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MALT FIRST: BARLEY Over six thousand years ago, civilized man determined that barley was more suited for the making of beer than for the making of bread. (It was short on gluten.) Barley, however, was ideal for beer production. It was relatively easy to cultivate and was a well-known trade commodity. It had a stable and recognized worth. And most of all it was an essential food. A mush of grains was the basic food of folk, common and less-common. Vegetables and, to a less degree, meat both were eaten. One was cultivated (vegetables) and the other (meat) was essential to religious and civil celebrations. Nevertheless, gruel was the dish of every day sustenance. It has been posited that a bowl of thin gruel was left uncovered, at just the right temperature and in just the right place to be missed for a day or two, was visited upon by the wild yeast and other sweet-loving small things that were in the air, allowed to ferment and become the first “beer” known to man. There are three major types of barley. Each is differentiated by the number of seeds that grow at the top of the stalk. Barley seeds grow in two, four and six rows, along a central stem. European brewers prefer two-row barley because it malts best and has a better starch/husk ratio. Brewers in the United States prefer the six-row barley because it is more economical to grow and has a higher rate of the enzymes needed to convert the starch in the grain into sugar and other fermentables. Compared to other grain, barley profits from malting both in flavor and texture. Germinated barley, now malted barley, is particularly well suited for beer making because it is rich in enzymes necessary to turn the starch in the germinated grain into sugar that is essential to the making of beer. THEN: MALTING Malting is a process of bringing grain to the point of its highest possible starch content by allowing it to begin to sprout roots and take the first step to becoming a photosynthesizing plant. At this point the seed is rich in the starch it needs to use as food for growth. First, germination is achieved by moistening the grain with water, and allowing it to begin the natural growth process until the protein in the grain has been converted into starch, the essential ingredient for the growth of a new plant. However, germination is halted just before the growth process begins. This results in a grain that is high in starch and well endowed with a thin coating, just over the grain itself, of the enzymes α-amylase and β-amylase. These two enzymes are essential to turning the starch in the grain into sugar (Maltose) used in making beer. Portions of this "malted" barley are then heated at higher temperatures to "roast" it. This roasted malted barley no longer has the active enzymes needed to turn the starches into sugars, but it does take on characteristics that add to the flavor of the beer. The degree of roasting results in malted barley that ranges from light tan (Dortmund and Bavarian), to "patent" and "Chocolate" malt (roasted until almost black). Then, the malted barley is dried and roasted to produce particular flavors that the brewer uses to create a flavor profile that fits either specific style specifications or the particular creative sense of the brewer. TYPES OF MALT: The following, and more on Dingemans Malt, can be found at: http://www.specialtymalts.com/dinge <BODY bgColor=#FEEB81>mans/descriptions.html Dingemans Aromatic Malt
Aromatic (Amber 50) (17° - 21° L)
Dingemans Biscuit Malt
Biscuit (Mout Roost 50) (18° -
27° L) Dingemans Chocolate Malt
Chocolate (Mout Roost 900) (300°
- 380° L) Dingemans Munich Malt
Munich (4° - 7° L) Dingemans Pale Ale Malt
Pale Ale (2.7° - 3.8° L) Dingemans Pilsen Malt
Pilsen (1.4° - 1.8° L) Dingemans Special B Malt
Special B (140° - 155° L)
Information on the following, and more on Muntons Malt, can be found at: http://www.muntons.com/minibrewing/iob.asp Muntons Maris Otter Malt Muntons Lager Malt Muntons Mild Ale Malt Muntons Pale Ale Malt Muntons Black Patent Malt Muntons Chocolate Malt Muntons Carapils Malt Muntons Wheat Malt Muntons 60L Crystal Malt Muntons Roasted Barley (unmalted)
The following, and more on Weyermann Malt, can be found at: http://www.weyermann.de/eng/produkte_neu.asp?go=brauerei&umenue=yes&idmenue=37&sprache=2 Weyermann Carafa I Malt Weyermann Carafa II Malt Weyermann Carafa III Malt Weyermann Carafa I - Dehusked Weyermann Carafa II - Dehusked Weyermann Carafa III - Dehusked Weyermann Cara Foam Weyermann Cara Hell Malt Weyermann Cara Red Malt Weyermann Melanoidin Malt Weyermann Rye Malt Weyermann Smoked Malt Weyermann Pale Ale Malt
updated 10 July 2007
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