Barley Guide - Oct. 22 2012

Canadian Barley
Malting and
Brewing
Technical Guide
Fifth Edition
TM
Published by:
Financial support provided by:
Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre
CMBTC Members
The Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre (CMBTC)

is a non-profit, independent organization that was set up
to provide technical assistance to the malting barley and
brewing industries. The CMBTC is a unique one of a kind
organization that was created to add value to Canadian
malting barley and there is no other organization similar to
it in the world.
Our mandate includes:
The evaluation of new varieties of malting barley
Providing technical marketing support to our member
companies who market malting barley, and malt, around
the world
Applied malting and brewing research
Providing educational opportunities for customers of
Canadian malting barley and malt.
The CMBTC focus is on conducting applied research and
pilot scale malting and brewing tests of registered Canadian
barley varieties. The facilities will be used to commercially
evaluate the malting and brewing characteristics of new
and existing varieties. The CMBTC also provides training
and educational opportunities in malting and brewing for
customers of Canadian malting barley and malt.
While most of our work is for members of the CMBTC, we
do conduct malting, brewing trials and analysis on a fee-forservice basis.
The Canadian Barley Malting

and Brewing Technical Guide
was developed with input from:
Mr. Michael Brophy
Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute (BMBRI)
Dr. Michael J. Edney
Grain Research Laboratory
Canadian Grain Commission
Dr. Peter Freeman
Dr. Bryan L. Harvey (retired)
University of Saskatchewan
Mr. Richard Leach (retired)
Dr. Yueshu Li
Dr. A.W. (Sandy) MacGregor (retired)
CMBTC MEMBERS
Alberta Agriculture
http://www.agric.gov.ab.ca
Alberta Barley Commission
http://www.albertabarley.com
Alfred C. Toepfer Canada Ltd.
http://www.acti.de
http://www.grainscanada.gc.ca
Cargill Aghorizon
http://www.cargill.ca
FP Genetics
http://www.fpgenetics.ca
MLCC
http://www.liquormartsonline.com
Manitoba Agriculture
http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture
Molson Coors
http://www.molsoncoorscanada.com
Parrish and Heimbecker Ltd.
http://www.parrishandheimbecker.com
Prairie Malt Limited
http://www.prairiemaltltd.com
Public Barley Breeders
http://www.agbio.usask.ca
Rahr Malting Canada
http://www.rahr.com
Richardson International Limited
http://www.richardson.ca
SABMiller
http://www.sabmiller.com
Saskatchewan Agriculture
http://www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca
SeCan
http://www.secan.com
Viterra Inc
http://www.viterra.com
Mr. Robert McCaig

Mr. Norman Woodbeck
Photography
All photography and imaging of single kernels and bulk samples appearing in this guide was done under controlled conditions. Slight
variations in print colour may occur due to differences in film lots and film processing. Colour differences may also be observed when
comparing prints to actual grain samples due to natural colour variations occurring within a grain variety or from sample to sample.
contents
4
Introduction
Chapter 1: Canadian Malting Barley

Production and Marketing
11

Chapter 2: Malting Barley Selection,

Handling and Storage
17
Chapter 3: Malting Canadian Barley:
Chemistry
21
Chapter 4: Malting with Canadian
Barley
29
Chapter 5: Brewing with Canadian
Malt
Copyright CMBTC 2012

