Think hops are the only rockstars in the world of craft beer? Think again! While those aromatic hops certainly steal the show with their bitterness and flavour, the malt is equally as important. It gives your favourite stout that rich, chocolatey flavour and your go-to pale ale its satisfyingly biscuity character. It’s a key ingredient and is the star of the show for this week’s Dorking Brewery 101!
At Dorking Brewery, we're passionate about every aspect of the brewing process, including a deep appreciation for the humble malt. We source the finest malted barley from trusted suppliers, ensuring that every beer we brew starts with a solid foundation of quality.
With the spotlight on malt, we'll delve into its fascinating transformation from grain to glass, explore its profound impact on a beer's flavour, colour, and body, and discover how brewing beer harnesses the power of different malts to create unique and flavourful drops. Let’s embark on a malty adventure.
Malt: From Grain to Glass
As always, we start with the basics. Simply put, malt is grain, usually barley, that has been allowed to germinate and then dried in a special kiln. This process unlocks the grain's potential, transforming it from a simple seed into a full-flavoured ingredient that is essential for brewing beer.
Think of malting as a carefully controlled wake-up call for the grain. It involves three key steps:
- Steeping: The barley is soaked in water, encouraging it to absorb moisture and begin germination.
- Germination: The barley is spread out on a malting floor, allowing it to sprout. During this process, enzymes within the grain are activated, breaking down complex starches into simpler sugars. These sugars will later become food for the yeast during fermentation.
- Kilning: The germinated barley is dried in a kiln, stopping the germination process and developing the malt's colour and flavour. Different kilning temperatures and techniques create a wide range of malt varieties with unique characteristics.
So why does the industry use barley for this? While other grains can be malted, barley reigns supreme in the brewing world for several reasons. Firstly, it's packed with enzymes, which convert starches into fermentable sugars. Secondly, barley has a husk, a protective outer layer that acts as a natural filter during the lautering process, helping to separate the sugary liquid (wort) from the spent grain. It's a fascinating transformation that lays the foundation for the diverse and delicious world of beer.
Malt’s Impact on Beer
There’s no doubt that malt is the backbone of beer and sets the stage for all of those unique flavours and aromas we love. But its influence goes far beyond just being a source of sugar for fermentation. Malt plays a crucial role in shaping a beer's flavour, colour, body, and even its ability to form a frothy head.
Flavour: A Symphony of Sweetness
Different malts contribute a wide range of flavours to beer, adding depth and complexity to the overall profile. Think of it as a flavour palette for the brewer. Base malts, like pale malt and Pilsner malt, provide a clean, subtle sweetness, while specialty malts introduce a whole spectrum of exciting flavours:
- Biscuity: Pale malts often lend a biscuity, bread-like flavour; think of a freshly baked loaf.
- Caramel: Crystal malts, kilned at higher temperatures, impart notes of caramel, toffee, and even raisins, adding a touch of sweetness and richness.
- Chocolate: Chocolate malt, as the name suggests, brings roasted coffee and chocolate flavours to the party, perfect for stouts and porters.
- Toasty: Roasted barley and other malts contribute toasty, nutty flavours reminiscent of freshly roasted coffee beans.
Colour: From Pale Gold to Deepest Black
The kilning process plays a crucial role in determining the colour of the malt and, consequently, the colour of the beer. The higher the kilning temperature, the darker the malt and the resulting beer.
Brewers may use the Lovibond scale to measure malt colour, which ranges from pale straw hues to deep dark chocolatey black. So, a light lager brewed with Pilsner malt will have a low Lovibond value, while a stout brewed with roasted barley will have a much higher value.
Body: Mouthfeel Matters
Malt also influences the body of a beer, which is quite literally, how the beer tastes in your mouth. Different malts contribute different levels of proteins and dextrins, which affect the beer's viscosity and mouthfeel. Some beers are light and crisp, while others are full-bodied and velvety. Think of the difference between a refreshing pilsner and a rich, creamy stout.
Fermentation: Feeding the Yeast
Of course, malt's primary function is to provide the sugars yeast needs to ferment and produce alcohol. Hot water is mixed with the malt during mashing, activating enzymes that convert starches into fermentable sugars. This sugary liquid, known as wort, is then fermented by yeast, transforming those sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
The bottom line is that malt is an unsung hero of beer. It provides the foundation for flavour, colour, body, and, ultimately, the enjoyment of your favourite brew. Life really wouldn’t be the same without it!
