Grains are the backbone of every beer, shaping flavor, aroma, color, and body. Choosing the right grain directly impacts consistency and quality. The right milling equipment is important too. Proper milling unlocks the fermentable sugars efficiently while avoiding process issues. Here, we’ll look at the key grains used in beer-making and how they influence your final product.
The Role of Malted Grain in Beer – Base and Special Malts
Malted grain
, or malt, is grain that has undergone a process called malting to stimulate germination and create sugar that the yeast will use to produce alcohol. Malting involves soaking the grains in water, allowing them to germinate, and then drying or roasting them.
The drying and roasting processes stop germination, but also develop various flavors. Base malts are not the most flavorful, but they provide most of the sugar for fermentation in beer.
Specialty malts are added in smaller quantities to change the flavor, color, and aroma of the final product. They are created by varying temperature, moisture level, and other aspects of the malting process and include crystal, caramel, smoked, roasted, and other malts.
Types of Grains Used in Beer
The malting process imparts unique flavors and other characteristics, but the type of grain also makes a difference. These are the most commonly used grains in brewing and how they effect the final product.
Barley
Barley has been used to brew beer for thousands of years. It is the foundation and base malt of most beers. Barley malt provides most of the fermentable sugar necessary to create beer. Malting processes can change the flavor of barley, creating light bready pale malts, rich and caramelized malts, and dark roasted malts with notes of coffee and chocolate.
Wheat
Adding wheat to a brewing recipe changes the mouthfeel and body more than the flavor. Due to its high protein content, wheat creates a richer, fuller mouthfeel and a thick head. In terms of flavor, wheat adds just a little tartness, which often has the effect of smoothing out the beer’s flavor. It can also be a bready flavor.
Rye
Rye added to barley has the effect of sharpening flavors in a beer. It adds complexity, crispness, and dryness. Without a hull, rye can be difficult to work with in larger quantities. It tends to clump during the brewing process.
Oats
Oat malt creates a creamy mouthfeel and a smooth, full body to a barley-based beer. Oats have long been used in stouts, but are increasingly used in other beer styles.
Rice
Rice in a brewing recipe creates a drier beer with a lighter body. It imparts little or no flavor of its own, helping to change the texture while boosting the other flavors in the beer.
Corn
Like rice, corn in the recipe lightens a beer’s body. It reduces haziness and helps balance flavors. Unlike rice, corn does add a subtle sweetness to beer.
How Does the Grind Affect Your Beer?
The type of grain is not the only aspect of grain handling that can affect your beer’s flavor and quality. The sugars that are key to creating beer are locked inside the husk of each kernel of malted grain, regardless of type. Milling exposes these fermentable sugars.
How the malt is milled impacts the flavor of the beer. For example, crushing the grain too much can shred the husk, which is then difficult to remove and imparts a bitter taste. Milling malt requires a balance, cracking it just enough to expose the inside of the husk.
A roller mill is a useful tool for this process because it gives brewers greater control and consistency. Adjustable rollers, like those in RMS roller mills, allow you to change the grind for different grains. Our team can help you select the best mill for your operations and assist with setup, calibration, and training, so you get the best crush every time.
Want to learn more about grain handling in brewing? Download our expert guide for important tips, including equipment options, handling spent grains, and custom grain handling systems.
