Malt production in the 1970s

As I've finished recounting my last holiday, I cab crack on with boring you about the 1970s. This time, it's the turn of malt.

"Keg!" is coming along nicely. I've over 40,000 words and I've hardly even started on the personal memories and recipes. Of which there will be more than I expected. I'll have recipes from 12 breweries, in total. Somewhere around 50 or 60 recipes in all.

Let's get on with the extract.

On average, around a fifth of the UK barley harvest was used for malting. Even that wasn’t all dedicated to beer, as considerable quantities were also used for distilling. As we can see in table below.

Much malting was still being performed by brewers and distillers. A lot more than I would have expected. A massive 44% in 1971 and, despite declining a little, it was still 37% in 1979. And in absolute terms had actually increased.

I’m quite surprised to see just how much malt was used in distilling. In some years, such as 1973 and 1974, it was only slightly less than that used in brewing.

My guess is that the malt imports were almost all in the form of lager malt or other continental malt types. I can’t see UK brewers using foreign-made pale malt in their beer.

I’d love to know what the destination of the malt exports were. Presumably to countries which were brewing British-style beers.

What else was malt used for other than brewing and distilling? Well, an obvious one is malt vinegar. A fair bit must have been for that. And there are some foods – such as biscuits – which can contain malt. 

Malt production and usage (thousand tonnes)
Year	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979
Malt Production:
Brewer-Maltsters	230	247	271	247	250	265	263	257	301
Distiller-Maltsters	270	284	291	300	225	245	256	321	291
Sale-Maltsters	640	745	810	915	912	885	877	984	1,019
Total	1,140	1,276	1,372	1,462	1,387	1,395	1,396	1,562	1,611
Malt Imports	31	27	49	78	35	30	46	42	61
Malt Exports	94	94	141	138	119	175	130	164	189
Malt Requirements:
For Brewing	610	623	661	689	712	720	727	735	752
For Distilling	521	561	631	692	566	520	559	536	651
Other purposes	53	52	57	59	61	80	79	70	69
Total	1,184	1,236	1,349	1,440	1,339	1,320	1,365	1,341	1,472
Source:
The Brewers' Society UK Statistical Handbook 1980, page 26.

Brown malt again

More on brown malt. More specifically: the different types of it.

Having downloaded a copy of William Loftus's "The Brewer" I'm going to make use of it. He writes a little about the different types of brown malt.

First de describes what he calls Porter malt  or brown malt:

"Porter malt, to be proper, should be made from good barley thoroughly malted, and exhibit a sound interior, of a uniform dark chocolate colour; each corn should be separate, and as near as possible of its original size and shape. In this state it contains a large quantity of soluble colouring matter of a superior kind, composed of burnt saccharine and mucilage, which impart an agree able flavour and odour, as well as colour, to the beer with which it is mixed.

Brown malt differs in its preparation from Pale only in the drying on the kiln , which operation is finished at a brisk heat, obtained from beech, or birch, or some other wood, while the grain is laid an even thickness of about two inches, and occasionally sprinkled with water."
"The Brewer" by William Loftus, London, 1856, pages 18 - 19.

That sounds like the type of brown malt not made in Hertfordshire. Which we saw in my earlier post gave an extract not much worse than the best pale malt.

Then there's the Hertfordshire type. Of which Loftus clearly disapproves.

"Blown malt is another variety of Brown. The vegetated is laid in a moist condition about half an inch thick upon a wire kiln, and kept constantly turned, while exposed to an ardent heat produced from fern, straw, or wood. The grain by this process suddenly expands its husk, and acquires an unnatural size, which gives to it its name of Blown malt.

This fictitious malt was, on the introduction of the Saccharometer, found to yield a deficient produce, as compared with Pale, of from 18 to 25 per cent., and the best Brown of from 15 to 20 per cent."
"The Brewer" by William Loftus, London, 1856, pages 19 - 20.

It's interesting that both types of malt were finished with a direct flame.The big difference seems to be how thickly the malt was laid: 2 inches as opposed to half an inch. It also sounds like the heat was more intense.

