VIEW ARTICLE    DOI: 10.1094/ASBCJ-45-0001

Accelerating Malting: A Review of Some Lessons of the Past from the United Kingdom. D. E. Briggs, British School of Malting and Brewing, University of Birmingham, P.O. Box 363, Birmingham, B15 2TT, England. J. Am. Soc. Brew. Chem. 45:0001, 1987.

Most English malting barleys are dormant to some extent when harvested. All malting schemes, but especially accelerated systems, must overcome dormancy and other facets of "immaturity." Warm water steeping, spray steeping, steeping with air rests, and steeping with aeration were already familiar techniques from 1870 to 1910, and were partially adopted in England. However, the use of air rests and steep aeration subsequently declined in the United Kingdom and it was accepted that, at least in some instances, using them produced malts of lower quality in lower yield. Air-rest steeping was successfully reintroduced when scientific studies defined "water sensitivity." Air rests also permit the use of slightly elevated steeping temperatures, which otherwise may induce water sensitivity. However, air rests and especially steep aeration, are not used by all British maltsters. Mechanical decortication was successful in accelerating malting but, unlike the milder process of abrasion, the process was not adopted. Abrasion is not used by all maltsters and its use seems to be declining. A newer low-moisture, squeezing treatment shows promise. The history of these processes shows that engineers have usually met maltsters' requirements. What has, and continues to limit acceleration of the malting process is an insufficient knowledge of the physiology of barley germination. Fundamental scientific studies are needed to give us the understanding to allow further advances in malting.

Keywords: Accelerating malting, Warm steeping, Air rests, Aeration, Abrasion, Dormancy