Design and Layout: Cigi/CMBTC
34

Chapter 6: Varieties of Canadian

Malting Barley
53

Chapter 7: Development and

Approval of New Canadian Malting
Barley Varieties
57

Chapter 8: Canadian Grain

Commission Vessel Certification
Process for Malting Barley
61

Chapter 9: Organizations and

Companies in the Canadian Malting
Barley Industry
65
Contact List
67
Glossary of Terms
Table of Contents
Introduction
WELCOME TO THE FIFTH EDITION OF THE CANADIAN BARLEY MALTING
and Brewing Technical Guide. Its purpose is to provide comprehensive information about
Canadian malting barley varieties and related technologies to customers worldwide, highlighting
the quality of Canadian malting barley and building a better understanding of the Canadian
malting barley industry in general.
This revised edition, published by the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre (CMBTC), with
financial support from its members, builds on the success of the first two editions which were
well-received domestically and internationally when they were released in 1997, 2001 and 2006.
It was the first guide of its kind published in Canada and recently, there has been growing demand
to update its content to reflect current advances in Canadian malting barley variety development
and major changes in the Canadian industry.
Every effort has been made to ensure this guide is both informative and practical. Content in this
edition emphasizes the practical aspects of malting Canadian barley and brewing with Canadian
barley malt as well as the development of new varieties.
Expert authors, many of whom were involved in writing the first two editions, have updated
all chapters.
Readers familiar with the other editions will also see that we have reorganized the barley variety
technical sheets with more representative data to better reflect the commercial quality potential
of Canadian malting barley varieties and their current status on the CMBTC Recommended
Malting Barley Varieties List. A few new varieties are discussed and some older ones have been
removed from the guide since they are no longer in use by the malting industry.
Developing the Canadian Barley Malting and Brewing Technical Guide has been a true team
effort. Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the financial contributions from our members, and
CIGI for the publishing of this edition and for the enormous technical assistance provided by
their staff. Also, I extend my sincere thanks to each of the authors who volunteered their valuable
time and expertise to prepare the content.
Winnipeg,
Robert McCaig,
Coordinator and Technical Editor
May 2012
Introduction
Canadian Malting
Barley Production and
Production
BARLEY IS CANADAS SECOND MAJOR CROP, AFTER WHEAT, AND IS GROWN mainly
in western Canada with the exception of the northern territories (see Figure 1). Malting barley is
produced mainly in the three western Prairie provinces (Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta) and
in a small part of British Columbia. This vast western region, often referred to as the breadbasket
of Canada, has more than 40 million hectares of fertile cropland and accounts for about 60% of
Canadas arable land. Each year, more than four million hectares of this region are dedicated to
barley production.
Figure 1. Barley Growing Areas in Canada

Figure 1: Barley Growing Areas of Canada
Canada produces 12 to 14 million tonnes of barley annually, making it the number two barley
producing country in the world behind Russia. Of this total, 11 to 13 million tonnes are grown in
the Prairie provinces. In 2005, Canada produced more than 9% of the worlds barley.
On average, malting barley varieties account for about 65% to 70% of Canadas annual barley
production. This provides a large pool for malting barley selection. In a normal year about 25-30%
of the best malting barley produced is actually selected for marketing as malting barley.
About half of Canadas malting barley is grown in Saskatchewan, one-third in Alberta, and
the remainder in Manitoba and British Columbia. Currently, about ten million tonnes are used
domestically, primarily for feed use, and three million tonnes are exported as malting barley, feed
barley and malt (see table 1).
Chapter One
The concentration of malting barley production in the Prairie provinces is due to climate. Located
in the heart of North America, the Prairies receive few moisture-bearing winds from the Pacific
region, but are controlled rather by moist, warm air from the USA Midwest in summer and frigid
air masses from the Arctic in winter. The regions climate is characterized by short, hot summers and
long, cold winters, low precipitation and high evaporation. The mean annual temperature ranges
from 1.5C to 3.5C. Mean seasonal temperatures range from -12.5C to -8C in winter and 14C
to 16C in summer. The mean annual precipitation is 423 mm for Western Canada.
These weather characteristics normally provide optimum growing and harvesting conditions
for malting barley. Hot summers promote growth and quality development; cold winters eliminate
pests and reduce storage infestation; low precipitation and humidity discourage barley disease
development; and cool, dry harvest weather reduces the chance of barley staining or sprouting.
Collectively, these climatic conditions enable Canada to produce the cleanest malting barley in the
world without, or with very limited, use of chemicals for disease and pest control.
Table 1. Disposition of Canadian Barley

