Grains

Grains

Grains in glassesBrewing grains are the heart and soul of beer. Next to water they make up the bulk of brewing ingredients. Brewing grains provide the sugars that yeast ferment. They are the main source of beer colour, and a major contributor to beer flavour, aroma, and body. Proteins in the grains give structure to beer foam and minerals deliver many of the nutrients essential to yeast growth. By far the most common brewing grain is malted barley or ‘barley malt’, but a variety of other grains, both malted and unmalted, are also used.

Base Malts

Base malts make up the majority of the grist in all-grain beer, and there is a huge variety available. Base malts are named based on the formation of corns on the barley stalk (2-row vs. 6-row), the variety (e.g., Maris Otter, Golden Promise, etc), or the region in which it was grown or malted. Base malts include:

  • Barley malts: pale malt, Pilsner malt, Vienna malt, Munich malt, mild ale malt, and more.
  • Non-barley base malts like wheat malt and rye malt (more on these in “Other Malts”).
  • High-kilned malts: responsible for the dark, malty lagers of Europe and have also found a home in some ales because of their unique character. Munich and Vienna malts are the prime examples.
  • American base malt is generally mild and fairly neutral; British malts tend to be maltier, bready, and biscuit-like.

The European climate gives malts made from Continental barley a clean, elegant character. Pilsner malt has a soft, delicate maltiness that practically defines pale lagers. ‘High-kilned’ malts are heated to a higher temperature at the end of the malting process, although mild ale malt belongs to this category also. The darker colour lends these malts a more toasty, malty flavour than you get from lighter base malts.

Caramel & Crystal Malts

Caramel is the American version and Crystal is the English. These malts are generally used to add sweetness and colour. Rather than being dry-kilned, the wet malt is ‘stewed’ at a relatively low temperature, causing the sugars within to caramelise. They’re usually named based on colour. As a general rule, the lighter-coloured crystal malts are more sweet, while darker crystal malts add roastiness or nuttiness in addition to sweetness.

On the extreme light end sit dextrin(e) malts. They also add dextrins, which bring body and a thicker mouthfeel, as well as improving head-retention.

Broadly speaking, anything labeled crystal, caramel, or cara-something are crystal malts.

Crystal malt is used in many styles of beer. The amount of crystal malt used varies with the style of beer. Pale ales, bitters or ESBs may contain up to 20 percent crystal malt. For example, a beer may be made with 4.5 kilograms of grain, 900 grams of which are crystal malt. Lagers such as Octoberfests or Vienna lagers may contain up to 15 percent crystal malt. Darker ales, such as porters and stouts, may also contain crystal malt along with more darkly roasted grains. The more crystal malt used in a recipe, the darker the colour. You can calculate how much colour you are adding to your beer with a crystal malt – refer to the page on Beer Colour.

Adjunct Grains

An adjunct is an unmalted, starchy thing (normally understood to be a cereal grain, but homebrewers have been known to use things like pumpkin and potatoes, too).

  • Flaked barley and flaked oats
  • Maize (corn)
  • Torrified wheat
  • Pumpkin/squash
  • Potatoes
  • Rice
  • … and more – any starchy vegetable/grain can be an adjunct

Adjuncts don’t have sugars available like crystal malts. They also don’t have enzymes like malted grains, so they need to be mashed with base malt to extract their sugars.

The degree to which we can use unmalted adjuncts without experiencing difficulties depends on the base malt and the mashing regime. With a multiple-temperature mash, American six-row malts can tolerate up to 50 percent adjunct, and American two-row can tolerate up to 30 percent. British malt used in a single-infusion mash can tolerate up to 20 percent.

Kilned & Toasted Malts

Includes malts such as biscuit, amber, special roast, and aromatic malts. Usually used in low quantities to contribute unique flavour (250 grams or less for a 23 litre batch).

  • Biscuit malt contributes a light, “saltine cracker” flavour, while aromatic malt is deeper and maltier.
  • Brown and amber malt are similarly toasted, but brown is darker and more toasty/bready and amber has less of a pretzel-like flavour.
  • Victory malt is another light option that sits between biscuit and amber, with characteristics of both.
  • Special roast is fairly unique and will impart a slightly darker, reddish colour and has a fairly strong tangy, berry, deep flavour.

Roasted Malts

Roasted malts are any malts or grains that are roasted to a very high degree. Dark, deep, bready, delicious. They add a lot of complexity and colour in very low quantities. The most common varieties are:

  • Black malt (sometimes called black patent malt), chocolate malt, and roasted barley.
  • Carafa malts.
  • Kiln-coffee malt.
  • Distaff cousins like de-bittered black malt and pale chocolate.

Roasted malts add a lot of complexity and colour in very low quantities.

Some brewers are hesitant about using roasted malts, but fear not. Roasted malts are delicious, provided you don’t go completely overboard: 10% (about 450 grams in an average-gravity 23 litre batch) is about the most you would usually use. Stay below this amount and it’s hard to go wrong.

 Other Malts

Some malts do not come from barley: oats, rye, wheat, etc. These malts are essentially processed like, and can be treated as, their barley cousins.