DDR 1960s speciality malts

Want to know more about DDR malt than TGL 17756 told you? Well, you're in look. I've had a look in the excellent "Technologie Brauer und Mälzer" by Wolfgang Kunze and it has some handy details about the manufacture of the fancy malts.

Not quite all the fancy malt, mind. Kara-Hell and Munich malt are missing. Which is a shame. I assume that the former was produced much like Kara-Münch and Kara-Pils, with a roasting temperature somewhere between that for those two types.

Munich malt - wouldn't that be made much like pilsner malt, just with a higher kilning temperature?

It's really nice to have a fairly detailed description of the process of making Brühmalz. If only I understood what the he4ll it meant.

DDR 1960s speciality malts
Specialty Malt	Manufacturing	Properties
Farbmalz	Green malt or moistened kilned malt is roasted in a ball roaster at 180 - 220ºC with constant rotation. It is partially debittered by injecting water.	very strong coloring special malt, gives the beer a slightly burnt taste
Brühmalz	Green malt that is kept for 3 days is piled up to a height of 1.5 m and sometimes also covered with a tarpaulin. Due to the strong onset of breathing, the temperature rises to 50 °C and higher. At these temperatures the heap is left for 2 days. A lot of amino acids and maltose are formed due to strong enzyme activity. Drying takes place at 90 - 100ºC on the kiln. A lot of melanoidins are formed in the process.	not so strong coloring, very aromatic malt with a high content of protein degradation products and maltose
Melamalz	is produced in the pneumatic malting plant and roughly corresponds to Brühmalz. After a few days of normal management, the heap is scalded with water at 50°C. This encourages enzyme activity and the pile is turned to maintain an even temperature. Kilning takes place at around 100 °C on the kiln. Many melanoidins are also formed in the process.	like Brühmalz
Kara-Münch	green malt is saccharified in a roasting drum at around 70 °C. The saccharification can be heard as a crackling noise. The malt is then roasted in the roasting drum at 150 °C.	strongly coloring malt, which also improves head retention (see p. 455) and full-bodiedness; However, caramel substances only form above 150 °C, so that these are primarily melanoidins
Kara-Pils	Like Kara-Münch, green malt is saccharified in the roasting drum at around 70 °C and then dried in a kiln.
Wheat malt	Wheat is soaked for only two days so that the degree of softness does not rise above 40 - 42%. On the threshing floor, the wheat should be processed as little as possible.	is particularly suitable for the production of Berliner Weißbier and Leipziger Gose
Source:
Technologie Brauer und Mälzer by Wolfgang Kunze, VEB Fachbuchverlag Leipzig, 2nd edition, 1967, page 171.

 

Malting restrictions during WW I

The Food Control Manuals include information on the restrictions imposed on maltsters during the war. Which in the first couple of years were none at all. Only when the German U-boat campaign began to bite in 1917 did things get tougher for the malting industry.

The first Malt Order was draconian. It prohibited maltsters from delivering, buying or making malt. It makes you wonder what maltsters could do, other than twiddle their thumbs, as they weren’t allowed to carry on any part of their business.

The Brewers (Malt Purchases) Order, 1917. Dated February 3rd 1917. Order 1917 no. 132.
Prohibited maltsters from selling malt without the permission of the Food Controller. Brewers were prohibited from buying or making malt.

“1. Except under the authority of the Food Controller no maltster or dealer in malt shall on or after the 10th February, 1917, agree to sell any malt to any brewer for sale or make delivery to any brewer for sale of any malt other than deliverable under contracts made before that date.

2. Except under the authority of the Food Controller, no brewer for sale shall on or after the 10th February, 1917, agree to buy any malt or take delivery of any malt other than deliverable under contracts made before that date.

3. Except under the authority of the Food Controller, no brewer for sale shall manufacture any malt from barley agreed to be bought on or after the 10th February, 1917.”

The Malt (Restriction) Order, 1917. Dated February 20, 1917. Order 1917 no. 159.
Prohibited maltsters from making malt from any grains without the permission of the Food Controller.

The Malt (Restriction on Shipping) Order, 1917. Dated March 21, 1917. Order 1917 no. 259.
Prohibited exporting malt from Ireland to Great Britain or from Great Britain to Ireland without permission of the Food Controller.

