The Role of Malts in Craft Brewing
Here at St Ives Brewery, we know that great craft beer needs high quality ingredients. While hops often steal the limelight, it is the humble malt that creates the solid foundations for our beer. Malts not only provide the essential sugars needed for fermentation but also help shape the flavour, colour and body of a beer.
What Are Malts?
Malts are grains, typically barley, that have been germinated and then dried through a process known as malting. This process activates the enzymes in the grain, converting starches into fermentable sugars. The malt is then kilned at varying heats to produce different types of malts, each bringing their own unique characteristics to the beers.
Types of Malts
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Base Malts: These are the primary malts used in brewing and make up the majority of the grain bill. Base malts, such as pale malt or Pilsner malt, provide the necessary enzymes and fermentable sugars.
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Specialty Malts: These malts are used in smaller quantities to add more distinct or unique flavours, colours, and aromas. Caramel and crystal malts can add sweetness, body, and a rich amber hue, while roasted malts contribute coffee, chocolate, and burnt toast notes, perfect for stouts and porters.
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Adjunct Grains: While not traditional malts, adjunct grains like wheat, oats, and rye can be added to enhance the texture and mouthfeel of the beer. These grains are particularly popular in styles like wheat beers and hazy IPAs, where a creamy, smooth body is the end result a brewer is looking for.
The Brewing Process: From Mash to Mash Tun
The journey of malt in craft beer brewing starts in the mash tun, where the malted grains are mixed with hot water in a process called mashing. This step activates the enzymes in the malt, breaking down starches into sugars that yeast can later ferment. The temperature and duration of the mash shape the beer’s body and sweetness, with higher temperatures producing a fuller-bodied beer.
After mashing, the mixture, now called wort, is separated from the grain husks and boiled. Hops are added during this stage, but it's the malt that remains the dominant source of the wort’s fermentable sugars. This sugary liquid is then cooled and transferred to a fermenter, where yeast is added to convert the sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Flavour and Complexity
Malts are crucial in crafting the flavour profile of the beer. They contribute to the sweetness, which balances the bitterness of the hops, and provide the depth and complexity that distinguish different styles of great craft beer.
The Art of Malting
The artistry in brewing lies not just in the brewing process itself but in the careful selection and combination of malts and hops. By varying the type and amount of malt, brewers can craft beers with a wide range of flavours, colours, and aromas.
So, always remember that whilst hops might be the glamour ingredient, it is Malts that help to truly shape the beer.
