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title: Malting and Hops

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# Malting and Hops

## Key Resources

* [Infographic](https://i.redd.it/ieytazsf2mp41.jpg)
* [Malt vs. hops](https://www.aperfectpint.net/2010/03/malty-vs-hoppy-flavors-in-beer/)
* [hops](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hops#Noble_hops)
* [caramelization](https://www.scienceofcooking.com/caramelization.htm)
* [caramelization vs. maillard](https://www.scienceabc.com/pure-sciences/sugar-turn-brown-melted-caramelization-maillard-reaction.html) (caramelization is with sugers; maillard is sugar + amino acids)

## Hops

Cone-like flower of Humulus lupulus.  Bitter and aroma + anti-microbial.

Humulus lupulus is a vine plant related to hemp.  Pepin (III) "the Sho    rt", father of Charlemagne, willed a hops garden to the Cloister of Saint-Denis in 768.  Hops used in brewing first mentioned in Germany in 1079.  Gruit was alternative flavoring used when hops were taxed.

IPAs are Indian Pale Ales known for lots of hops taste.

## Malt

Malting is the process of soaking (or humidifying?) grain seeds to cause them to begin to germinate and then DRYING them (but not too hot because then you'd denature the alph/beta amylase enzymes released during germination).  The enzymes will break down the starch in the grains into simpler sugars (maltose among many others).  Simple sugars are fermented.  Leftover sugars are responsible for sweetness in beer.  Grainy flavors also come from the malted grain.

### Maltiness: taste and chemistry

From [here](https://homebrew.stackexchange.com/questions/15089/what-makes-a-beer-malty-and-sweet):

> A very large part of maltiness as a distinct flavor is melanoidins, the product of Maillard reactions between sugars and amino acids during malting. Because this reaction is driven by heat there's a good correlation between the color of the malt and the intensity of the malty flavor (at least until you move into the dark crystal/chocolate/roasted malt range). Well-modified malts offer higher levels of sugars and amino acids before kilning, and therefore tend to be maltier. Vienna, Munich, and medium crystal malts are good examples of higher melanoidin malts, although all lighter malts also get their malty flavor almost entirely from melanoidins.

> Caramelization is another factor, though it is virtually non-existent in many malts. Sugars except fructose caramelize only above 320°F (fructose, above 230°F). As an example, dark Munich malt doesn't usually get above 220°F during kilning so it and any lighter malt should contain no measurable caramelized sugars. It becomes a factor in darker malts like Brown malt, darker crystal malts and chocolate and roasted malts, where kilning temperatures reach well beyond the point of caramelization. Maillard reactions can continue at this temperature too (though it's often too dry), so the balance of the two dictates the characteristic of the particular malt.

> Because the formation of trademark malty flavors will always depend on the spectrum of sugars and amino acids (as well as many other non-melanoidin-forming compounds) in the germinating grain when it's kilned, it's not necessarily a flavor that has many true analogues in every-day life. The most common synonyms I've heard are bready, toasty and bisciuty.

Scientific definition of malting: "Limited germination of cereal grains in moist air under controlled conditions" (from [here](https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1020&context=intsormilpresent)) 

Barley is most common followed by wheat, rye, and oats (among others like sorghum)

### Malted milk: whoppers, Malt shops, etc.

Malted milk was originally an *infant* formula made with a combination of 1) malted grain [barley seems standard, like in whoppers], 2) evaporated milk, and 3) wheat flour.  It was popular for its healthiness (?) and portability (so, used in things like expeditions) and eventually caught on as a base for "healthy"(? or at least interesting taste profile) milk-shakes (malt shops).

### Kilning

The color and flavor are related to kilning process, mostly how hot.  Basically, amount of caramelization.  Larger suger polymers are more brown.  Caramelization also releases smaller more volatile compounds which alter the smell. (so, the brown and the smell of caramelization come from the same process but are directly caused by different aspects of caramelization).

* **Base malts**:  receive the least kilning. They are the lightest malts and make up the bulk of any beer recipe.
* **Crystal malts** (aka caramel malts): made by allowing enzymes in the grain to convert complex carbohydrates into simple sugars before kilning.
* **Toasted malts** (aka kilned malts): dry-kilned to a range of colors and flavors.
* **Roasted malts**: kilned at highest temperatures until very dark brown or even black.

## Lager vs. Ale

* Lagers use BOTTOM-fermenting yeast and ferment LONGER and at COOLER temperatures.
* Ales are from TOP fermenting yeast, ferment for a SHORTER amount of time and at HIGHER temperatures

## Bottom vs. Top fermenting

ALL yeast are suspensions in the wort (water soluble part of beer) and will sediment to the bottom (I'm assuming they stir or mix?? but maybe not?)  "top fermenting" yeast "tend to generate a thick foamy layer along the top, contributing to krausen (krausen is a noun: "The foamy, rocky head of yeast that forms at the peak of fermentation." and also a verb: " To introduce measured amounts of actively fermenting beer that has reached the most active point of fermentation to more thoroughly fermented beer. This is usually done to condition or naturally carbonate the beer." from German "to curl back from the edge", or just "to curl")

(which is a misnomer, top-fermenting yeast ferment throughout the wort [the water-soluble part of beer left after you filter/skim off all the insoluble stuff left over from mashing the grain])

### Lager

#### Bock lagers

Originally brewed in the northern town of Einbeck during the fourteenth century, the style gradually moved south to the city of Munich by the seventeenth century. Due to subtle language differences between the north and south of Germany, the pronunciation of the beer from Einbeck was misconstrued by the Bavarians to sounds like “ein bock,” which means “billy goat” in German. The name stuck, as did the image of a billy goat, which still adorns bock labels to this day.

Stronger than a typical lager, bock is dark amber in color with robust malt flavors and very light hoppiness.

https://www.hopculture.com/definition-bock-beer/

### Ales

#### India Pale Ale (IPAs)

* It's a myth that they had higher ABV (just more complete fermentation of sugars and strongly hopped)
* Since the beer was meant to be cellared, it worked well on a long voyage to India.

#### Brown Ales

Use brown malts (malts cooked at higher temps; "toasted"??)

* Porter
* Stout - also use a roasted barley (see kilning), so even darker color

## Draught (aka Draft)

From a cask or keg (rather than a bottle or can)