Carryin
2007-08
1.5
2008-09
1.5
2009-10 (F)
2.8
Production

Imports
Total supply
11.0
0.0
12.5
11.8
0.1
13.4
9.6
0.0
12.4
Domestic use

Feed use

Exports

Feed

Malting

Malt
7.0
6.6
8.1
7.7
7.7
7.3
3.9
1.7
1.2
1.0
2.4
0.1
1.4
0.9
2.2
0.1
1.3
0.8
Carryout
1.6
2.8
2.6
Barley Types and Malting Varieties
Two-row malting varieties are the predominant type of barley grown in western Canada (Figure
2). In recent years they have held close to 55% of the total barley. The next biggest type of barley
grown is feed varieties. These account for 30% to 35% of total barley area in recent years. The third
biggest type is six-row malting varieties. These have declined in recent years to less than 10% of
production from over 20% in the late 1990s. A very small area of hulless barley is also produced.
In recent years, AC Metcalfe, Kendall and CDC Copeland have been the principal two-row
varieties, with AC Metcalfe being the primary variety. Although in 1998 Harrington had the larger
growing area of the two-row varieties (contributing about 66% toward Canadas total malting barley
production), its growing area is continually declining such that it is now fourth in terms of production
and two-row selections, as more recently registered varieties with equal or better agronomic traits
(AC Metcalfe, CDC Kendall, CDC Copeland) have replaced it. AC Metcalfe accounted for over 50%
of the two-rowed selections for crop year 2005-06 (Figure 3). The newly registered varieties (under
market testing in 2005-06), which have malting and brewing quality at least comparable to, and
potentially better in certain respects than, AC Metcalfe include CDC Select, Calder and Newdale.
Chapter One
Figure 2:
Percentage of
Barley Area by
Variety Type
CWB Variety Survey 2001-2010

Percentage of Prairie barley seeded area by type
Percentage of seeded acres
100
Figure 3: Tworow malting

varieties seeded
90
Feed (2&6 Row)
80
Two-row (malt)
70
Six-row (malt)
60
Hulless (2&6 Row)
50
40
30
20
10
0
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010

Two-row Malting Barley - Prairies
100
90
Other
80
CDC Meredith
70
Merit
60
Harrington
50
CDC Kendall
40
CDC PolarStar
30
Newdale
CDC Copeland
20
AC Metcalfe
10
0
2001
Figure 4: Sixrow malting

varieties seeded
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010

Six-row Malting Barley - Prairies
100
90
Other
80
Excel
B1602
70
CDC Sisler
CDC Clyde
60
CDC Yorkton
50
Robust
CDC Battleford
40
Lacey
30
Stellar-ND
20
Tradition
Legacy
10
0
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Chapter One
Six-rowed barley varieties currently contribute about 9% toward Canadas total malting barley
production. The leading varieties in terms of production in 2005 were Legacy, Excel, and Tradition (Figure 4). Legacy, Tradition and CDC Battleford are increasing in production in response
to market demand while production of Robust and Excel are expected to decline in future years
as malting and brewing market demand for these varieties declined in recent years. (see CMBTC
Recommended List - Chapter 7)
Markets for Canadian Malting Barley
About 25-30% of the area grown to malting barley varieties in Canada is eventually selected and
marketed as malting barley. The remaining 78% is marketed as feed barley. Selected quantities are
marketed domestically and internationally.
The disposition of the selected malting barley is about 59% for malting barley export, 11% for
domestic brewing and 30% for malt export (see Figure 5).
Malting Barley Exports
As a leading supplier of malting barley to the world market, Canada exports 1.0 to 1.5 million
tonnes of selected malting barley annually. On average, 65% of exports are two-rowed and 35%
are six-rowed varieties. Most of the six-rowed goes to the USA, while offshore markets are mainly
supplied with two-rowed varieties. Canadas markets for malting barley include China, USA, South
Africa, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Japan and Vietnam.
In terms of the total world export market, Canadas share has increased from 20% in 1992/93
to about 30% in recent years.
This growth in itself is testimony that malting and brewing industries worldwide value Canada
as a reliable supplier of quality malting barley.
Table 2. Leading Markets for Canadian Malting Barley (000 tonnes)

2008-09
Canadian Brewers
1,074
U.S.A. 697
China 393
South America
53
South Africa
83
Japan 74
Mexico 71
Vietnam
2
Total 2,447
8 Chapter One
2009-10
1,022
313
500
182
42
52
0
7
1,800
Malt Production for Domestic and Export Markets
Canadian malting companies are the biggest market for Canadian malting barley purchasing
close to 1 million tonnes per year. Of the malt produced by these companies over 60% is exported as
malt and close to 40% is sold to domestic Canadian brewers. No significant growth has occurred in
the domestic brewing industry due to stagnant Canadian beer consumption. Canadian malt exports,
in recent years grew steadily in the late 90s, from 250 000 tonnes in 1992 to about 500 000 tonnes
in 2003 (see Table 3). Most of the nearly 500 000 tonnes of malt exported each year are two-rowed
varieties .Of the varieties malted in Canada, for domestic brewing and export as malt, about 90% are
two-rowed and 10% are six-rowed.
Canadas major overseas malt markets are USA, Japan and Mexico. Some of the other important
markets for Canadian malt include South Africa, Korea, Venezuela, China, Brazil and Guatemala.
Canada has developed one of the most successful malt processing and export industries in the
world. The quality of Canadian malt is recognized worldwide.
Table 3. Markets for Canadian Malt (000 tonnes)

