Description
Brewers often call malt the soul of beer. Fourth in the Brewing Elements series, Malt: A Practical Guide from Field to Brewhouse, delves into the intricacies of this key ingredient used in virtually all beers.
This book provides a comprehensive overview of malt, with primary focus on barley, from the field through the malting process. With primers on history, agricultural development and physiology of the barley kernel, John Mallett (Bell’s Brewery, Inc.) leads us through the enzymatic conversion that takes place during the malting process.
About the author:
John Mallett, author of Malt: A Practical Guide from Field to Brewhouse(Brewers Publications, 2014) has managed all beer production for award-winning Bell’s Brewery, Inc. in Kalamazoo, Mich. since 2001, leading many of its brands to near cult status among beer enthusiasts.
Throughout his professional brewing career, Mallett has been recognized for his expertise and leadership in brewery technical education and training. He serves on many boards and technical committees, including the Master Brewers Association of the Americas, Brewers Association, Hop Quality Group, and American Malting Barley Association.
He has authored more than 40 brewing technical papers and presentations and, since 1995, is a member of the extended faculty of Siebel Institute of Technology. In 2002, Mallett received the Russell Schehrer Award for Innovation in Craft Brewing.
Book Reviews:
John has done the heavy lifting for us by presenting (in a very readable fashion) the chemistry of malt carbohydrates, sugars, amino acids, proteins, and lipids. He elegantly describes the history and chemistry of Maillard reaction products, and the derivation of caramel colors and flavors in the kiln and kettle.
The book flows like the air moving through drying barley, describing functionality, flavors, fermentability and unfermentables extracted from malt, including how many malty factors can be unintentionally overrepresented in beer.
In addition to the malt itself, he addresses common concerns related to malt receiving, conveying, storing, weighing, and milling. You won’t find this level of fundamental understanding and practicality in any malting theory textbooks.“
Enter the world of malt, the soul of beer. Beer is often cited as being at least one of the causes of civilization, and it was the deliberate cultivation and malting of barley for beer that was the catalyst. From cultivation to harvest, from steeping to kilning to brewing, John Mallet takes us on a tour of the history and technology of barley and malting that gives brewers more insight into their beer.
