How to Malt Barley for Beer
Jon Stika of Brew Your Own magazine describes malt as "barley that has been sprouted to the point where enzymes are produced that will convert its starchy interior to sugar." After the grain has been malted, the sugar is fermented by yeast to make beer. Malting requires sorting and cleaning, steeping, germination, drying, cleaning and roasting. Simple variations in this process determine the character, flavor and shade of the malt, and therefore beer. With some experimentation you can learn to make the malt you like best. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Seed barley
- Cup or scoop
- Food scale
- Large pot or bucket
- Non-softened water
- Colander or sieve
- Paper towels
- Baking pans
- Plastic cover
- Spray bottle
- Sharp knife
- Large sealable storage container
Instructions
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Sterilize all equipment. Scoop the amount of barley called for in your beer recipe onto a food scale, accounting for the final weight of malt being less than 13 oz. per 16 oz. of original weight. Inspect the barley for contaminants such as mold, rot or insects. Use other barley if you find contaminants. Transfer barley to a large pot or bucket. Remove any cracked grains. Fill the bucket with cool water, and agitate the bucket to wash the barley. Pour off loose husks and dirt that float to the top. Drain over a colander. Repeat until all dirt and loose husks are removed.
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Soak the barley to increase its water content. Soak it in cool, non-softened water for eight hours, Brew Your Own recommends. Drain the water over a colander, and let the grain rest for eight to 10 hours in a cool place. Soak the barley for another eight hours, drain it, and weigh it to check the water content. For germination (sprouting) to begin, the barley should weigh between 24 and 26 oz. per original 16 oz. If the barley needs more moisture, let it rest eight hours and soak it in one- to two-hour increments, up to eight hours, until it measures 24 to 26 oz.
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Line a flat surface such as a baking sheet with paper towels and spread the barley on it. Loosely cover the barley with plastic. Keep barley in a place that is between 55 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Turn the barley gently at least three times a day to aerate, release heat buildup and prevent mold or bacteria growth. Break up clumps, and mist the barley with a spray bottle. Keep it moist but not wet. Germination takes two to five days. It is complete when the acrospires or shoots inside the kernel have grown the length of the kernel. Split several grains with a knife to check the acrospires' growth. Discard split grains.
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Dry the barley immediately. Use an oven or food dehydrator set between 100 and 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread the barley evenly over a baking sheet or dehydrator rack. Do not raise temperatures above 125, or beer-making enzymes will denature. Dry for six to 24 hours, periodically weighing and stirring the barley. When the barley is close to its original weight, Brew Your Own suggests safely raising the temperature to between 140 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Continue drying the barley until it weighs about 13 oz. for every original 16 oz.
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Pour cooled barley into a colander and agitate it. Knock off and dispose of all rootlets or protruding acrospires, because they cause beer to cloud.
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Make beer from the dried barley for a green-tasting beer, or roast it to develop the color and flavor of the malt. Experiment with different temperatures and times to perfect your beer-making recipe. Roast barley in an oven set between 176 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit for as little as 15 minutes to as long as five hours. Roast at low temperatures and short times for pale malts, and high temperatures (above 194) and/or long times for darker malts. Stir the barley for an even roast. Cool the roasted barley at room temperature and store it in an airtight container.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not consume barley you suspect has mold or bacterial contamination.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit bottle of beer image by dethchimo from Fotolia.com
