“How much do you pay for your malt?”

Is it a relevant question? Base malt often seems to be solely looked at as a mere source of carbohydrates which should be bought as cheap as possible. The cost of available extract in the malt we buy is of course very important but should not be the only aspect taken into consideration to evaluate overall costs. The malt Certificate of Analyses can indicate many factors that will be relevant to assess its efficiency in the brewhouse. For instance, if you come across some cheap malt showing high extract, you may want to investigate if its modification level is satisfactory. Elements such as Kolbach index (soluble nitrogen ratio), fine/coarse difference, friability and β-glucans can give you indications that could lead to a poor extract recovery due to: - Ineffective malt milling. - High levels of undegraded protein matrix protecting the starch, making it less accessible for enzymatic conversion. - Inefficient filtration and sparge (poor extract recovery + probable delays in the brewing process). - Insufficient Free Amino Nitrogen (FAN) for yeast nutrition = possible stuck fermentation and off flavours. These issues can be solved by adapting your process and equipment, but here arises the question: is it worth it? Does that difference in price per kg of malt compensate the loss of extract recovery, the costs of extra energy input (extra mash steps, increase in pumps usage, increased heating demand, water/vapor/gas/electrical resistances etc.), the costs of extra labour due to longer process, the costs of new equipment for a more efficient filtration, a more efficient milling and so on. Is the malt moisture level ok? We do not want to pay for water but we also don’t want to mill an overly dry grain into flour with poor enzyme activity. And all this does not consider the flavour quality of your malt. Is it consistent? Reliable in its colour? pH? The extra care of the maltster to deliver a consistent product also represents costs. And this even opens the debate about the barley variety used for malting. More modern and selected barley varieties allow farmers to increase their yield (tons/ha) and thus decrease the price of malt, but potentially at the expense of the flavour profile in the finished beer or spirit. This is why specific varieties such as Marris Otter or even more recently the ancient Chevallier (beautiful name) are being specified by some brewers and distillers who are willing to accept higher costs of raw ingredients for better quality products. Like everything in brewing, nothing is ever clear cut and it’s all about balance and good sense. Keeping a close eye on the specifications of raw ingredients is essential to be able to take all variables into account and make the right decision when it comes to buying and contracting.