Integrating the malt value chain
The term “whisky” refers to any alcohol distilled from fermented grains, whether or not the grain is malted. There are many kinds of whiskies and many origins: Scotch and Irish (Since the 11th century), the New World American whiskies like Bourbon,Tennessee and Canadians, and more recently Japanese and Chinese whiskies.
In the United States “malt whisky” must be produced from fermented wort including no less than 51% malted barley and aged in new charred oak barrels.
If this whisky is aged at least two years, contains no additives for taste or colour and has not been mixed with neutral alcohols or other types of whisky, it can legally be called “straight malt whisky.” If a whisky is not straight malt but contains at least 51% straight malt whisky, it must be called “blended malt whisky.”
Barley malt is used in three parts of the whisky process: making yeast media, pre-malting and the cooking process itself. Malt is cooked with rye to create a sugar rich environment in which yeast is propagated in order to convert sugar to alcohol ; before introducing corn and rye into the cooking process a malt “slicker” or pre-malt is added to reduce the viscosity of the slurry and reduce the chance for doughballs; and, finally, after the corn and rye have been added and cooked at 212°F to liquefy the starch in those grains the remaining malt is added. Alpha amylase and beta amylase enzymes that are created during the malting process are introduced into the slurry at no higher than 152°F.
Alpha amylase converts starches into about 80% maltose and 20% dextrins. After the cooking process distillers yeast is introduced into the mash and converts sugars into alcohol which reduces the sugar content. At a certain point in the fermentation process the beta amylase enzyme, which is still active in the mash, initiates a secondary conversion of starches into sugars which increases the alcohol yield.
Ingredients in the production of whisky are corn, rye (or wheat), barley malt, water, backset stillage (which is fermented mash after distillation which helps in adjusting the pH of the cook) and yeast.
As a rule, distillers use 8-12% of barley malt in their mash bills (percentage of the different grains used) based on yield, experience and preferred mash bills.
By the point of distillation malt has already accomplished its mission of converting the starches from selected grains into various sugars (maltose, dextrose, fructose, and glucose). Yeast is then added that acts as a catalyst in converting these sugars into alcohol.
During fermentation yeast breaks down the sugars created by the malt and this chemical reaction creates alcohol, carbon dioxide gas and heat. The alcohol is eventually separated from the mash (now called a beer because it contains 9-11% alcohol by volume) via distillation, the carbon dioxide is vented into the atmosphere and the heat is controlled below 90°F during fermentation using cooling coils. If temperatures rise above 90°F the yeast will stress and die resulting in a poor yield and possible quality issues.
Whisky flavours come from a multitude of sources: the water used, mash bill (percentage of corn, rye, wheat and barley malt used in the mash), the distillery yeast used, the cooking and fermenting processes, the type of stills used (column versus pot), barrel specifics, length of aging and final processing.
Barley malt’s main job is the conversion process but it also adds various flavours depending on the malting process and the combination of the flavour sources mentioned above. Some of the noticeable characteristics are: earthiness, cereal, nutty, grainy, honey, and oakness.
Typically there are two types - natural barley malt and gibberellic acid malt. The “gibb” malt increases the amount of alpha amylase in the barley and is used by most bourbon whisky producers. As interest in different whisky flavours has increased, distillers have looked toward flavoured malts (caramel, peat, cherry, etc.) to create new products for the whisky aficionados.
Distillers look for malts with high diastatic power of the alpha and beta amylases enzymes, and Malteurop focuses its efforts on providing them. This is because the primary purpose of barley malt for the distiller is to maximize conversions of starches to sugars and thus maximize the alcohol yield of a bushel of grain. A general range of 5.0 – 5.3 proof gallons can be produced from a bushel of grain (56 pounds). A secondary consideration, but an important one, is the flavouring component from the malt itself.
Malting consists in causing the grain to germinate and set in motion the transformation undergone naturally by the plant during its growth, and then halting that transformation more or less rapidly depending on the characteristics desired.
A complete approach to malting barley procurement must take into account these six key areas and deploy pragmatic, multi-faceted solutions keyed to situations and customer needs in each region.
In a worldwide context in which malting barley is becoming scarce, geographical imbalances and mismatches between cereal-grain production zones and beer consumption zones are increasing. Securing supplies of raw materials now requires skills in six key areas. To deal with this complex situation, Malteurop deploys different organizational and procurement-chain management models.
Barley, throughout history the most widespread cereal grain, seems to have first been grown in Turkestan, Ethiopia, Tibet, Nepal, and China. Archeological excavations 100 km from Cairo, in Egypt, have shown that barley was grown as early as 5,000 years ago.
Working together with grain growers is a natural approach for Malteurop. Firstly because growers are at the very origin of Malteurop and because they are part of the Group’s shareholding structure via their cooperatives.
Working together: Malteurop also puts that philosophy into practice with its own suppliers, seed producers-breeders, storage operators, and carriers. For in fact all of them make important contributions to the proper operation of the barley value chain, in particular as regards traceability and food safety.
