Pilot-scale malting and brewing trials on new barley varieties

Abstract

BRF International collaborates with the Institute of Brewing, by carrying out micromalting (350 g), pilot malting (50 kg) and, subsequently, pilot-scale brewing (100 litres) on new barley varieties. The barleys for assessment were chosen by the English Working Party.

This project covers the crop years 1991-1994.

1991 crop
The spring varieties, CHARIOT and DERKADO, and the winter variety BRONZE, were assessed.

The sample of Chariot clearly performed better than its site control, on both micromalting and pilot malting. During brewing, both the trial and control malts performed satisfactorily. The sample of Derkado was not supplied with a suitable site control, which made interpretation of the results difficult. However, despite the rather high nitrogen content, a malt of satisfactory specification could be produced under realistic conditions and successfully brewed.

Both Chariot and Derkado have since received full Approval from the IOB.

1992 crop
The samples of Bronze, supplied from both 1991 and 1992 crops, suffered from excessively high nitrogen content. Although both were micromalted, subsequent pilot-scale trials were abandoned. No other barley varieties were made available for assessment from the 1992 crop. Bronze was rejected as a potential malting variety.

1993 crop
The spring varieties, Brewster and Cooper, were chosen for assessment against Alexis as the site control, and they both justified their NIAB grade 9 for malting, although the extract potential of Brewster seemed slightly higher than that of Alexis and Cooper. There was some indication that, in Brewster, protein modification was less easy than with Cooper; however, increased cast moisture, as a result of small corn size in the Cooper sample, may have been a contributory factor. Both the trial barleys produced satisfactory results in the pilot maltings. When they were brewed, no significant problems were observed in the brewhouse. Fermentation proceeded normally and, likewise, profile tasting of the resultant beers highlighted no major differences between either trial or control.

Brewster has subsequently not been recommended as a malting variety, whilst Cooper has received Provisional Recommendation (Autumn 1994) from the IOB.

1994 crop
The winter varieties, MELANIE and FANFARE, were put forward for assessment; satisfactory malts and beer were produced, with no major problems being highlighted. There was evidence that extract, viscosity and friability results of the Melanie malt were poorer than with Fanfare. These differences may be due to the variation in nitrogen content of the two barleys tested.