• John Eyton

• Alex Eyton

Is malting with winter 6-row an abomination? -we can send  file which examines this question

Barley grain comes off the plant in two “styles”: with adhering hulls and without adhering hulls. One gene (NUD) determines whether or not the hulls (lemma and palea) adhere to the grain. If the hulls adhere, the barley is (correctly) termed “hulled”.  Most barley varieties in most of the world are hulled. The hulls can be removed by vigorous mechanical abrasion, in which case the barley is “pearled”. If the hulls do not adhere, the barley is said to be hull-less (or naked). At first glance, hull-less barley looks like wheat. On closer inspection, there are subtle differences in grain shape and size. Hull-less barley varieties were formerly found in far corners of the world (such as the Himalayas and Andes) where barley remained a key part of human diets. With the burgeoning interest in whole grains (and a desire to dispense with pearling), there are more hull-less varieties available. Hull-less barley requires twice the cooking time (and liquid) as pearled barley.

Hulled, pearled, and hull-less barley grain all contain beta-glucan, a source of soluble dietary fiber that is responsible for lowering cholesterol. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled in 2006 that barley foods may carry a health claim specific to soluble fiber and coronary heart disease. Qualifying products may use the following claim: “Soluble fiber from foods such as [name of food], as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. A serving of [name of food] supplies [x] grams of the soluble fiber necessary per day to have this effect.”  Pearled barley has about the same cooking time as rice. Hull-less barley requires twice the cooking time (and liquid) as pearled barley.

Note: the term “hulled” is sometimes (and confusingly) used to describe barley grain that has been “de-hulled”. That is, the grain had an adhering hull which was removed.  Keep it simple – use the term hulled to refer to barley grain with the hull on!

Barley malt is the perfect combination of starch, enzymes, flavors, and aromas for brewing, distilling, baked goods, cereals and confections.  There are many types of barley malt – from light to dark – but all are produced by variations on two principal themes: germination and kilning.  Different end-uses require different malt quality specifications.  There are rigorous certification processes to certify that varieties are suitable for malting. Some of the principal characteristics used to define malting quality are protein (low, moderate, or high), malt extract (high) , enzyme activity (moderate to high), and beta glucan (low).  In general, malt barley commands a premium over feed barley, but yield less.

A rule of thumb is that good malt barley is good feed barley, but not the reverse. Of course, if only feed barley was available, enterprising folks would make learn to make decent malt from it. Many genes determine malting and feed quality; two genes determine the hooded vs. awned trait.