The Malt (Restriction) No. 2 Order, 1917. Dated April 12, 1917. Order 1917 no. 345.
Prohibited maltsters from making malt from any grains without the permission of the Food Controller.
Prohibited maltsters from selling malt without the permission of the Food Controller.
Prohibited the use of malt for any purpose without the permission of the Food Controller, except for brewers making their permitted barrelage.

The Malt (Restriction) Order, 1917. Dated February 26, 1918. Order 1918 no. 225.
Prohibited maltsters from making malt or malt extract without the permission of the Food Controller.
Prohibited maltsters from selling malt without the permission of the Food Controller.
Prohibited the use of malt or malt extract for any purpose without the permission of the Food Controller, except for brewers making their permitted barrelage.

Order, Dated the 30th December, 1918, revoking the The Malt (Restriction on Shipping) Order, 1917. Order 1918 no. 1755.
Revoked Order 1917 no. 259.

No sign of any rules forbidding the manufacture of dark malt. Where could they be hiding?



The above is another excerpt from my book on WW I, Armistice!

 Buy this wonderful book.

German brewing in 1966 - kilning

We're just about done with malting, thank god. I've been struggling to keep my eyes open.

First it's the kilns themselves:

"Kilning.—Most kilns are single units. In addition to automatic direct coke firing, one finds direct and indirect oil firing, in which case a suitably-designed furnace will avoid "magpie" malts. However, oil containers are expensive and the construction is connected with a series of difficulties, so that interest has been shown in a gas-heated kiln, particularly as natural gas and refined gas is available in considerable quantities, and it is expected that its price will approach the prices of other fuels. The content of methane in natural gas and of hydrogen in processed gas results in combustion of these gases to water, so the air has a reduced drying effect. As a result, a 10% increase in ventilation is necessary and, when re-circulating, the amount of fresh air will also have to be increased. In passing, it is noted that automation of a kiln is a very profitable investment."
Journal of the Institute of Brewing, Volume 72, Issue 1, January-February 1966, page 17.

I wonder if they did go over to using natural gas? I'm pretty sure that it got cheaper in the 1970's and 1980's when supplies from Europe kicked in.

I wasn't quite sure what 'magpie' malt was, so I looked it up:

"High sulphur fuels, when burned, give rise to sulphur dioxide (SO2) and sulphur trioxide (SO3). One the one hand, these acid gases damage and corrode the kiln structure and add to atmospheric pollution. High levels may cause local discoloured marks on malt grains, producing 'magpie' malt."
"Malts and Malting" by D.E. Briggs, 1998, page 226.

It's what I had guesses - malt with two colours. But it's nice to have it confirmed.

Now it's about the kilning process itself.

"The various types of malt are kilned according to the beer requirements. For Pilsener and very light export beers a very pale but intensively kilned malt is required: colour, approximately 2.5° E.B.C.; protein modification, 37-40% Kolbach; coarse/fine grind difference, 1.5-2.0. Some maltings try to achieve a lower modification in order to improve the head of the beer. Even for the pale-coloured heavy beers (original gravity 16.5-17.5%) a very pale coloured malt is used."
Journal of the Institute of Brewing, Volume 72, Issue 1, January-February 1966, page 17.

There's so much about malting I don't understand. Like why a lower level of modification helps head retention. I suspect British brewers wouldn't bother with that and would just throw in some wheat instead. Because of the weirdness of the Reinheitsgebot, that wouldn't be allowed in a German bottom-fermenting beer.

