This patent -
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- which is for a "Process for producing a product with an intensified beer flavor", claims that "The invention is a process for preparing a dried malt with a high content of beer flavor precursors, beer flavor components, coloring agents, and soluble protein and low amylase levels, the process comprising, in order: (A) steeping barley with water to produce steeped-out barley; (B) treating the steeped-out barley with an enzyme promoter; (C) germinating the steeped-out barley to produce a green malt; (D) heating the green malt to 70°-89° C. for 0.5 to 3 hours while maintaining the moisture content of the green malt at 30-55 weight percent; and (E) drying the heated green malt to produce dried malt, the dried malt having a moisture content of 3.5-5.5 weight percent."This sounds real interesting to me, although I don't know whether it works. One step that catches my eyes is the "steeping" of the barley BEFORE it is germinated. I don't know what temperatures are used, but to me "steeping" has always had a connotation of fairly high temperature water -- not boiling, but hot enough that I'm surprised that the barley would still be capable of germinating.
Just thought others would find this interesting, too.
Cheers.
Bill Velek -- Grow hops? Visit
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