Unit 1.3 – Malt Quality & Brewhouse Performance
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1 Dipl. Brew. Module 1: Unit 1.3 – Malt Quality & Brewhouse Performance – Section 1.3.1 MODULE: Materials and Wort UNIT 1.3: Malt Quality and Brewhouse Performance SECTION 1.3.1: Requirements of Good Quality Malt ABSTRACT: No two batches of malt are alike – the only way to predict their effects on your brew is to be able to analyse the malt, whether you brew at home or work, the more you know about the malt you use, the better and more consistent your beer will be. LEARNING OUTCOMES: On completion and comprehension of this unit you will be able to: 1. List and explain the principle methods of measuring malt quality. 2. Explain the main issues of malt quality PREREQUISITE UNDERSTANDING: To have studied Unit 1.2 © The Institute of Brewing and Distilling (Dipl. Brew. 1 Revision Notes Version 1 2008) 2 Dipl. Brew. Module 1: Unit 1.3 – Malt Quality & Brewhouse Performance – Section 1.3.1 1.3 Malt Quality and Brewhouse Performance _______________ 3 1.3.3 Requirements of Good Quality Malt ________________ 3 1.3.1.1 Malt types and Products ________________________3 1.3.1.2 Biochemical Changes during Malting _____________ 4 1.3.1.3 Malt Specifications ____________________________ 4 (a) Barley Variety ___________________________________4 (b) Moisture _______________________________________ 5 (c) Extract Yield ____________________________________ 5 (d) Colour ________________________________________ 5 (e) Modification ____________________________________ 6 (f) Enzyme Activity _________________________________ 7 1.3.1.4 Contribution of Malt to Wort Quality ______________ 8 1.3.1.5 Visual/ Sensory Evaluation _____________________ 10 © The Institute of Brewing and Distilling (Dipl. Brew. 1 Revision Notes Version 1 2008) 3 Dipl. Brew. Module 1: Unit 1.3 – Malt Quality & Brewhouse Performance – Section 1.3.1 1.3 MALT QUALITY AND BREWHOUSE PERFORMANCE 1.3.1 REQUIREMENTS OF GOOD QUALITY MALT 1.3.1.1 MALT TYPES AND PRODUCTS Two general types of malts are produced commercially – brewers and distillers malts (see Table 1). Brewers malts are made from plumper, heavier kernels with a friable starch mass. They are steeped and germinated at moisture contents ranging from 43 – 46%; the final temperature used in drying malts is in the range of 71 – 82 oC. These malts are dried to 4% moisture. The final curing temperature reduces the enzyme activity of the malt, darkens the malt and hence the wort made from it and also increases the flavour and aroma compounds. Distillers (or high diastatic) malts are made from smaller barley kernels that are higher in protein and enzyme content. This barley is steeped and malted at a higher moisture content (45 – 49%) and dried at lower temperatures (49 – 60 oC) to a higher final moisture content than the brewers’ type malt. Table 1. Comparative ranges in the composition of barley and malt. Malt Measurement Barley Brewers Distillers Kernel weight (mg) 32 – 36 29 – 32 29 – 32 Starch (%) 55 – 60 50 – 55 50 – 55 Sugars (%) 0.5 – 1.0 8.0 – 10.0 8.0 – 10.0 Total nitrogen (%) 1.6 – 2.3 1.6 – 2.3 1.6 – 2.3 Soluble nitrogen (% of total) 10 – 12 35 – 45 40 – 50 Diastatic Power 50 – 60 100 – 150 150 – 250 α-Amylase Trace 35 – 45 55 – 65 Proteolytic activity (arbitrary Trace 15 – 20 20 - 25 units) © The Institute of Brewing and Distilling (Dipl. Brew. 1 Revision Notes Version 1 2008) 4 Dipl. Brew. Module 1: Unit 1.3 – Malt Quality & Brewhouse Performance – Section 1.3.1 1.3.1.2 BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES DURING MALTING Two important changes occur during malting. Firstly, the barley activates its own enzyme systems to release the energy reserves stored in the endosperm to germinate and grow in the field. Secondly, during the malting process the enzymes breakdown the endosperm releasing nutrients essential for yeast growth (fermentation). Both outcomes are important to the brewer to ensure that they obtain the best results from the raw materials. It is therefore necessary to use a series of tests to measure the changes that occur during the malting process and to give some indication of the expected brewing performance of the malt. 1.3.1.3 MALT SPECIFICATIONS Barley and hence the malt are derived from living materials and so are subject to the variations that can occur as a result of genetic and environmental conditions. This means that no two batches of malt are alike. Malt analysis provides guidance on the effectiveness of the malting process and suitability of the malt for brewing. Malt is tested in accordance with the Institute of Brewing ( IOB ), European Brewery Convention ( EBC ) and the American Society of Brewing Chemists ( ASBC ) methods of analyses. However, malt specifications are not always the most reliable indicator on how well the malt will perform in the