Here's what Briggs has to say about Lager malts:

"The palest of the European products are Pilsen malts (Pilsener Malz). In the past these were undermodified but now they are fully modified and are prepared from barleys having moderate nitrogen contents. They are kilned at low temperatures to minimize colour formation. Typical analyses are E, at least 81% (EBC, on dry), fine-coarse extract difference 1-2%; TN, 1.68 (10.5% protein); Kolbach index 38-42%; moisture less than 4.5%; -amylase 40 DU; DP 240-300 ºW.-K.; saccharification time 10-15 min.; colour, 2.5-3.4 ºEBC; boiled wort colour, 4.2-6.2 ºEBC; wort pH, 5.9-6.0. Helles (pale; light) malts are rather similar, but are made from barleys richer in nitrogen. British lager malts are all pale and well modified. Analyses are usually in the ranges: HWE 300-310 lº/kg (on dry), TN, 1.55-1.75%; TSN, 0.5-0.7%; SNR, 31-41%; DP, not more than 70 ºIoB; moisture less than 4.5%; saccharification time less that 15 minutes. Colour may be 3.0 ºEBC. Because of the low temperatures used in kilning lager malts (finishing curing at e.g., 70 ºC; 158 ºF) are rich in enzymes and so sometimes give slightly higher extracts than pale ale malts, which are cured at higher temperatures (finishing at 95-105 ºC; 203-221 ºF), and have more characteristic flavours but lower enzyme activities."
"Brewing: science and practice", by Dennis E. Briggs, Chris A. Boulton, Peter A. Brookes and Roger Stevens, 2004, page 27.

Briggs says that the difference between Helles and Pilsner malts is the nitrogen content, while Narziss claims that they are a bit darker than Pilsenr malt:

"The West German export beers are somewhat darker. For these beers, as well as for the Bavarian pale-coloured lager beers, malt with a good modification and a colour of approximately 4° E.B.C. is required. Occasionally a certain percentage of "Wiener" malt with a colour 5.0-6.00 E.B.C. is used in the grist, although this malt is normally used for "Marzenbieren" (medium coloured beers). The dark Munich malts have a very wet and intensive germination and are kilned off at 100-105° C; as a result they obtain a good aroma. Owing to the lengthy kilning they are poor in enzymes and have to be mashed very carefully. They are used on their own, or together with approximately 1% coloured malt for the brewing of dark beer. For Marzenbiere they are blended to 50% with pale malt."
Journal of the Institute of Brewing, Volume 72, Issue 1, January-February 1966, page 18.

That's interesting. The colour quoted for Wiener malt is a good bit lower than Weyermann's specification, which gives it as 6-9º EBC. One of the biggest difference between British and German brewing are base malts. In Britain you've only really got a choice of two: pale malt of pils malt. While in Germany you've also got Wiener malt, two types of Munich malt and smoked malt.

Nice of Narziss to quote some grists. Though he doesn't mention one of my personal favourites for a dark Lager. It's what Hofmann in Hohenschwärz uses: 99% Vienna malt and 1% Farbmalz. Do Munich breweries still use Munich malt as a base for the Dunkles? I suspect Paulaner do, though they may have brought that back. Last time I tried it there was the distinctive nutty malt flavour which I associate with Munich malt. I'm sure it hadn't been there a few years ago.

Here's Brigg's take on darker malts:

"In German practice the next type is Viennese malt (Wiener Malz), which is used for making `golden' lagers. This is made from normally modified green malt kilned to a final temperature of about 90 ºC (194 ºF), giving a colour of 5.5-6.0 ºEBC. Munich malt (MuÈnchener Malz) is relatively dark, very well modified and aromatic and is made by germinating nitrogen-rich barley, steeped to a high moisture content, so that it is well grown (all acrospires at least three-quarters grown) and finishing germination warm, at 25 ºC (77 ºF). Kilning involves some stewing and curing is finished at 100-105 ºC (212-221 ºF), conditions causing appreciable enzyme destruction. This malt has a colour of 15-25 ºEBC. The wort is rich in melanoidin precursors and darkens on boiling, e.g., from 15 to 25 ºEBC. Other typical analyses are: E, 80%, (on dry); fine-coarse extract difference 2-3%; total protein 11.5% (TN, 1.84%); Kolbach index, 38-40%; saccharification time, 20-30 min.; wort fermentability, about 75% (compared to wort from Pilsen malt of about 81%). -Amylase and DP values are low, at 30DU and 140 ºW.-K. respectively. Analyses of a British made, Munich-style malt are: HWE, 300 lº/kg, (on dry); moisture 4.5%; TN, less than 1.65%, TSN less than 0.65%, colour about 15 ºEBC and DP at least 30 ºIoB."
"Brewing: science and practice", by Dennis E. Briggs, Chris A. Boulton, Peter A. Brookes and Roger Stevens, 2004, page 27.

