Agri.

Reviews, 34 (4) : 313-317, 2013 AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATION CENTRE

www.arccjournals.com / indianjournals.com
DOI- 10.5958/j.0976-0741.34.4.018

QUALITY PARAMETER REQUIREMENT AND STANDARDS

FOR MALT BARLEY-A REVIEW
Dinesh Kumar, Vishnu Kumar, R.P.S Verma, A.S Kharub and Indu Sharma
Directorate of Wheat Research,
Karnal-132001, India
Received: 27-09-2012 Accepted: 24-04-2013
ABSTRACT
Barley is fourth largest cereal crop of the world. It contributes nearly 7 per cent to the global cereal
production. The major industrial use (20-25 per cent) of barley is for malting purposes in India. The
annual requirement of barley for malting purposes is on continuous rise in recent years. Malt is used
for brewing, distillation, baby foods, confectionaries, cocoa-malt based drinks and medicinal syrups
etc. The availability of barley for malting is not a problem, but whatever barley is available is of very
poor quality and not meeting the minimum standards of malting quality. The present discussion
outlines the different grain and malt parameters, which are desired for better malt recovery and
quality of the malt, needed for various products. This can be of help to the researchers, industry, raw
material supplier and farmers.

Key words- - amylase, -glucan, Diastatic power, Hectolitre weight, Malt barley.
Barley is one of the founder crops of old
world agriculture and was one of the fi rst
domesti cated cereals (Pourkheirandi sh and
Komatsuda, 2007). It is fourth largest cereal crop
after wheat, maize and rice in the world with a share
of 7 per cent of the global cereal production (Pal et
al. 2012). The crop is considered as poor man’s crop
and better adaptable to problematic soils and
marginal lands (Verma et al. 2011). Among cereals,
barley is most preferred for malt preparation, because
its husk protects the acrospire during germination
process and provides aid in filtration, firm texture of
grains and higher amylase activity makes it unique
amongst common cereals for better malt recovery. It
is not only useful for malting purposes, but also has
the great nutritional properties like -glucan content
(Behall et al. 2004, Fadel et al. 1987) and glycemic
index (Braaten et al. 1991, Wood et al. 1990) both
are helpful in lowering the risk of cardio-vascular
diseases (Pins and Kaur, 2006). It also has immense
potential for the production of pharmaceutical
compounds (Cavallero et al. 2002, Dahleen and
Manoharan, 2007, Qureshi et al. 1991).
With the growing urbanization and changing
lifestyles demand for malt products has increased in
last two decades in India. Malt is being utilized for
brewing, distillation, baby foods, confectionaries,
cocoa-malt drinks and medicinal syrups etc. (Verma
et al. 2011). The use of barley in malting industry
has given this crop the status of an industrial crop
and crop of interest for researchers, entrepreneurs
and farmers. The end quality of malt depends on
various grain parameters as as kernel plumpness,
shape, size, boldness, hectolitre weight, grain protein
content,  -glucan etc. and malt parameters i.e.
germination energy, germination capacity, malt yield,
friability, homogeneity, diastatic power, wort
viscosity, saccharification rate, Kolbach index, wort
filtration rate etc. A brief discussion of different
quality parameters for barley grain and malt has been
given under the following sections-
Barley grain requirements
Moisture: Malting barley over 12 per cent moisture
does not store well. Moisture levels need to be low
enough to inactivate the enzymes involved in seed
germination and the growth of disease
microorganisms (Fox et al. 2003). Thus moisture
content can affect the grain quality as well as its
germinative capacity.
Kernel shape and size: Barley grain used for malting
should be uniform and plump to allow for consistent
processing and for high yields of malt extract. One
important factor affecting the size, shape and
uniformity of barley kernels is the number of rows of
314 AGRICULTURAL REVIEWS
kernels on the barley spike. Barley spikes can be time of the test (Analytica-EBC, 1997). Germination
two rowed or six-rowed. In both types, there are three can also be reduced if barley encounters excessive
spikelets at each node of the rachis but in two-rowed levels of moisture during germination, a phenomenon
barley only the central spikelet is fertile, while in six- called water sensitivity. The water sensitivity of
rowed barley all three spikelets are fertile. Two-rowed barley is indicated by the 8 ml GE, which is obtained
barley grain is generally preferred for malting, by adding additional 4ml water (total of 8 ml) to the
although six rowed cultivars are preferred in some 4 ml GE test. The mechanisms involved in water
markets. Kernels of six-rowed cultivars are expected sensitivity remain unknown, although microbes are
to be smaller and more variable in size and shape thought to be involved. Other factors may also be
than those of two-rowed cultivars, because kernels implicated, as treatment of barley with anti-microbial
from lateral florets tend to be smaller and less agents does not consistently overcome water
