Dozens of types of malt are used in the brewing process with the common types listed below accounting for a large percentage of the ingredients in all commercially produced beer.
Beer is made with malted grains, including malted barley and sometimes other grains such as wheat. Even among malted barley, there are several spefici types of malt and each can influence the taste and quality of beer in different ways. Here is a rundown of some of the more common malts used in making commercial as well as homebrewed beer:
Black Malt– This is a type of six row barley malt. As its name suggests, this type of malt is very dark in color. It is generally used as a coloring agent for beer since it has very little unique flavor of its own.
Caramel Malt– This is another six row barley malt and it is a common type of malt for many different styles of beer. It imparts a caramel- like taste to beer that sometimes comes through as burnt sugar.
Carapils Malt– Another type of six row barley, Carapils is used to improve foam level and add a certain dimension of body without adding much to the flavor or body. It is a common malt choice for lighter beers.
Chocolate Malt– A six row barley type, chocolate malt is dark in color and helps to darken the beer in which it is added. It also adds a chocolate flavor to beer, and thus is a common choice for brewing porter, stout, and other dark brews.
Munich Malt– A type of six row barley malt, Munich Malt is used to add malty character to beer and balance out the other flavors. It is a common option in many darker types of beer, including stout, porter, Oktoberfest, etc.
Rye Malt– Made from rye with added barley, this type of malt is used only in specialty beers that call for rye in the ingredients. The grainy flavor that rye imparts on beer is compatible only with a few unique styles.
Two Row Pale Malt– Probably the most common type of malt, two row pale malt is used in most all styles of beer as a base ingredient. Other types of malt are then added to improve the flavor profile of beer and make it unique in taste.
Six Row Pale Malt– Similar to two row pale malt, this barley- based malt offers a standard barley flavor profile and forms the basis of most of the other malts listed above.
Vienna Malt– This is a six row malted barley and it is often used in European syles such as Marzen and Kolsch. It adds a richer flavor profile than does ordinary two row barley or six row barley.
Wheat Malt– This type of malt is a combination of wheat and barley malt. The addition of wheat makes the malt flavor a little smoother and more agreeable to the average palate. This type of malt is common in summer brews, weizen styles, etc.
Leave a Reply