I see that he agrees with Narziss about a finishing temperature of 100-105º C for Munich malt. And also tells us that it produces a less fermentable wort. Having looked at analyses of plenty of modern German Dunkles recently, and only four of tewnty four examples had attenuation of below 76%. So I guess most are using pils malt as base. I suppose this partly explains the rubbish degree of attenuation in 19th-century examples. They must have been producing even less fermentable worts back then.


He also agrees with Narziss about Wiener malt being around 6º EBC. Clearly Weyermann are getting it wrong.

Next time we'll finally be getting into the brewhouse.

German brewing in 1966 - malting again

This time it's the final bit about malting. You're doubtless finding this as dull as I do. But once I've started something I feel compelled to finish.

Unless I can't be arsed. Which is quite often the case because, at heart, I'm bone idle.

Right, confession out of the way, we can get on with the tedious task at hand: trying to make automated maltings sound like fun.

"Mechanized maltings.—There is a limit to the mechanization of floor maltings. As labour requirement for floor maltings is high they are being replaced more and more by Saladin boxes or germination streets on the Wanderhaufen principle. The automated Saladin box with air conditioning by direct ammonia-cooling, or Freon evaporation cooling, permits the use of measured return air. Particularly in the case of single box units it is possible to adapt the malting process to meet all requirements. The emptying of the boxes is completely mechanized as a result of developments during the last ten years, thereby doing away with the strenuous and unpopular manual emptying.

Developments here range from the bulldozers of varied construction to the mechanical or pneumatic emptying system with a special turner, which provides a horizontal screw conveyor above the screw turner and thereby transports the green malt to a suction unit or a mechanical green-malt transporter. At the same time there are turning units with provision for direct emptying when the screws are stationery. Similarly, casting by means of moveable floors is becoming more popular. A new idea is the emptying of the total content of the box, by tipping floors, into a Redler transporter which takes the piece to the next box in the series. The turning in this case is very intensive.
Journal of the Institute of Brewing, Volume 72, Issue 1, January-February 1966, page 16.

Saladin boxes had been around since the late 19th century, and were one of the earliest moves away from floor malting. I'll be honest with you: I don't understand this stuff well. So I'm going to let someone who does explain it a little more.

"In floor malting the steeped grain is spread on a floor in a room having a cool, humid atmosphere. Germination is controlled by turning the `piece' (batch) and thickening or thinning the layer of grain to allow temperature rises or falls as needed. Fine malts can be made in this way, but only in small quantities (ca. 10 t/batch) and with substantial manpower. Modern maltings are of the pneumatic type, in which the grain is turned mechanically and the grain temperature is controlled by forcing a stream of attemperated and water-saturated air through a bed of grain. Newer germination vessels are usually rectangular `Saladin boxes' or circular compartments. In these vessels steeped grain is formed into a bed, usually 0.6-1.0m (approx. 2.0-3.3 ft.) deep. The grain rests on a perforated deck, through which the conditioning airflow is driven. Some of the air is recirculated and mixed with fresh air. The air is driven by a fan and is usually humidified by passage through sprays of water. Air temperature may be controlled, by regulating the water temperature, sometimes augmented with heating or cooling by heat exchangers. The grain lifted and partly mixed, and the rootlets are separated by passing a row of vertical, contrarotating helical screws through the bed. The bed is `lightened' and the resistance to the airflow is reduced. Bed temperatures of 15-19 ºC (59-66.2 ºF) are common, with temperature differentials between the top and bottom of the bed of 2-3 ºC (3.6-5.4 ºF). The turner arrays are usually fitted with sprays to allow the grain to be moistened."
"Brewing: science and practice", by Dennis E. Briggs, Chris A. Boulton, Peter A. Brookes and Roger Stevens, 2004, page 21.

Is that all clear now? I though not. Let's quickly move on.

Here's another type of mechanised malting: a germination tower:

"Finally, the germination tower has been described a number of times, and this new type of unit is working very well in two maltings. When a few minor improvements have been made, we shall probably see more installations of this type.

