Malt & Grain Silo

Everything starts here, with barley. Raw grain on its own is useless to a brewer: the starch inside is locked away. To unlock it, we steep the grain in water, let it begin to sprout, then dry it. That process is called malting.

While sprouting, the grain thinks spring has arrived and starts producing enzymes to break down its own starch reserves. At the exact moment enzyme levels peak, we halt germination by drying the grain in a kiln. The result is malt: grain full of starch plus the enzymes we'll use later to convert it.

Kilning temperature decides colour and flavour. Low heat gives pale, bready malt for lagers. Higher heat gives caramel, nutty and roasted notes — which is why a stout is black and a pilsner is gold. That's why a brewery keeps several malts in stock.