown and the grain’s interior will also turn brown.

• Finished regular malt is soaked in water for several hours and then gradually heated to approximately 78°C.

• The malt is held at this temperature for 1 to 2 hours

• The temperature is slowing increased to the roasting level to allow flavour and colour development.

• Temperatures usually do not exceed 95°C.

Cara-Pils Malt

These varieties are light in color, but have very complex starch content. When mashed, enzymes solubilise the dextrin into the mash. However, the dextrin is unfermentable, leading to a sweet, high final gravity beer, such as cream stout.

Chocolate Malt

One of my faves!! This malt has been kilned at a fairly high temperature, producing a rich flavour and considerable darkness. The flavour and color are easily extracted by steeping, leading to the basis of some easy-to-make porter recipes. Chocolate malt does not contribute much fermentable sugar.

Black Patent and Roast Barley

These two grains are kilned at very high temperatures and contribute a strong roast taste. The taste becomes acrid if you use too much. Both work well in extract batches, especially stouts.

Happy drinking fam!