The tower provides for aeration of the vertically stacked, slotted germination floors by means of ventilators. As the air has direct cooling, every possible range of the ratio of fresh air to return air can be employed. Additional jets must be provided to saturate the return air. The return air is controlled in order to provide the required temperature on each floor, i.e., for each germination day. As the CO2 in the return air slows down germination, one can work with 15-20 cubic metres of air per 100 kg. of barley per hr. This is considerably less than the average value for Saladin boxes (50-70 cubic m. per 100 kg. barley per hr.). Nevertheless, it is advisable to allow for a powerful ventilator, suitably regulated.

Loading and emptying is made completely automatic by specially designed tipping floors, and therefore no manual work is carried out. Control of temperature is carried out by the cooling unit. The aeration provides for a gradual increase in temperature from the top to the bottom, as the exhaust air of one floor is the new air of the next floor. In practice it is possible to start with a temperature of 12-13° C. and increase by 1-1.5° C. per day so that the oldest piece will be at approximately 20° C. after 7 days. If it is required to start germination at a higher temperature it is possible to reduce the temperature after the third or fourth day by means of a second air-conditioning cycle. The resulting malts are at least equal to box malts and full allowance must be made for the lower malting losses."
Journal of the Institute of Brewing, Volume 72, Issue 1, January-February 1966, page 16.

Let's see if I've got this right. A germination tower worked totally automatically and the losses during malting were smaller than with a Saladin box. Sounds perfect.

As a special treat, here are the specs of Weyermann's base malts.

Weyermann base malts
malt	colourEBC	use	amount	comment
Premium Pilsner Malz	2.0 - 2.5	Premium Pilsner with an extra pale colour	100%	made from the best domestic 2-row summer brewing barley
		all other types of beer		by selecting particularly suitable raw materials and applying a specific malting technology particularly extra pale  and bright wort and kettle colours are achieved
Pilsner Malz	2.5 - 4.0	Pilsner	100%	made from the best domestic 2-row summer brewing barley
		every other type of beer		for brewing all pale beers
				as base malt for special beers
Pale Ale Malz	5.5 - 7.5	suitable for all beers	100%	produces excellent lager and ales
		Ale
		Stout
		Porter
Wiener Malz	6.0 - 9.0	Exportbier	100%	producing "golden beers" and promoting body
		Märzenbiere
		Festbiere
		Hausbräubiere
Münchner Malz	I 12 - 18	dunkle Biere	up to 100 %	Underlines the typical character of the beer by flavour enhancement
		Festbiere		Achieve a strong beer color
	II 20 - 25	Starkbiere
		Malzbiere
		Schwarzbiere
Buchenrauch-Gerstenmalz	4.0 - 8.0	Rauchbiere	up to 100 %	gives the typical smoke flavour
		Lagerbiere		rounded beech smoke flavor with slight honey and vanilla notes
		Kellerbiere
		Rauchbierspezialitäten
		Weizenbiere
Eichenrauch-Weizenmalz	4.0 - 6.0	Weizenbiere	up to 80 %	made from quality wheat
		Rauch-Weizenbiere		fine oak smoke flavor with honey and vanilla notes
		Hefe-Weizen
		Rauchbiere
		Grätzer Bier
		Ales
Source:
Weyermann product brochure, June 2014.

xxx

German malts at a glance

The title says it all. This is a short post in my current series on German malting.

I'm finding it fun even if you aren't. I'm having to churn out the posts this week because of my upcoming trips to the US. Actually, I'll be in the US when this posted. Slaving away in New Jersey.

Like much of what I do, this is really for my own reference. So I can easily find this information when I need it. I found it in a little booklet  produced by Braugersten-Gemeinschaft e.V., a group dedicated to researching and breeding malting barley for brewing.