2009
2010
Canadian Brewers
275
U.S.A. 300
Japan 160
South Africa
40
South Korea
23
Dominican Republic
9
Ecuador 8
Venezuela 16
Mexico 9
Costa Rica
10
Guatemala 6
285
157
139
79
33
13
9
27
13
27
23
The Marketing System for Canadian Malting Barley and Malt

Malting Barley
The marketing of malting barley involves several important steps that ensure only the best quality Canadian malting barley reaches the end customer. Malting barley in Canada is sold through the
Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) direct to the end-user or through accredited grain exporters.
Malting barley is selected from growers submitted samples by trained selectors who work for grain
and malting companies (see Chapter 2 for details of selection process). Once the submitted samples
are selected, growers sign a variety-specific delivery contract with the CWB and the selecting malt or
grain company. Malting barley for export is moved from farm to terminal elevator through an efficient
primary elevator and rail transportation system. Ongoing inspection and grading through every step
of the process ensures the identity and quality of the malting barley is maintained.
When malting barley is being loaded onto the export vessel, automatic samples are taken and tested
by the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) to ensure that the cargo quality meets, or exceeds, the
quality specifications of the sales contract. Official documentation is then provided guaranteeing the
quality and weight of the cargo. For CWB and member companies of CMBTC, a composite sample
of any cargo leaving Canada can be taken and subjected to a pilot malt and pilot brew. This program
called the Cargo Quality Care (CQC) is executed and the results (quality, economic and recommended
processing conditions) provided to the customer before the cargo is malted by the customer.
Chapter One
A wide range of customer services are provided to back up sales. Using a collaborative approach,
the CWB works with scientists from the Canadian Grain Commissions Grain Research Laboratory (GRL), the Canadian International Grains Institute (CIGI) and the Canadian Malting Barley
Technical Centre (CMBTC) to provide informational programs and technical assistance to Canadas
valued customers. The newest organization to the value-added chain is the CMBTC, established in
2000. CMBTC is focusing on applied research and pilot-scale malting and brewing tests of registered
Canadian varieties as well as providing customer technical support and educational programs. Chapter 9 provides descriptions and roles of Canadian organizations. A Contact List is also provided in
this publication to assist with finding answers to any questions about the quality and utilization of
Canadian malting barley.
Malt
Most malt is produced by the four major Canadian malting companies (Canada Malting Co.
Limited, Malteurop Canada Limited, Prairie Malt Limited and Rahr Malting Canada Ltd.). These
malt plants are among the most technologically advanced in the world, producing top quality malt in
a clean, healthy environment by highly trained technical experts. These companies are able to ensure
that the quality of their product is consistently of the highest quality with:

