OnTap Magazine

T o the outside observer, there is something almost mystical about the brewing process. From the hops that add bitterness and aroma to the water that acts as the canvas for flavours,everyingredientplaysaroleincrafting that perfect pint. Among these ingredients, malted barley and malted wheat shine as stars of the show. They are the backbone of the brewing process, and understanding the malting process unveils a world of flavours and textures that elevate craft beer to new heights. So, grab a cold one and let us dive into why we cannot just skip the whole malting thing and go straight to brewing.. WHAT IS MALTING? First off, let us break down what malting means. The malting process is a series of steps (steeping, germination and kilning) that turns raw barley (or wheat to mention only two) into malt – the grain we know and love in brewing. Malting begins by soaking the grains (steeping) in water to initiate germination. This is where the magic starts! STEEPING The aimof steeping is to increase the grain moisture evenly throughout the grain. The increasedmoisturewill initiategermination to modify the internal structures turning it into the malt we know. Germination starts when the grain moisture reaches 30% or higher. The aim is to get the final moisture of the grain above 40%, ideally closer to 45%. In the perfect world, one water stand would take the moisture to 40% without drowning the grain, but it usually takes two to three water stands to achieve this without doing damage to the grain. Each water stand is followed by an air rest where cool humidified air is moved through the grain bed to remove heat and CO2 generated due to grain respiration and replenish oxygen in the grain bed. (This stops the grains from rotting.) Once the grain achieves the required moisture levels, it is transferred to the germination vessel. Steeping is the most crucial step since it will determine the quality of your malt. If you do not achieve an evenly hydrated kernel at the end of steep, it is exceedingly difficult to correct it in germination. GERMINATION The name is misleading since germination started as soon as the moisture increased above 30%. In the germination vessel, ideal conditions (temperature, humidified air and turning of the bed) for the specific grain are controlled to ensure proper modification of the starchy endosperm. Modification is achieved by the activation and production of enzymes that breaks down the cell walls surrounding the starch granules and make it available for the enzymes in the brewing process to convert into fermentable sugars. During the Speciality malts are use to add flavour, mouthfeel, colour and aroma to beer. They are most- ly made from barley, but other grains can be used. A lot of the specialitymalts start their journey as a pale malt but are exposed to higher temperatures during the end of kilning or placed in roast- ing drums, to produce colour and flavour compounds. Time, temperature, and humidity are some of the parameters used to differentiate the malts. A well modified green malt is required to produce Vienna and lighter coloured Munich malt in a kiln. Darker coloured malts, require a roasting drum. ANOTEON SPECIALTYMALTS ontapmag.co.za | Autumn 2025 | 29