German Malt types
Malt type	Colour / EBC	Use	Amount	Purpose of use
Pilsner malt	3 - 5	Pilsner beers	100%	For the production of all pale beers
		Every other beer type		As base malt for speciality beers
Vienna malt	7 – 9	Export beers	100%	To achieve “amber coloured beers” and promote full-bodied flavour
		Märzenbier
		Festival beers
		Home-brewed beers
Munich malt I	I 12 – 17	Dark beers	up to 100 %	Underscores the typical beer character through intensified flavour
		Festival beers		Achieves intense beer colour
	II 20 – 25	Stouts
		Malt beers
		Black beers
Spitz malt	2.5 – 4.5	To compensate for highly soluble brewing malts	max. 15 – 20 %	Improved head retention
Smoked malt	3 – 6	Smoked beers	up to 100 %	Achieves the typical smoked flavour
		Lagers
		Kellerbier
		Speciality beers, e.g. for tavern breweries
		Wheat beers
Sour malt pH 3.4 – 3.6	3 – 7a	Pilsner beers	up to 5 %	Lowers the wort ph, thereby
		Light beers		Improves mashing performance
		Draught beers		Intensifies fermentation
				Effects pale beer colours in Pilsner beers
				Improves flavour stability
				More balanced beer flavour
Melanoidin malt	60 – 80	Wheat beers	up to 20 %	Improves flavour stability and full-bodied flavour
		Bocks		Balances beer colour
		Dark beers		Achieves reddish colour
		Red ales		Optimizes mash work
		Amber beers
Caramel malt light	20 – 30	Pale beers	10 – 15 %	Increases full-bodied flavour
		Export beers		Intensifies malt flavour
		Festival beers		Improved head retention
		Low alcohol malt beers (Nährbiere)		Full, balanced flavour
		Wheat beers	up to 30 %	Fuller beer colour
		Draught beers		Adjusts beer colour in Pilsner or Lager beers
		Light beers		Flavour optimization for yeast wheat beers
		Reduced-alcohol beers
		Alcohol-free beers
Caramel malt dark	60 – 160	Bock beers	up to 20 %	Improves flavour stability and full-bodied flavour
		Dark beers		Balances beer colour
		Red ale		Optimizes mash work
		Amber beers		Intensifies malt flavour
		Festival beers
		Non alcohol malt beers
		Low alcohol malt beers
		Light beers
Roasted malt	800 – 1500	Dark beers	1 – 5 %	Intensifies the typical flavour of dark beers and beer colour
		Stouts
		Alt beers
		Bocks
		Black beers
Diastatic barley malt	3 – 6	All beer varieties	as needed	High enzyme capacity, improves processing, optimizes solubility and breakdown of starch
				Production of malt extracts
Source:
"The Soul of Beer: Malting Barley from Germany", Braugersten-Gemeinschaft e.V., page 57.

I told you it was a short post that's me done now.

I might do something similar for British malt types.

German brewing in 1966 - malting

Now we've got barley out of the way we can turn to the business of turning it into malt.

First some general stuff:

"Many German breweries, particularly in the south, have their own maltings. The increasing demand is being filled by existing commercial maltings.

The five-day week has forced maltings to adjust to a 7-day germination period, and malting methods must be adjusted accordingly. A germination period of 8-9 days was normal some years ago and for dark malts it was even longer. However, as a day was usually lost after casting the steep before the barley began to grow, we really only had a 7-day germination period in an 8-day malting period."
Journal of the Institute of Brewing, Volume 72, Issue 1, January-February 1966, page 15.

Narziss keeps moaning about the trouble the introduction of a 5-day, 40-hour working week. As if it were the work of the devil.

I think it's much rarer now for German breweries to have their own maltings, as in the UK. Come to think of it, about the only place I can think of where this does still happen is the Czech Republic. In the 19th century all the famous Burton and Edinburgh brewers had their own maltings. This was understandable as they specialised in Pale Ales, beers where the quality and colour off the malt was paramount. But gradually they moved over to buying in all their malt during the first half of the 20th century. Presumably because it was of reliable quality.

