Malt is a product of vegetable origin, specifically a derivative of cereals. In the kitchen, it is used both as an ingredient and as a food; regarding the latter purpose, although it is not a frequent or conventional practice, the malt can also be consumed rehydrated and cooked by boiling.

Much more widespread, however, is its use for the production of food and beverages (also very different from one another).

Although the term "malt" refers mainly to that of barley, it can also be produced from other types of seed; for example: wheat, rice, corn, rye, sesame, spelled, etc. The common characteristic of all types of malt is the considerable presence of semi-hydrolysed carbohydrates; the prevailing carbohydrate is no longer the starch, which abounds in the seed of origin, but the maltose disaccharide.

Production

The procedure is carried out in the "malteries" and is more or less the same for the various types of malt; is structured as follows:

  1. Possible drying of the original barley (up to 12-12.5% ​​humidity) and storage.
  2. Hydration of the seeds, which are crammed into vats filled with water ( steeping - 40-56 hours) until reaching a humidity of approximately 45%.
  3. Germination; during this phase, which varies according to the type of grain, root growth occurs in response to immersion in water ( germination - 4-5 days). What we get is green malt .
  4. Drying of green malt; drastically reducing the water content, the cereals are dehydrated to obtain a total humidity of 4-5% ( kilning - about 24 hours)
  5. Immediate use or storage in silos.

Malt destinations

Malt has very different chemical characteristics compared to the cereal of origin. Quoting Lavoisier : nothing is created, nothing is destroyed but everything is transformed! In fact, thanks to the germination (an enzymatic process proper to the seed), the starch contained in the cereals undergoes a very advanced hydrolysis (due to the amylases ); it follows the breaking of the long and ramified chains of glucose in short segments, easily usable both by microorganisms and by the human organism. The malt has therefore an energetic power similar to that of the cereal of origin but it boasts digestibility, availability and remarkably superior glycemic index.

In the food industry, this product is mainly used to accelerate the leavening action of certain microorganisms. It is therefore a growth substrate particularly useful in leavening and fermentation. Malt is one of the founders of the production of alcoholic beverages; among these, the best known are beer (fermented) and whiskey (distilled). Malt is also widely used in bread-making (very useful for activating yeasts early) and in the production of some sub-derivatives such as malt flour, malt extract in syrup, malt extract in powder, etc.

The nutritional characteristics of the malt are therefore similar to those of the initial cereal. The energy supply of the dry product is quite high and is provided mainly by maltose; a small amount is covered by proteins (which in the wheat go to make up gluten) and the remainder (little) comes from fat. The fiber is present in good quantities since, before germination, the cereals are not refined. As far as mineral salts are concerned, the concentrations are probably comparable to the initial ones, while, citing the vitamins, it is conceivable that germination significantly increases the quantities (although the subsequent drying presumably goes to break down the contents of the thermolabile ones).

Barley Slices with Barley Malt

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