symmetrical than those from central florets (Ayoub sensitivity (Woonton et al. 2005). However, some
et al. 2002). The parameters of hectolitre weight, amount of dormancy is desirable to avoid the pre-
thousand grain weight and kernal plumpness are germination.
used to assess the desired shape and size of barley Protein content: Protein content is one of the
grains. Smaller grain generally has lower starch and important parameters in selecting malting barley. It
higher protein levels, thus reducing the extract is affected by genotype, cultural practices and
potential. Large grains generally have increased levelsgrowing environments. Malt barley with high protein
of starch and therefore more extract potential (Fox content results in lower extracts. It also slows down
et al. 2003). Secondly, plump grains have lesser water uptake during steeping, potentially affecting
attached glume fraction. Verma et al. (2008) have final malt quality. A very low protein level, on the
suggested that hectolitre weight can be effectively other hand, results in a lack of enzymes necessary
used to shortlist the material in initial screening of to modify the barley kernel and to break down the
large number of breeding lines in early generations starch during brewing. Low protein also impairs the
for breeding malting barley. brewing performance due to poor yeast amino acid
Germination: One of the key qualities of malting nutrition. The desirable range of protein is 9.0-11.0
barley is its ability to germinate rapidly and per cent for 2-rowed and 9.0-11.5 per cent for six
synchronously. Dormancy can interfere with the rowed barley. In barley, the major storage protein is
rapid and uniform germination of barley, thereby called hordein, and this comprises 40-50 per cent of
reducing the resultant malt quality. The failure of total grain protein. This component is soluble in
barley grain to germinate at an acceptable level (> 96 aqueous alcohol and compri ses 4 fractions
per cent) could introduce problems during the malting designated D, C, B and A. There have been several
process. Many hypotheses have been proposed to studies on relationship between individual hordein
explain the mechanism of seed dormancy, including fractions and malting quality, but still there is need
the hormone balance theory, the metabolic of further revelations (Fox et al. 2003).
deficiency theory and the changes in grain Beta Glucans: The major constituent of barley
respiration. However, because of its complexity, the endosperm cell walls are â-D-(1-3), (1-4) glucans
fundamental basis of the induction, maintenance (75%). The level of â-glucan has been shown to have
and termination of dormancy remains unknown a relationship with other malt quality traits such as
(Woonton et al. 2005). viscosity, speed of filtration and Kolbach index and
The Germination Capacity (GC) and may affect extract value (Fox et al. 2003). Barley
Germinative Energy (GE) are the two tests used for grain â-glucan content varies from 2-10 per cent and
assessing the barley grain dormancy. Germinative is affected by both genotype and environment (Wang
Capacity is the determination of the percentage of et al. 2004).
living corns within a sample of barley, while Malt parameters-
Germinative Energy is the determination of the Malt modification: Malti ng i s the limited
percentage of grains which can be expected to germination of cereal grain under controlled
germinate fully if sample is malted normally at the conditions, to bring about the physical, chemical and
 Vol. 34, No. 4, 2013 315
biochemical changes that are collectively termed -amylase,  -amylase, limit dextrinase and  -
modification. There should be satisfactory glucosidase have been identified as being active
modification with four days germination cycle. One during malting and mashing. -Amylase is one of
of the crude ways to assess germination is that the key enzymes, present in mature barley grain,
acrospire/plumule growth should be between 75- involved in the production of the fermentable sugar,
100 per cent. maltose, which is utili zed by yeast during
Malt friability: The friability meter is a device whose fermentation. It is an exo-enzyme that cleaves the
role is to physically disintegrate the grain of malt disaccharide maltose from non-reducing end of
and to separate its friable constituents from the hard amylose and amylopectin. A-Amylase is an endo-
constituents. More a malt is friable, better will it be hydrolase that randomly cleaves -(1-4) glucosidic
disintegrated. The whole grain percentage permits bonds in starch. The level of this enzyme is not usually
to examine the homogeneity of the share. The detectable in barley but increases once germination
friability meter allows simplifying the analysis of malt commences. Limi t dextri nase catalyses the
while giving the degree of accessibility to enzymes. hydrolysis of the -(1-6) glucosidic linkages of
amylopectin. Á-Glucosidase is the fourth enzymic
Malt homogeneity: It is measured as per cent activity involved in hydrolysis of starch during
homogenous malt using sample retained in malt mashing. The enzyme catalyses the release of glucose
friability meter mash during friability analysis and from maltose and higher sugars (Fox et al. 2003).