state-of-the-art processing plants

strict selection criteria for high quality malting barley

guaranteed quality of selected barley purchases from the CWB

efficient transportation and quality control system from plant to port

careful terminal handling and quality control at the port
In addition to supplying high quality Canadian malt to customers around the world, Canadian
malting companies provide a comprehensive marketing package that has made Canadian malt the
first choice of brewers in many countries. CMBTC is also available to provide technical support to
the malting industry and to the marketing of Canadian malt where required.
10
Chapter One
Malting Barley
Selection, Handling and
IN CANADA, BARLEY MUST PASS RIGOROUS TESTING AND EVALUATION BEFORE
it is accepted as suitable for malt production. As discussed in Chapter 1, only about 23%
of the malting barley grown in Canada is selected for export or domestic malt production
annually. In order to meet customers quality requirements, malting barley is carefully
produced and handled by producers and grain companies to ensure its quality. This
chapter outlines the Canadian malting barley selection process and the quality criteria
involved, and how to properly handle and store malting barley.
Malting Barley Selection Process
Malting barley selection starts on the farm. Each year, producers carefully choose
malting varieties to be seeded according to anticipated market demand. An annual
Recommended Malting Barley Varieties List from the CMBTC (see Chapter 7) advising of this
potential demand is available to producers.
Growers are encouraged to grow certified barley seed provided by commercial
seed companies. Some growers have malting barley production contracts with grain
companies using certified seed and production advice provided by these companies. Growers pay
special attention to crop rotation, fertilization, pest control, combining and on-farm storage conditions to increase the potential of their barley to be selected as malting barley in the fall.
The entire commercial selection, from combining the barley crop to unloading onto an export
vessel (or into a receiving pit of a domestic malting company) is outlined below.
1. Representative samples are taken by the farmer while unloading the newly
combined malting barley from a truck into on-farm storage bins. Usually, every truckload is sampled
to ensure a true representation of the barley in storage bins.
2. The collected barley crop samples are submitted to a grain or malting company
for selection evaluation by trained experts, and the producer fills in a CWB Malting Barley
Storage and Delivery Contract.
3. If the barley is selected for malting based on the submitted samples, the signed
storage and delivery contract is forwarded to the CWB. The CWB, in turn, sends a letter to the
farmer confirming selection.
4. Prior to delivering the barley to a grain elevator or a malting company, quality
is confirmed. The barley storage bins are periodically probed and a recheck sample is
submitted for analysis to verify the quality of the stored barley on the farm. The probed samples
must match the quality of the selection samples. If the quality is confirmed, the producer may start
the delivery at a period specified by the grain or malting company that is party to the contract and
the CWB.
5. If delivering to a malting company, the barley is sampled and checked again at the receiving site prior to unloading the delivered barley into a receiving pit. If the barley is being delivered
directly from a farm, growers are given an official grade that is used for CWB payment purposes.
6. If delivering to a grain elevator, a representative sample is taken from the truck as
the barley is delivered. Based on this sample, growers are given an official grade for CWB
payment purposes. These samples also represent the selected barley in storage at the
elevator and allow the selecting party to verify the quality prior to shipping to customers.
7. If the barley is for export, a full quality check is carried out at the port by the
CGC on behalf of the exporting agency while loading the barley into the vessel.
This final check ensures that the quality of the selected barley meets the customers
quality specifications.
Chapter Two
11
Selection Criteria
Since quality specifications of the selected barley have a direct influence on the malt
quality, barley selectors place great emphasis on the selection criteria. Though quality
specifications may vary somewhat between malting companies, the following quality
criteria remain the same to ensure a high quality malting barley is being selected.
Varietal Purity
Varietal purity is an impor tant factor in order to produce malt with high
homo-geneity and uniform quality traits. This is because different malting barley
varieties require different processing conditions.
Germination and Vigorous Growth
High percentage germination and vigorous growth are key quality factors during the malting
process. At least 95% germination is required for malt production.
Kernel Size
High plumpness and uniform kernel size are desirable quality characteristics
since potential malt extract is directly associated with barley kernel size. Minimum
requirements for official CGC primary (grower) grades are specified at 85% over 6/64 slotted
screen for special select two-rowed malting barley varieties and 75% over 6/64 for special select
six-rowed varieties.
Barley Protein Content
Barley protein content affects the chemical composition and enzyme levels of the
malt. It should be high enough to provide enough enzymes for malting and mashing,
sufficient nutrients for yeast growth and sufficient peptides for beer head retention.
If too high, however, it will cause beer stability problems. A preferred protein range for two-rowed
Canadian barley is from 10.0 to 13.5%, and for six-rowed malting barley it can be slightly higher.
Barley Moisture Content
B a r l e y m o i s t u r e c o nt e nt i s a n e x t r e m e l y i mp o r t a nt q u a l i t y p a r a m e t e r.
A moisture content of more than 13.5% is unacceptable as too much moisture may result in infestation, mould growth and viability loss during storage and transportation.
Customers also prefer a lower barley moisture content for economic reasons.
Peeled and Broken Kernels
No more than 5% of the kernels should be peeled or broken, as husk and

