Lesson 5 - Malting Process SAQ
This lesson provides the opportunity for you to test yourself on the material covered in Lesson 4 (Malting Process) and determine the level to which you have attained the expected outcomes.
Suggested Response - Q6
SAQ:
**Please answer the following questions about the kilning process:
a. List the three stages of drying. Give a brief description of each stage.
b. Which stage will you manipulate to differentiate between an enzymatic malt and a darker ale malt?
Response:
a) The three stages are as follows:
1. Free drying - Moisture in the husk is removed by warm, dry air at lower temperatures.
2. Forced drying - Once free drying finishes, the malt temperature will start moving closer to the air-on temperature. Higher temperatures can now be used to force the moisture from the centre of the grain and remove it.
3. Curing - The period where the air on temperature is at its highest, usually greater than 70˚C and nearly always > 85˚C. Colour and flavour are easily formed. At this temperature, SMM is degraded to DMS which, being very volatile, is easily lost from the malt.
b) Curing is the phase within the kilning process where process conditions can dramatically influence the type and quality of the final malt. For example, enzymatic malt indicates a high diastatic power, so it will often be produced at lower curing temperatures such as 70˚C. However, this comes with the risk of DMS in the final product. The darker malts will have been produced at higher temperatures.