Now steeping:

"Steeping.—As a result of a fundamental change in the concept of steeping, we have achieved a position whereby a well-modified, completely satisfactory malt can be produced in a 7-day germination period. A shorter steeping period is now possible by making use of methods such as warm-water steeping (14-18° C), frequent dry steeping, periodic removal of CO2 by suction, sprinkling of the steeped barley, and re-circulation of the barley two or three times during the steeping period. By means of these methods less damage is done to the barley and the steep is cast with the barley visibly germinating and even at times showing two or three rootlets. This results in increased utilization of the germination plant. With warm-water steeping, it is essential to maintain an even temperature throughout; the steep room has to be controlled accordingly and, when using higher temperatures, a punctual CO2 removal must be carried out, preferably controlled by a clock. If cold air is sucked into the steep this will result in delayed water absorption and uneven germination."
Journal of the Institute of Brewing, Volume 72, Issue 1, January-February 1966, page 15.

Steeping was a huge deal in Britain when malt was taxed. Because it was taxed on the volume when it came out of steeping. As this could be manipulated through the moisture content, there were strict rules about what, and for how long, maltsters were allowed to do.

I haven't the foggiest idea of steeping temperatures, so I looked it up in a modern British brewing manual. Here's what it says:

"The steep-water temperature should be controlled. At elevated temperatures water uptake is faster but microbial growth is accelerated and the grain may be damaged or killed. The best temperature for steeping immature (partly dormant) grain is low (about 12 ºC, 53.6 ºF). For less dormant grain a value of 16-18 ºC (60.8-64.4 ºF) is often used."
"Brewing: science and practice", by Dennis E. Briggs, Chris A. Boulton, Peter A. Brookes and Roger Stevens, 2004, pages 14 - 15.

That seems pretty much in line with what Narziss derscribes. Briggs also describes CO2 extraction:

"Air rests are used between steeps. After a steep has been drained air, which should be humid and at the correct temperature, is sucked down through the grain. Such downward ventilation, or `CO2 extraction', assists drainage, provides the grain with oxygen, removes the growth-inhibiting carbon dioxide and removes some of the heat generated by the metabolizing grain. In consequence, and in contrast to traditional practice, barley leaving the steep has usually started to germinate."
"Brewing: science and practice", by Dennis E. Briggs, Chris A. Boulton, Peter A. Brookes and Roger Stevens, 2004, page 15.

Now something about moisture content:

"A number of investigations have shown that a sufficient moisture content of the barley is absolutely essential. It is possible to reduce germination time even when a very high degree of steeping is used, provided steps are taken to avoid subsequent drying out of the barley. Formerly moisture contents of 45-46% were used only when steeping dark malts but now this level of moisture is not unusual even for pale malts. By improving the degree of steeping on the 1964 season barleys (which were of low extract and enzymically poor) results shown in Table I could be obtained."
Journal of the Institute of Brewing, Volume 72, Issue 1, January-February 1966, pages 15 - 16.

Why would you have a greater moisture content in dark malts?

Here's that table.

TABLE I
Effect of Steeping on Analysis
	Degree of steeping
	43%	46%
Moisture content	4.60%	4.80%
Extract (dry)	80.10%	80.80%
Coarse/fine grind difference	2.70%	1.70%
Protein content	11.90%	11.70%
Degree of protein modification	33.80%	35.40%
Colour (E.B.C.)	2.2	2
Conversion (min.)	10.15	10.15
Malting loss	9.50%	12.70%
Germination loss	4.70%	4.10%
Steeping time (hr.)	62	74

Want to know how British malt compares? Briggs reckons the dry extract of pale malt is 77-83%*. The German malt is smack in the middle of that range. For darker British malts the extract was lower, 75-78%**. Briggs states that malting losses account to 6.5% - 14%, but breaks them down differently to Narziss:

"Malting losses can be defined in several ways. If they are defined in terms of the losses in dry weight, which occur when cleaned barley entering the steep is recovered as kilned malt and has been de-culmed (dressed), then the losses sustained in making conventional malts are usually in the ranges: steeping losses, 0.5 - 1.5%; germination losses, 3.5 - 7.5%; rootlets, 2.5 - 5.0%. These divisions are artificial, since some respiration and growth occur in the steeping phase and in the initial stages of kilning."
"Brewing: science and practice", by Dennis E. Briggs, Chris A. Boulton, Peter A. Brookes and Roger Stevens, 2004, page 17.

That leaves the German losses right at the top end, or a little beyond, of the British range.

More about malting and malts next time.