A Little About Grains (#9 of 30)

Let’s keep the trend going of core ingredient overviews. Today, we're going to talk about the backbone of every good brew: grains and malt. As a middle of the road home brewer, this is the one ingredient that I spend the most time thinking about. Sure, hops may steal the show with their bitterness and aroma, water makes up the majority of beer, and yeast gives you additional flavor and alcohol. So yes, every core ingredient plays it’s role, but I think the grain bill is the backbone of the brew. It gives character, structure, and key flavor to every batch. So, let's give grains and malt the spotlight they deserve.

First, let's talk about the basics. When I say “grains” I am referring to the seeds of cereal grasses like barley, wheat, and rye. They are malted, or germinated and then dried, to produce malt, which is the key ingredient in beer-making. During the malting process, enzymes break down the starches in the grains into simple sugars, which can be fermented by yeast to produce alcohol.

Different grains and malts contribute different colors and flavors to beer. For example, pale malt, made from lightly kilned barley, produces a light, crisp beer like a Pilsner. On the other end of the spectrum, dark roasted malts like chocolate malt or black malt give beer a dark color and rich, roasted flavor, like in a stout.

But wait, there's more (*Pointing to the sky to pay homage to Billy Mays). Specialty grains like caramel malt, Munich malt, and wheat malt can add additional flavors like toffee, biscuit, and bread, respectively. These grains can also contribute to the mouthfeel of the beer, making it feel thicker or smoother on the tongue.

Now, let's talk about some common grains you might find in different beer styles. In a classic German-style Hefeweizen, you'll find a good amount of wheat malt, which gives the beer its signature hazy appearance and crisp, refreshing taste. In an English-style pale ale, you might find some Maris Otter malt, which gives the beer a biscuity, nutty flavor. And in a Belgian-style Tripel, you might find some Pilsner malt, which adds a light, crisp sweetness to balance out the high alcohol content.

So the next time you are out, pay attention to the flavors and colors, and try to pick out the different grains and malts that contribute to the overall taste. Who knows, you might even discover your new favorite beer.

Like I said, your grain bill (in my opinion) is the backbone of the beer. It contributes to color, flavor, and mouthfeel to your favorite brews, and without malts, you'd just a weird yeasty hop water (…yum!). So, the next time you crack open a cold one, take a moment to appreciate the grains that went into making it. Cheers!