Types of Malt and their Flavour Profiles
Like hops, the world of malt offers many options for brewers to explore. Each variety brings its unique personality to the brewing process, influencing the final beer's flavour, colour, and aroma. Let's take a closer look at some of different varieties of malt.
Base Malts: The Foundation of Flavour
These malts provide the foundation for other flavours. They typically comprise most grain bills and contribute the bulk of the fermentable sugars.
- Pale Malt: This is a common base malt, used in various beer styles. It provides a clean, crisp flavour with subtle sweetness, allowing other ingredients to shine. Think of it as a blank canvas for the brewer.
- Pilsner Malt: Slightly lighter in colour than pale malt, Pilsner malt contributes a delicate sweetness and a straw-like hue. It's the go-to malt for crisp, refreshing lagers and pilsners.
- Vienna Malt: This malt adds a touch of bready sweetness and a beautiful golden hue to beers. It results in a rich, malty and dry flavour.
- Munich Malt: Munich malt imparts rich, malty flavours with hints of toast and caramel. It is very similar to the Vienna malt, but holds a slightly nuttier finish.
Specialty Malts: Adding Depth and Complexity
While base malts provide the foundation, specialty malts are the spices that add depth, complexity, and intrigue to beer. They are used in smaller quantities to enhance colour, flavour, and aroma.
- Crystal Malts: Crystal malt is made by roasting germinated barley in a rotating drum. The drum heats the barley to convert starches into sugars, resulting in a sweet and glassy malt used in brewing. This process, distinct from kilning, gives crystal malt unique properties and flavour.
- Chocolate Malt: Roasted at high temperatures, chocolate malt provides roasted coffee and chocolate notes with a dark brown colour. It's a common ingredient in stouts, porters, and brown ales.
- Black Malt: Black malt is roasted so highly that all aromatics are removed, and has a chewy mouthfeel. It's often used in stouts, porters, and black IPAs to add a touch of roasted bitterness and a dramatic colour.
- Roasted Barley: Like black malt, roasted barley contributes a dry, roasted flavour with coffee and chocolate notes. Stouts and porters often use it to add complexity and a dry finish.
At Dorking Brewery, we carefully select our malts to create a diverse range of beers, each with its unique character. From the crisp, clean flavours of our pale ales to our lagers' refreshing, lively notes, malt plays a crucial role in every beer we brew.
Malt’s Impact on Dorking Brewery
Now that you're practically malt experts let's see how these grain superstars translate into the delicious beers we craft here at Dorking Brewery! We carefully select and combine different malts to create diverse flavours and styles, ensuring a perfect pint for every palate.
DB One, the beer that started it all for Dorking Brewery, is a true testament to the beauty of English malts. This classic best bitter is brewed with 100% English barley, creating a flavour profile deeply rooted in British brewing tradition. The malt bill contains biscuit notes and toffee, lending a comforting and familiar taste, like a warm hug on a cold day. A subtle sweetness balances the gentle bitterness, making it incredibly smooth and easy to drink.
While the hops – Bobek and Bramling Cross – provide a delicate, earthy, spicy counterpoint, the malt character truly defines DB One. This focus on showcasing the quality of English barley makes it a perfect introduction to the brewery and a delightful nod to the history of British beer.
Additionally, Freedom Trail is a New England IPA where the malt bill takes a backseat to let those hops shine, but it's still essential to the overall experience. This hazy pale ale features a complex blend of grains, including lager malt, extra pale malt, flaked oats, malted oats, torrefied wheat, and dextrin. This combination creates a soft, smooth, almost pillowy mouthfeel that perfectly complements the juicy hop character.
The flaked and malted oats contribute to the beer's hazy appearance and creamy texture, while the dextrin enhances the body and provides a subtle sweetness. This carefully crafted malt profile allows the vibrant flavours of Citra and Idaho 7 hops to take centre stage while ensuring a balanced and satisfying drinking experience. It's the perfect foundation for a hop-forward beer that remains incredibly drinkable.
Explore the full range of Dorking Brewery beers and discover the captivating world of malt flavours. Visit our brewery for a taste straight from the source, browse our online shop, or find our beers at local retailers. Cheers to malt, the unsung hero of great beer!
Final Thoughts
Malt is much more than just a source of sugar for fermentation. It's an essential part of beer, providing the foundation for flavour, colour, and body. From the subtle sweetness of pale malt to the rich complexity of roasted barley, malt plays a crucial role in shaping the character of every beer we brew. Now there’s nothing left to do but say cheers to malt, a craft beer hero!