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​Effect of Floor Malting on Novel Barley Germplasm Derived from a Cross with Maris Otter^®​​

Malting barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is typically assessed using standard malting protocols that are likely to ensure acceptance by the majority of users in the contemporary supply chain. Craft maltsters often utilize malting techniques and barley varieties that are outside of this pipeline and have an interest in investigating barley lines that may be suitable for their production methods. The growing region targeted in this study, the Klamath Basin of northern California and southern Oregon, is in a multiyear period of drought, and there is interest in a shift to winter barley. This study assesses a winter-habit barley line derived from a cross with the heirloom variety Maris Otter^®​ and a CDC Copeland control in an experimental mini-scale floor-malting protocol. Experimental malts were evaluated against the industry collaborator's commercial malt and a pneumatic-type malt that was also made with the novel line. Malts and beers were analyzed by trained sensory panels to determine whether there were detectable differences between barley genotype, whether descriptors similar to the heirloom parent were present, and whether the novel barley line produced a more preferable beer relative to the control. While the experimental malts were found to be indistinguishable by the panel, there were significant differences between the beers, and there was a slight, but not significant, preference for the beer made with the control variety (CDC Copeland). The experimental floor-malting protocol was successful but needs further development for regular deployment in the industry.

Keywords: barley, flavor, floor malt, hot steep, malt, Maris Otter​​