W4 - L1 - Malting Barley

Question 1

A 2 stage ‘industrial’ process

Answer 1

• BARLEY is malted to produce MALT
• MALT is brewed / distilled to produce BEER / SPIRITS

Question 2

Malting Barley : Quality Criteria (7)

Answer 2

• 1. High germination
• 2. Homogeneous (uniform) sample, low screenings
• 3. Moisture content < 21.5% at harvest
• 4. No mechanical damage / splitting / skinning (2%)
• 5. Good colour / no moulds
• 6. No heat damage
• 7. Moderate grain nitrogen content (Protein %

Question 3

what is the moisture content of Malting Barley at harvest

Answer 3

<21.5%

Question 4

what sort of matting varieties have a high capacity for

Answer 4

good malting varieties have high capacity for beta glucanase activity

Question 5

what are cell walls made of

Answer 5

beta-glucans

Question 6

what does beta glucanase (enzymes) ensure?

Answer 6

rapid breakdown of cell walls thus, ensuring an increase in speed of
starch modification

Question 7

Chemical basis for the malting process (2)

Answer 7

• normal germination - starch is converted to reducing sugars which are used to nurture embryo
• In malting process the aim is to control this process - with partial starch change or modification

Question 8

what is normal germination

Answer 8

starch is converted to reducing sugars which are used to nurture embryo

Question 9

what is the aim in malting process

Answer 9

the aim is to control this process - with partial starch change or modification

Question 10

how many stages are there to go from barley to malt (the malting process)

name them

Answer 10

3

1. steeping
2. germination
3. drying

Question 11

The malting process

1. Steeping

Answer 11

moisture content raised to 46%
(this may include rest periods in air only) - this process takes up to 3 days

Question 12

in the steeping stage of malting process what % does moisture content rise to

Answer 12

46%

Question 13

how long does the steeping stage take

Answer 13

3 days

Question 14

The malting process
2. Germination

Answer 14

temperature : 14-17 celcius
the grain is turned regularly - matting and the process takes 4-5 days

Question 15

The malting process
3. Drying

Answer 15

arrests starch conversion, the ‘malt’
is dried down to 2-4.5%, gives flavour and colour to malt

Question 16

Trial Research Studies – UCD Boortmalt Experimental Scale : Micro-malting

Answer 16

• 500g of individual reps malted in Jo-White micro malting unit
• Analysed to commercial distilling malt specification (IOB, 1997) in laboratory of Boortmalt / Antwerp
• Key focus on: Soluble extract, fermentable extract, spirit yield, SNR, friability plus others

Question 17

steps from Malt to Beer (8)

Answer 17

• malt is stored for a month
• milled
• mixed with unmalted grain
• mashed ——> wort
• wort is boiled
• hops added
• cooled
• yeast added ——> Fermentation –> Beer

Question 18

during the process of malt to beer why is the wort boiled

Answer 18

• stabilisation
• remove bad flavours

Question 19

The Malting and Brewing Process
Slide 10 & 11

Question 20

what sort of weather is needed for malting barley production

Answer 20

• Suitable weather – cool bright moist – Not too dry, not too wet, not hot

Question 21

what sort of soil is needed for malting barley production

Answer 21

suitable soil types :
– free-draining with low soil nitrogen levels
– key geographical areas in Ireland
South Kildare, Carlow, Laois, Wexford, East Cork
also areas of Tipperary, Offaly, Donegal, Louth
- medium to light land
– brown earth soil types

Question 22

Malting Barley Production

Answer 22

• early-sowing dates : February-March
• Even uniform crops with good crop structure
• Good crop husbandry - disease control etc
• Detailed Nitrogen fertilisation programme– N applied earlier and in modest amounts
• Key 2022 cultivars are Planet, Laureate,- Also Barley for roasting (brewing process)

Question 23

what are wet weather diseases in Barley(4)

Answer 23

Wet weather diseases
- Rhyncosporium
- Net blotch
- Ramularia (leaf spotting)
- Fusarium species on the ear Sooty moulds / Botyritis

Question 24

dry weather diseases of Barley (2)

Answer 24

• mildew
• Rust diseases

Question 25

what is grain protein in malting barley

Answer 25

a key quality parameter

Question 26

what level of grain N% (PROTEIN) is needed

Answer 26

low to moderate

Question 27

what sort of malt does a high protein barley produce

Answer 27

poor quality malt – negative relationship between protein and starch – low starch reduces the extract in the malt

Question 28

can protein levels be too low

Answer 28

protein levels can be too low – protein levels are correlated with enzyme levels

Question 29

what is the key % protein for barley for brewing

Answer 29

8.8-10.8%

Question 30

what is the key % protein for barley for distilling

Answer 30

7.5 to 8.8 %

Question 31

above and below what % of protein is barley rejected

Answer 31

above 10.8 % rejection **2018 , - problem with barley below 7.5 to 8% protein

Question 32

Protein content in Malting Barley in a COOL WET season

Answer 32

- low barley protein levels - Average’s in the range 9.0 to 9.4% protein – The average figures in the last decade were 10 -

Question 33

what is the reason for Average’s in the range 9.0 to 9.4% protein for malting barley COOL WET SEASON(4)

Answer 33

-- Cool wet season with high summer rainfall – Early sowing dates / N appl. dates – Restrictions on N use / N directive / REPS – Rotation changes – demise of sugar beet

Question 34

Protein content in Malting Barley in 2018 – HOT DRY summer

Answer 34

- very high barley protein levels - Average’s in the range 11 to 13 % protein – The average figures in the last decade were 9 – 1

Question 35

reasons for high barley protein levels in HOT DRY weather (3)

Answer 35

* Lower yields * Late season soil N uptake * Nitrogen translocation to the grain is higher with higher summer temperatures

Question 36

over what % screening is not acceptable

Answer 36

over 8%

Question 37

Malting Barley : % Screenings table 21

Question 38

at what % screening is the base price (€/t)

Answer 38

3.1 to 4.0 %

Question 39

what is the protein % for Malting barley quality requirements for brewing

Answer 39

Protein: 8.8 – 10.5%

Question 40

what is the extract (sugar) % in malt

Answer 40

81-83%

Question 41

Malting barley quality requirements for brewing: High enzyme potential (3)

Answer 41

* High enzyme potential: – to ensure optimal protein degradation – to ensure adequate sugar degradation – to ensure the extract level

Question 42

what do plump kernels add to malting barley

Answer 42

more sugars

Question 43

what doe even size kernels add to malting barley for brewing

Answer 43

homogenous malting

Question 44

what effect has string husks on maling barley for brewing

Answer 44

improve brewing process

Question 45

what are brewers looking for

Answer 45

Brewers are looking for a balance between the amount of alcohol (translated in starch content in the grain) and flavour (the amount of protein in the grain)

Question 46

if protein content is very low what does this influence

Answer 46

negatively influence the enzyme potential.

Question 47

what are distillers looking for in malting barley

Answer 47

Distillers are looking for low protein barley with as high extract as possible as this is positively correlated with high levels of alcohol yield.

Question 48

what is the alcohol yield potential of malt measured through

Answer 48

PSY (predicted spirit yield) formula.

Question 49

what is the minimum amount of litres per tonne of pure spirit extracted from the malt or it will be unacceptable to distillers

Answer 49

405 litres

Question 50

Malting Barley Trials -Teagasc Oakpark Effect of Sowing Date on Yield and Quality graph slide 25

Answer 50

the earlier the sowing date - the higher the yield (March) the later the sowing date (late april) - higher % Grain N