Barley 

Barley is the fourth most important grain variety in the world. Russia is the world's largest producer of barley, followed by Germany, France, Canada and Ukraine.

Barley was among the earliest plants grown by man.

Barley belongs to a family of grasses that has two growing seasons, winter and spring.

There are two different varieties of both winter and spring barley, i.e. a six-rowed type and a two-rowed type of barley.

The most common cereals used for malting and brewing are barley, wheat and rye. Wheat and rye mainly differ from barley with respect to the absence of the husk and their smaller kernel size.

Malt

Malt is germinated cereals – in Denmark typically barley or wheat – where the germination has been stopped by drying (kilning).

Later on the malt is roasted or processed in other ways to give it a certain colour, taste, richness, and aroma.

Malt is overall divided into two categories:

• Base malt (only pale malts including Vienna and Munich malt) 
• Speciality malt (defined as any other malts than base malts)

In general, beer is brewed with a high content of base malt, since this type of malt is rich in enzymes and efficient at converting starch into malt sugar, which later on is important for the formation of alcohol, aroma and carbonic acid during the fermentation.

Normally, speciality malt has a lower amount of active enzymes and has been deprived of this ability and therefore, the use of this type of malt must be limited in beer brewing.

However, the speciality malts are still very essential to the beer’s colour, taste, body, and aroma. Complexity in a beer can be great if the addition of speciality malt in the grists are done well and not just “thrown in”!

Dependent of the final flavour and taste of the beer to be produced is it vital for the master brewer to know about the characteristics of the cereal type so the combination of malts also complement each other with regards to aroma and taste.

Some of the most common types of malt are:

Base malts

• Pilsner malt (3-5 EBC*) the most gently processed base malt, which is used in nearly all beer types

• Vienna malt (6-10 EBC*)– a malt, which has little colour and character but still the ability to convert starch into malt sugar. Besides, when used just right, this malt adds a very special bread-like aroma to the beer

• Munich malt (15 -20 EBC*) – the darkest base malt, which gives the beer a darker colour and adds a malty/cereal like aroma to the beer. This was also the malt type to be used in the first bottom- fermented Danish beers.

Speciality malts

• Caramel malt (8 -200 EBC*) – speciality malt, which varies a lot in colour intensity. Generally, this malt adds a trace of caramel, raisin and/or prunes to the beer

• Chocolate malt (500-700 EBC*)– speciality malt, which is produced by roasting relatively moist malt at high temperatures and thereby enabling it to emit both a dark colour and a touch of bitter chocolate, nutty and coffee like aroma to the beer

• Black malt (1200 – 1500 EBC*)– speciality malt, which for instance is used in stout, double bock, and porter. This malt is characterized by being roasted at so high temperatures that it is nearly charred. This malt adds coffee like aroma to the beer and should be used with caution.

 • Wheat malt (3 – 7 EBC*) (a base malt for producing wheat and wit beers) – very light malt type made of wheat instead of barley. Primarily used in wheat beer, but also sometimes added to other beer types to give the beer a nice foaming head.

*EBC = Colour Unit according to European Brewery Convention

    Manufacturing of base malt and speciality malts:

  To see the above picture in a larger size - click here

Final comments

How much the malt is dominating the aroma of a beer is e.g. depending on the beer style, the malt-composition, the water composition, the use of hops, and which yeast strain is used.  

When comparing bottom-fermenting and top-fermenting beer styles and how much the ingredients and yeast strain is dominating the final aroma of the beer, I would give the following guidelines, with certain reservations: