Lesson 6 - Malt Quality
This lesson deals with malt quality. We explore each parameter on a malt specification sheet and identify why they are specified. We then examine how they affect beer and the brewing process.
Preface
As brewers, we must understand malt quality parameters and set a specification that reflects the requirements of our products and operation. Only then, can we ensure that malt performs effectively in the brewery.
Malt is made from a natural material. In nature variation is everywhere. Even if the barley is the same variety, where it is grown is likely to vary in terms of soil and environmental conditions. Also, these conditions can vary year to year. Variation also affects the kernels on the spike. All this means that despite the best efforts of the maltster, malt also varies. As brewers we need consistency in everything that we use, so variation is never welcome. While this all paints a bleak picture, the fact that we use many thousands of kernels in each brew means that this variation is evened out to a practical extent. However, it is worth bearing in mind that all the kernels in our malt delivery and indeed in a small sample taken for analysis are never the same. We must ensure that the sample we take is representative of the entire batch of grain. We should also bear in mind that maltsters blend batches of malt to hit specifications. This could mean we receive a batch that is half under modified and half over modified. We can avoid this by setting an effective specification.
In this lesson, we explore many of the tests currently used on malt. The results of which we find on a certificate of analysis. We then consider how we should interpret them. We also link them to specific processes in malting and brewing.
Initialisms related to malt analyses
EBC – European Brewing Convention
ASBC – American Society of Brewing Chemists
IoB – Institute of Brewing
The IoB analyses are now included in Analytica EBC which is published by the EBC. The ASBC publishes the ASBC Methods of Analysis.
Our malt must:
- Be food safe
- Be easy to mill
- Provide as much fermentable extract as possible
- Provide a low wort viscosity
- Have the required balance of nitrogenous compounds
- Produce clear wort
- Have the required colour
- Provide the required beer flavour
The specification we set and the analyses used, should ensure that our malt meets these requirements every time!