Characteristics of malting barley

The taste, aroma and color of beer depend on the quality of malt. To prepare the intoxicating drink, certain varieties of barley are used, each of which takes breeders an average of about 10 years to develop. A special cultivation technology ensures optimal grain characteristics.

Composition and biological characteristics of malting barley

The plant belongs to the Poaceae family. The grain consists of an embryo, a mealy body and a shell. Main features of barley:

1. Characterized by high yield, resistance to cold and heat. Characterized by rapid growth and development. The most favorable for growing is a stable, gradually increasing temperature without sudden changes.
2. Prefers loose soil with good aeration. An important criterion when choosing a site is the homogeneity of the soil. Sandy and sandy loam soils are unsuitable for most varieties: due to high water permeability, even short-term drought will slow down the development of the crop. Clay soil is also not suitable: it will not allow the root system to grow stronger. Peat bogs and soils with high acidity are not chosen for cultivation.

Grains contain organic and inorganic compounds:

1. Carbohydrates. They are extremely important in brewing technology - they stimulate the formation of ethyl alcohol and the development of yeast.
2. Starch (from 55 to 66%). When gradually heated, it becomes viscous; during hydrolysis, sugars are formed from starch.
3. Cellulose. The main amount of it is in the flower shell; during malting it acts as a filter layer.
4. Pectic compounds. Increases beer foaming.
5. Vitamin and mineral complexes. They play an important role in grain germination technology, fermentation and yeast growth.

Barley contains polyphenols, fats, organic acids, ash elements. The main difference between brewing raw materials is their low protein content (no more than 12%).

Interesting things on the site:

How to make malt from barley at home

Simple recipes for barley moonshine

Secrets of making whiskey from barley

Qualitative characteristics

The varieties used in brewing have special malt properties.. Thanks to easy processing, the yield of a quality product per unit of raw material increases.

Characteristics of brewing grain:

1. Form. Under favorable growing conditions, the grains have the shape of an oval or ellipse with rounded lateral edges.
2. Color. The color is uniform yellow of varying intensity. A greenish tint indicates lack of maturity.
3. Smell. The aroma is fresh, associated with straw.

One of the important characteristics is extractivity. This is the amount of dry matter that passes into the solution after processing. The optimal level is 78–80%.

Barley classification

According to agrotechnical characteristics, winter and spring barley are divided. Their main difference is the sowing time. Winter crops are sown from October to November, spring crops are sown from March to April. The timing depends on the climatic conditions of the region.

Based on the type of ears (morphological characteristics), barley is divided into two-row and six-row. Two-row ears produce from 25 to 30 grains, six-row ones - from 30 to 60. In brewing, the former are used mainly.

Barley varieties for beer

There are several hundred barley varieties. In the regions of Russia these are popular (productivity indicated for 1 hectare):

1. Scarlett. Characterized by a loose ear, yields up to 65 quintals.
2. Gladis. One of the best varieties with strong immunity and resistance to lodging. Productivity - about 98 c.
3. Donetsk 8. It has a loose ear with large grains. Resistant to lodging and drought. Productivity - 45 c.
4. Annabelle. Ears of medium density with large grains. The variety has high immunity. Gives 40–50 quintals of harvest.
5. Consita. Produces 40–88 quintals of grain, resistant to root rot and loose smut. The ears are medium dense, cylindrical in shape. The grain is large.
6. Zazersky 85. Slightly drooping variety, produces 37–65 quintals of grain.
7. Gastinets. An early ripening variety with high brewing qualities. Productivity - from 60 to 78 c.
8. Gonar. It has a cylindrical loose spike with rounded large grains. Productivity - 50–80 c.

Other varieties are also grown in Russia: Quench, Ataman, Inari.

Requirements for malting barley

High protein barley (above 12%) is not used in brewing.. However, if the level is below 9%, the grain is unsuitable: the beer will not foam well. Other requirements:

1. The grain should be large and thin-film. The average weight of 1000 units is 40–45 g.
2. The absence of dark ends or spots is mandatory: malt from such raw materials will turn out to be of poor quality.
3. High moisture levels are unacceptable. Otherwise, during storage, the grain will become moldy and lose extractive substances. The optimal figure is 10–15.5%.
4. The raw materials should not contain weed seeds, grains of other cereals or damaged by pests.
5. Only barley with good germination is suitable for malting.If the indicator is insufficient, the extract content decreases and mold forms.

Excess fat is unacceptable in malting barley.: This has a bad effect on the taste characteristics of the beer and the stability of the foam.

Growing technology

To obtain high yields, it is important to choose the right barley predecessors. Sowing after buckwheat, corn, and sugar beets is allowed. Crops cannot be placed after wheat and legumes.

Main stages of cultivation:

1. Soil preparation. The seed layer should be dominated by clods up to 1 cm in size. In August, disking is carried out (about 10 cm), in September - plowing to a depth of about 20 cm. Spring work includes harrowing diagonally and pre-sowing cultivation in April.
2. Fertilizer application. Phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are applied in the fall when sowing for basic cultivation, nitrogen fertilizers are applied when sowing in rows.
3. Preparation of planting material. 2 weeks before sowing, the seeds are treated and, if necessary, treated with microelements (depending on their content in the soil). After processing, grain moisture content should not exceed 14%.
4. Sowing. Carry out when the soil is physically mature. Barley germinates even at low temperatures (+1°C) and can withstand frosts down to -5°C. The recommended seeding rate per 1 ha is 5-6 million seeds. Barley is planted in continuous rows (row spacing is from 10 to 15 cm). The depth of embedding is 3-4 cm, with insufficient moisture in the top layer - up to 6 cm.
5. Weed control. Spring barley weakly suppresses the growth of weeds. To suppress them, agrotechnical measures are carried out, including the use of selective herbicides.

To prevent diseases and pest attacks After inspecting the crops, chemical treatments with insecticides and fungicides are carried out using sprayers.

Collection and storage of malting barley

The optimal time for harvesting is considered to be the phase of complete ripeness of the ears without resting.. The field is surveyed in 5 days. The grain moisture content should not exceed 18–20%. The guidelines are the drooping position of the ears in the morning, yellowing of the straw and films. Before starting work, the perimeter of the field is mowed and areas with fallen ears are removed.

Reference! The harvested grain is cleaned and dried in special installations with active ventilation. The next stage is sorting.

Basic storage rules:

1. To prevent crop damage from pests, warehouses are treated with special preparations.
2. Only cleaned and dried grain is stored for storage.
3. The room temperature is maintained below +21°C. Otherwise, the harvest will be spoiled by weevils. The appearance of the pest is practically excluded at temperatures below +12°C.
4. Grain of different varieties is kept separately to obtain high-quality malt.

Barley is stored in silage or floor method. In the first case, the maximum permissible humidity in the room is 13%, when stored in bulk - 14%. An increase in the indicator leads to increased heat generation - in this case, the seeds are ventilated and mixed.

Read also:

Characteristics of barley varieties: Dostoyny, Duncan, Harlem and others

Features of barley cultivation technology

Conclusion

High-quality barley is the key to the high taste characteristics of beer. It is important not only to choose the appropriate type of grain, but also to follow all the rules of agricultural technology for growing, harvesting, and storing raw materials. This is the only way to obtain high-quality malt for beer.