passing this fraction on Sortimat for sieve analysis. Diastatic power is measured in degrees Lintner /
The non-homogenous fraction is that which is °WK. The two measures are related by the equation
retained on the 2.2 mm sieve and rest is homogenous WKo = (3.5 × Lintero)
malt (Verma et al. 2008.).
Wort viscosity: The importance of low levels of wort
Malt extract: The hot water extract of wort,
viscosity has increased with the introduction of
commonly called as malt extract is the most important
trait whether selecting potential new malting varieties membrane filtration in breweries. High levels of
or trading malt. Malt extract may be the most complex viscosity reduce the efficiency of breweries. Viscosity
malting quality trait in terms of biochemistry and of hot water extract can not be related to a single
genetics. It is a comparable trait to grain yield in trait within barley. The breakdown of -glucan
that they are both mega-traits influenced by a number during malting has been shown to have a direct
of sub-traits. The major part of the extract produced impact on extract viscosity in high temperature
in mashing consists of fermentable sugars, which infusion mashing (Fox et al. 2003).
constitute 61-65 per cent of the total extract. The Kolbach index (KI): It is the ratio of soluble nitrogen
quality of malt is influenced by several factors. The in the wort to the total nitrogen in the malt (Verma et
first factor is environmental, such as growing al. 2008). It represents the degree of modification of
conditions, temperature, fertilizer, available nitrogen, protein during malting and mashing.
or moisture. These factors do not impact on extract
directly but rather affect traits that influence extract, Saccharification time: The total ti me of
particularly protei n and starch levels and transformation of the starch into sugar at the time of
composition. The second factor includes several the brewing is measured. The time is verified by the
genetic biochemical components that influence the disappearance of blue coloration of the iodine in
final level of extract. These include 2- or 6-row types, presence of starch. A good malt saccharifies in less
husk thickness, grain size, protein, starch, non-starch than 10 minutes (correct enzymatic action), a longer
polysaccharides and enzyme production. The third duration is caused by a bad disintegration of the
factor that influences extract is the malting process starch.
itself (Fox et al. 2003). Filtration rate: Often beer filtration difficulties are
Diastatic power: The diastatic power of barley malt preceded by a bad wort filtration. The rate of wort
represents the collective activity of several starch filtration on the standard Whatman No. 1 or
degrading enzymes that accumulate or activated equivalent filter papers, measured as amount of wort
during malting. The enzyme activities of (ml/h) passes through filter paper in one hour
duration.
316 AGRICULTURAL REVIEWS
The different grain and malt quality of malt depends upon various grain parameters as
parameters are discussed above must have certain kernel shape, size, boldness, hectolitre weight, grain
minimum quality standards. The minimum quality protein content etc., which affects the malt
standards are different for two-row and six-row type parameters i.e. malt yield, friability, homogeneity,
barley and analytical guidelines for barley breeders diastatic power, wort viscosity, saccharification rate,
Kolbach index, filtration rate etc. As discussed above
in India have been given in Table 1.
the optimum range of these parameters is required
CONCLUSION for the malting process so that the higher recovery
The malt is end product of series of of malt with good quality parameters can be
operations, performed on barley grain. The quality obtained.
TABLE 1: Analytical guidelines for barley breeders in India
Sr.
Parameter 2 -row 6- row
No.
Grain Parameters
1 Moisture (%) < 12.0 < 12.0
2 Kernel Shape Elliptical wi th major axis 2 to 2-½times to minor axis
3 Kernel Size Uniform plump Uniform plump
on 2.5 mm 90% 80%
Through 2.2 mm < 3% < 3%
4 Skinned/broken grains < 10% < 10%
5 1000 grain weight (g) > 45 > 42
7 Husk Content < 11.0% < 11%
8 Protein Content (d.b.) 9.0-11% 9.0-11.5%
9 Germination Capacity > 96% > 96%
10 Germination Energy > 96% > 96%
(72hrs)
11 Beta-glucan < 4.0% < 4.0%

12 Dormancy Some amount of dormancy to avoid the pre-germination

Malt Parameters
1 Malt Modification Satisfactory modi ficati on wi th four days germination cycle
Malt Homogeneity > 90% > 90%
Malt Friabili ty > 60% > 60%
2 Total Protein (d.b.)
Soluble Protein 5-6% 5-6%
S/T/Ratio 40-44% 40-44%
3 Malt Extract (minimum) 80% 78%
Coarse v/s Fine difference < 3.0 % < 3.0 %
4 Wort Viscosity < 1.5 < 1.5
5 Wort turbidity Clear Clear
6 Diastatic Power (0L.V.) 90-110 90-120
7 Alpha Amylase Equal to or greater than check
9 Di-methyl Sulphi de 20-30ppb 20-30ppb
*Finalized in first meeting of the “NATIONAL CORE GROUP ON MALT BARLEY DEVELOPMENT” at DWR, Karnal on 12
Dec., 1995 and revised during the annual workshop at IARI, New Delhi in August 2004.
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