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Better is all in the
eye of the maltster/brewer and not the beholder. There is no absolute
relationship between row type and quality. For the purposes
of making fine beer, there are great (and terrible) 2-rows
and there are great (and terrible) 6-rows. With a suitably
plump 6-row, there no way to look at a malting quality
parameter spec sheet and know if the data are from a 2-row
or a 6-row. Likewise, just knowing the spike type of a
variety will not tell you if that variety would make great,
middling, or awful malt.
Is malting with
winter 6-row an abomination? -we can send file which
examines this question |
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Barley malt
is the perfect combination of starch, enzymes, flavors, and
aromas for brewing, distilling, baked goods, cereals and
confections. There are many types of barley malt
– from light to dark – but all are produced by variations on
two principal themes: germination and kilning. Different
end-uses require different malt quality specifications.
There are rigorous certification processes to certify that
varieties are suitable for malting.
Some of the principal characteristics used to define malting quality
are protein (low, moderate, or high), malt extract (high) ,
enzyme activity (moderate to high), and beta glucan
(low). In general, malt barley commands
a premium over feed barley,
but yield less. .
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Barley malt
is the perfect combination of starch, enzymes, flavors, and
aromas for brewing, distilling, baked goods, cereals and
confections. There are many types of barley malt
– from light to dark – but all are produced by variations on
two principal themes: germination and kilning. Different
end-uses require different malt quality specifications.
There are rigorous certification processes to certify that
varieties are suitable for malting.
Some of the principal characteristics used to define malting quality
are protein (low, moderate, or high), malt extract (high) ,
enzyme activity (moderate to high), and beta glucan
(low). In general, malt barley commands
a premium over feed barley,
but yield less.
Feed barley is
food for animals. Extensive research has documented that
varieties differ in their feeding properties and that some
varieties are excellent feed for ruminant and non-ruminant
animals. Be careful with barley and
chickens, unless you want to deal with "sticky droppings".
Unfortunately, feed barley is
generally not accorded the respect it deserves in feed
markets: it is simply sold by the ton, with a minimum
specification for test weight and perhaps kernel plumpness.
Feed barley prices
are often so low that farmers will grow any other crop - if
they can do so. As a consequence, barley’s
adaptability to extreme climates makes it an important feed
grain only in areas where other feed grains, like maize,
have difficulty growing. A unique type of feed barley has
hoods, rather than awns. Hooded types are usually cut at the
soft dough stage for hay or silage. The lack of awns allows
makes for lip-smacking eating.
A rule of thumb is
that good malt barley is
good feed barley,
but not the reverse. Of course, if only feed barley was
available, enterprising folks would make learn to make
decent malt from it. Many genes determine malting and
feed quality; two genes determine the hooded vs. awned
trait.
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