brewery, and maltsters, brewers and distillers are continually looking for better predictions of brewing performance of malt. (a) Barley Variety Each variety has its own characteristics; its genetic make-up determines whether it has qualities that are important to brewing. Some varieties produce better brewing and distilling malts than others. The following characteristics will vary according to the barley variety: Percentage of nitrogen (protein) in the grain. Proportion of small to large starch granules. β-glucanase levels. Homogeneity of corn size. Ability to produce the necessary enzymes. © The Institute of Brewing and Distilling (Dipl. Brew. 1 Revision Notes Version 1 2008) 5 Dipl. Brew. Module 1: Unit 1.3 – Malt Quality & Brewhouse Performance – Section 1.3.1 These factors are also influenced by environmental conditions, e.g. weather, soil type and fertiliser. The barley variety is also important not only because of its brewing characteristics, but because of special characters it gives to the finished beers. (b) Moisture The lower the moisture content the higher the extract in the malt. The moisture content of malt should never exceed 6%; otherwise there is a risk of mould infection that can lead to processing and flavour problems. Malt with moisture in excess of 6% is described as slack , the moisture content generally reflects the quality of the malting itself, a high moisture content may indicate a poorly malted or kilned grain. Remember that moisture is driven off during kilning; this means that malts with a higher colour tend to have a lower moisture content. (c) Extract Yield The extract yield is a measure of the amount of sugar potentially recoverable from the grain during the brewing process. There are a number of recognised methods for measuring extract potential. Briefly, the % extract is measured by preparing a dilute mash in distilled water with very finely ground grist. After a set stand time at a particular temperature the solids are separated by filtration and the gravity of the extract is measured using a specific gravity bottle. The two standard methods are the IOB and the EBC methods: In the IOB method the mash stands for 60 minutes at 65 oC. The extract is expressed as Lo/ kg . The EBC method there are two mash stands at 45 oC and 70 oC. The extract is expressed as % sugar (sucrose) over the total weight of malt. (d) Colour During kilning chemical changes take place in the malt to produce colour. There are a number of colour reactions, e.g. the Maillard reaction (see Section 1.2.4 for a more detailed discussion), which occur during kilning. The higher the kilning temperature the more colour compounds are produced. As well as producing colour these compounds also contribute to flavour. The colour value of the malt provides only an approximate indication of final beer colour because: © The Institute of Brewing and Distilling (Dipl. Brew. 1 Revision Notes Version 1 2008) 6 Dipl. Brew. Module 1: Unit 1.3 – Malt Quality & Brewhouse Performance – Section 1.3.1 In beer, the water to grist ratio is 1 kg of malt to 7 litres of water. Malt analysis gives the mash colour based on 1 kg of malt to 10 litres of water. The Maillard reaction occurs during malting and wort boiling – this means that the boiled wort has a higher colour than the mash. There is an approximate relationship between mash colour and final cold wort colour based on the Kalbach Zastro (K) value. The darker the malt (i.e. the more highly kilned) then the lower the difference between the K values. Malt Type Typical K value Lager 1.9 Ale 1.8 Brown 1.1 Black 1.0 This information can be used to predict final cold wort colour. However, in practice colour prediction from the raw materials is still rather imprecise and is subject to other external influences in the brewhouse. (e) Modification This is probably the most important measurement the brewer has to gauge and this measurement demonstrates how well the maltster has done his job! Modification gives an indication of how evenly the cell structure has broken down in the endosperm during the malting process. The degree of modification can be measured in a number of ways: Soluble nitrogen/ total nitrogen expressed as a % ( Kolbach index ) that measures how much of the nitrogen wall structure has been broken down. The higher the value, the greater the modification of the protein matrix surrounding the cells in the endosperm. Difference in extract between a coarse and fine grind. When malt is ground the cells are crushed up and the extract can be recovered for analysis. In brewing, it is necessary to have a relatively coarse grind so that the residues can form a filter bed for wort separation. The difference in extract between the coarse and fine grind shows how much of the structure of the endosperm has broken down. The smaller the difference, the better the modification.