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Producing a Quality Malt from Hulless Barley

M.J. Edney and B.G. Rossnagel. 2000.

Introduction Materials and methods Results Discussion References Table of contents

Proceedings of the 8th International Barley Genetics Symposium, Adelaide, Australia, December 2000, 91-93.

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Abstract

The significantly higher levels of extract from hulless barley malt offer tremendous economic potential for the brewery. In the past this advantage has been negated by a need for intact hulls to act as a filter bed in the lautering process. New technologies for spent grain separation, such as pressure mash filters and centrifugation, have increased interest in hulless barley malt. Another concern has been the potential for embryo or acrospire loss during malting due to the missing protection of the hull, and low malt friability was thought to be an indication of such loss. However, research with the Canadian hulless variety, CDC Dawn, indicated that poor friability values were not explained by embryo loss. The Calcofluor test showed that modification had reached the distal end in over 90% of the kernels. Inadequate malting conditions were then postulated as a cause of poor friability possibly due to higher percentages of beta-glucan and protein in hulless barley. Improved friability results were obtained when steep-out moistures or germination times were increased, but values still did not reach the commercially acceptable range. However, the use of hammer mills in preparing malt for new separation technologies will reduce the need for as high a level of malt friability and the commercial use of hulless barley malt with its high extract levels will be possible.

Introduction

Hulless barley malt offers a tremendous opportunity for the brewing industry. Economic savings can be realized through significantly higher extract levels and improvements in beer quality may be possible with the absence of undesirable hull compounds such as tannins and other polyphenols. In the past, the use of hulless malt has been restricted because of a need for intact hulls in the efficient operation of lauter tuns. However, with the advent of newer technologies for spent grain separation, such as mash filters and centrifuges, there has been increased interest in the advantages of hulless barley malt (Evans et al. 1998).

The malting of hulless barley, however, presents a number of challenges due to differences in chemical and physical characteristics. The missing hull makes the barley susceptible to embryo damage during handling and malting. The loss of embryo, at an inopportune time, can prevent adequate endosperm modification. Water uptake is much quicker during steeping of hulless barley compared to covered barley (Singh and Sosulski 1985). Bhatty (1996) also found hulless barley to be harder than covered malting barley. Malting conditions have to be altered in order to adequately process hard, steely barley (Briggs 1981). Higher steep-out moistures and longer germination times may be required. Kilning may also cause a problem. Without the protection of a hull, high kilning temperatures may cause hulless malt to be extra hard due to case-hardening (Thomas 1986).

Evans et al. (1999) indicated some distinct advantages for hulless barley malt. However, the same group (Evans et al. 1998) found strong disadvantages to the use of under-modified hulless barley malt. The present study investigated solutions to the poor modification indices seen in hulless barley malt. The possibility of embryo loss was investigated with the Calcofluor modification test. The effect of altered malting conditions, including high steep-out moistures and longer germination times, was investigated. The effect of the high protein content of hulless barley, on modification, was also investigated.

M.J. Edney
Grain Research Laboratory
Canadian Grain Commission
Winnipeg MB Canada
medney@grainscanada.gc.ca

B.G. Rossnagel
Crop Development Centre
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon SK Canada
Brian.Rossnagel@usask.ca



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Last updated: 2001-02-06

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