Malt specifications - a safeguard or restriction on quality

Axcell, B. and others

Abstract
Malt specifications were introduced to protect the brewer by ensuring a good brewhouse yield, minimum process problems and the production of a good quality beer. Malts however, are often purchased with similar analyses that behave completely differently on brewing. Many brewing companies purchase malt from various suppliers who themselves often use different barley varieties and diverse malting procedures. The use of a single malt specification may then place severe limitations on quality rather than affording the protection originally designed. The interpretation of some of the various malt analyses within a malt specification is reviewed and proposals for a fundamentally new type of format proposed. This system incorporates barley variety, modification indices, homogeneity and predictive fermentability.
Keywords: barley variety beer quality malt (analysis method for) malt modification malt quality specifications starch