Barley m alt: how is it produced and what is it used for?

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Barley m alt: how is it produced and what is it used for?
Barley m alt: how is it produced and what is it used for?
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M alt - what is this product? You will learn the answer to the question posed from the materials of the presented article.

barley m alt
barley m alt

General information

M alt is a product that is obtained from germinated cereal seeds, mainly barley. As you know, this ingredient is the basis of the entire brewing industry. If barley m alt is not grown, then there will be no foamy drink. What is it connected with? The fact is that during the germination of this cereal crop, the diastase enzyme is formed in it, which, in fact, converts starch into m alt sugar, that is, m altose. Under the action of the presented substance, the mash is saccharified, and then turns into a wort. In turn, it ferments and becomes young beer.

Obtaining m alt

What needs to be done to get barley m alt? The production process of this product involves two stages: soaking and germination of seeds. These steps are necessary in order to cause chemical reactions in the cereal crop that contribute to the appearance of the necessary substances responsible for the formation of a delicious foamy drink.

To better understand how brewing barley m alt is produced, the mentioned stages of its production should be described in more detail.

Processsoaking

The purpose of soaking is to swell the dry grain. At the same time, the processes of chemical changes begin immediately. This can be seen in the respiration of seeds, which is manifested in the formation of carbonic acid and diastase.

m alt is
m alt is

Thus, water is poured into a wooden vat or a stainless steel tank and allowed to stand for 3 days. After this time, grain is gradually poured into the same container and everything is thoroughly mixed. After 3 hours, the litter and seeds that have floated to the surface are removed with a slotted spoon. After that, the excess water is drained, leaving only a layer of liquid 10-15 centimeters above the barley.

During the soaking process, the grains are cleaned of dirt, as well as some substances in the husk, which can give the drink an unpleasant taste and smell. In this form, barley m alt is kept for about 5 days, until it is completely swollen. At the same time, it is required to regularly change dirty water for clean water.

Germination process

After the soaking process is completed, grain germination begins, which on average lasts about 7 days. During this process, the barley should be periodically moistened and gently mixed. As a rule, sprouts begin to appear on the grains on the 2nd or 3rd day. After a week of exposure, their length often reaches 1.6 the length of the barley itself.

Fresh-sprouted barley m alt can be stored no more than 2-3 days. That is why it is often dried for 17 hours at a temperature of + 45-55 degrees. When dried properly, this product has a light shade.

Waysapplications

As mentioned above, m alt is most often used in brewing and distilling industries. In the latter case, it is used to dissolve and saccharify the starch of other ingredients. As for the first, only m alt is used during the manufacture of the foamy drink, which is then subjected to fermentation.

brewing barley m alt
brewing barley m alt

In addition to the presented productions, this product is also used in the process of making the extract. By the way, barley m alt is also actively used for whiskey.

Brewing companies most often use barley and wheat to make m alt. As for the distillery, oats, rye and maize are often used in it. It should also be noted that, depending on whether the raw material is used in fresh or dried form, green m alt and dry m alt are distinguished, respectively.

M alt types

Depending on how cereal grains are soaked and grown, m alt is classified into different types:

  1. Sour. It is obtained from dry light m alt, which is soaked in water at a temperature of +45 degrees and kept so long that lactic acid microorganisms do not form more than 1% lactic acid. After that, the m alt is dried.
  2. Wheat. Made from wheat grain, which is soaked to a moisture content of 40%. After drying at a temperature of +40-60 degrees, light or dark m alt is obtained, which is used to produce exclusively dark wheat beer.
  3. Burned. Such m alt is most often used to obtain quitedark beer. It is recommended to add it no more than 1%. Otherwise, the foamy drink will acquire an unpleasant burnt aftertaste.
  4. Stewed. It is made from barley with a moisture content of 50%, and then the grain is dried and dried for 4 hours. Such a product is often added to light or dark raw materials to improve its aroma and give a pleasant shade.
  5. barley m alt for whiskey
    barley m alt for whiskey
  6. Caramel. It is obtained from dried m alt, which is brought to a moisture content of 45%. Caramel m alt is saccharified using roasting drums at a temperature of +70 degrees. After that, different types of m alt are obtained. For example, transparent is made by drying, light - by heating, and dark - by evaporating excess moisture.

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