1. Practical Malting and It’s Influence on Malt Analysis
Guest Speaker : Tyler Schoales

2. About Me Tyler Schoales
BSc Applied Molecular Sciences, MAGB Malting Diploma
11 years global malting experience
Avid homebrewer (Grainfather, SS BrewTech), 20 Gallon SS BrewTech Infusion Mashtun and Brewmaster Kettle
Currently National Sales Manager for GWM

3. Why Barley ? Practical Malting Steeping Germination Kilning
Outline
Why Barley ?
Practical Malting
Steeping
Germination
Kilning

4. Why Malting Barley?
Barley contributes the sensory characteristics associated with beer:
Source of extract, hence alcohol
Mash Enzymes – Alpha, Beta Amylase to name a few
Source of Yeast nutrients and in particular FAN
Excellent buffer of pH in Wort
Milled husk materials act as a filter bed during mash filtration (Lautertun & mash tun)
A source of foam stabilizing proteins
Source of polyphenols => antioxidant power
Sensory characteristics – flavor, color, aroma, body, etc.
Talk to wheat as important for some beers flavor and functionality
Historical use (or attempted use) of other grains for beer show the enduring value of barley.

5. Barley Morphology
Cross Section

6. Practical Malting
Overview of Malting Process

7. Practical Malting Steeping 36-48 hours
Primary objective: To hydrate the grain
Embryo is “activated”
Water and Oxygen Uptake
Disappearance of simple sugar
Generation of heat, and carbon dioxide
Production of Hydrolytic Enzymes
Each kernel is alive
Each kernel must breathe, cast off waste material and
begin to grow a new barley plant
Factors that influence this are water temperature, protein content
Other factors include : type of steeping plant, variety, germ energy, and germ capacity tests, ambient air

8. Practical Malting Biochemistry of Steeping
At approximately 27% moisture content of the kernel the following biochemical changes begin to occur:
Initiated respiration of malt kernel
Uptake of oxygen and release of Co2 and heat
Synthesis of Gibberellic acid in the embryo …. and scutellum?

9. Practical Malting
Maltster Rounds - Steeping

10. Practical Malting Germination – 4 to 5 days
Primary objective: Synthesize enzymes that will “unlock” the starch contained in
the endosperm for brewers to utilize
Embryo is actively synthesizing and subsequently transporting GA3 through the scutellum and alluerone layer which stimulates the following
Enzyme synthesis
Contents of the endosperm are partially degraded
Factors that influence this are time and temperature of vessel
Other factors include : type of germination vessel, airflow, variety, barley quality, humidity, ambient conditions, moisture, turns, bed depth

11. Practical Malting
Saladin Germination Vessel

12. Practical Malting Biochemistry of germination Germination Sequence
Contents of the starchy endosperm are partly degraded and depleted
Cell wall materials (hemicelluloses, and B-Glucans)
Protein matrix
Starch Granules (large and small)
The embryo metabolizes and grows, using chemical feedstocks supplied by the endosperm breakdown. The grain is alive: respires, experiences stress….

13. Practical Malting
Biochemistry of germination

14. Practical Malting Kilning – 16 to 24 hours
Primary objective of kilning:
Prevent further growth and modification of the malt kernel
Achieve stability of malt for storage and transport
Stabilize and preserve enzyme package
Develop color, flavor and aroma
Physical changes during kilning:
Malt shrinks about 25-35%
Malt becomes more friable as malt is kilned
Microflora greatly reduced on kilned malt

15. Practical Malting Kilning – Stages
Stages of the kilning process include:
Free drying (Pre break) – Typically 44%  14% moisture content
Force drying (Post break) – Typically 14%  5% moisture content
Curing – 5% and lower

16. Latent heat of evaporation
Practical Malting
Kilning – Stages
Stages of the kilning process include:
Free drying (Pre break) – Typically 44%  14% moisture content
Allotted time hours
Average starting temperature 140 F
Wicking easily accessible moisture off of malt
Surface moisture
rapidly removed
Latent heat of evaporation
Evaporation
Air Flow
Relative humidity = 100%

17. Relative humidity < 100%
Practical Malting
Kilning – Stages
Stages of the kilning process include:
Force drying (Post break) – Typically 14%  5% moisture content
Allotted time 5-7 hours
Temperature ramping from 140 F to 166 F
Forcing migration of moisture from internal to external portion of the malt
Surface moisture
removed
Heat
Evaporation
Air Flow
Relative humidity < 100%
Diffusion

18. Practical Malting Kilning – Stages Rate of moisture removal =
Stages of the kilning process include:
Curing – 5% and lower
Allotted time 1-3 hours
Typically temperature reaching up to 194 F
Evaporation
Diffusion
Rate of moisture removal =
Rate of moisture uptake
Air Flow
Relative humidity constant
Heat

19. Practical Malting Biochemistry of kilning
Enzymes are very unstable at higher moistures and denature very easily. By slowly increasing temperatures (115 F to 150 F) as moisture decreases to below 30%, we are able to stabilize enzymes. thereby preventing denaturing from occurring.

20. Practical Malting Biochemistry of kilning (>176°F) (149-158°F)

21. Practical Malting Biochemistry of kilning
The Maillard Reaction is responsible for the color and flavor of the malt produced
Moisture
Sugar
Heat
Protein
Flavors such as malty, bready, biscuit, nutty, cracker as well as aromas contributed by pyrazine through the Maillard reaction in kilning

22. Practical Malting
Maltster Rounds - Kilning

23. Questions

24. References
Bamforth, C.W. (2003). ‘Barley and malt starch in brewing: a general review’. MBAA TQ, 40(2): 89-97
Briggs D.E. (1998). Malts & Malting. Blackie Academic Press.
Cook, David. ‘Malt from the brewer’s perspective’ (2014)
Briggs, D.E., Boulton, C.A., Brookes, P.A. & Stevens, R. (2004). ‘Brewing: Science and practice’, Woodhead Publishing Ltd., Cambridge, UK.