kernel damage affect the uniformity of barley water uptake during steeping and the
barleys viability (too much water is absorbed and the soggy kernels may not germinate).
Husk and kernel damage often occurs during combining, auguring or conveying during handling. In addition, the degree of husk damage is varietal dependent, and some
varieties have better husk adherence than others.
No Desiccant Treatment
Barley selected for malting should not be treated with any pre-harvest desiccant.
Desiccant treated barley is not accepted by malting and brewing companies, and is not accepted
under the terms of the malting barley selection contract.
Visual Inspection
Visually, barley kernels should be bright, healthy and fully matured. They should be free from
disease, heat and frost damage, and not weathered or deeply stained. Also, the barley kernels should
be free of insects, large oil-bearing seeds, ergot, treated seeds, smut and odour, and have no sign
of pre-germination.
12
Chapter Two
To better
understand
visual
evaluation,
the following
photos depict
some of the
degrading
factors.
Sample of Special Select Canada Western Two-Rowed Malting Barley.
HEATED KERNELS
are discoloured (usually
reddish-purple) and are
caused during storage
when the barley contains
too much moisture.
IMMATURE GREEN
KERNELS result from
harvesting too early
or from delayed crop
development due to
undesirable growing
conditions/weather.
BROKEN KERNELS
are pieces of kernels
amounting to less than
three-quarters of whole
kernels, or kernels with
the germ end broken
off.
FROST DAMAGED
KERNELS have a loose
husk and pinched effect
on the kernel. The germ
has been killed and will
not germinate during the
malting process.
PEELED KERNELS
have at least one-third of
the husk removed,
or germ fully exposed,
or the husk ruptured
over the germ end
without evidence of
germination.
THIN KERNELS
contain less starch
than plump ones,
therefore producing
less malt extract. They
usually result from
very dry growing
conditions during kernel
development.
WEATHERED AND
MILDEWED
KERNELS are usually
grayish in colour, and
result from barley lying
in swaths during wet
weather.
SPROUTED KERNELS
have the germ end
broken open by premature
germination.
Chapter Two
13
Malting Barley Handling and Storage
Malting barley, like other cereal grains, is frequently subjected to various physical and biological damages during handling and while in storage. If damage is excessive, however, the barley will
lose its suitability for malt production. Although damage cannot be avoided completely, it can be
minimized through proper handling and safe storage.
Handling
The barley kernel is very brittle, especially when its moisture content is low. During the handling
process, the physical force applied to barley kernels may peel, crack and break them. Excessively
peeled and broken kernels could be a result of rough handling during the harvesting and conveying processes.
Combining and Conveying

Improper combining is the most common reason for peeled and broken kernels.
The degree of kernel damage is associated with combine settings, combine cylinder speed,
barley kernel moisture content and the variety type. The variety type plays a significant role in the
barley kernels resistance to damage. As some malting varieties have a tougher husk, they are less
susceptible to physical damage.
For storage safety reasons, malting barley should not be combined if kernel moisture is higher than 14.8%. On the other hand, if the kernels are too dry they will peel
and crack easily. Accordingly, farmers often combine malting barley in the early morning and evening when humidity is relatively high. The combine should be adjusted to
eliminate chaff and weeds as much as possible without damaging the kernels. Generally, the
combine cylinder speeds should be set slightly slower than those used for harvesting wheat. Speed
requirements differ depending on the barley variety, kernel moisture content and the cylinder diameter. All mechanical adjustments to the combine must be worked out by trial and error to ensure
a minimum degree of damage to the barley kernels.
Conveying is involved when grains are physically moved from one point to another.
If not conveyed carefully with suitable conveying equipment, severe kernel damage can
occur. The degree of damage depends on both the conveying method and the barley
condition, such as kernel shape and moisture content. Screw and drag conveyers should
be used as little as possible, as they usually result in more damage than belt and bucket
conveyers. Although conveying by gravity and airflow is considered to be the safest
conveying method, damage can still occur if barley kernels are dropped from a great height, or if
passed through a pipe or chute too quickly. The best preventative measure is to keep barley movement minimal, and to convey as gently as possible.
Safe Storage
Malting barley must be stored carefully in order to preserve its quality. It has always been a challenge to find cost-effective storage that both preserves the barleys quality and is suitable for various climatic conditions. Although modern storage structures
effectively protect the barley from weathering, other biological and environmental
factors such as fungi, insects, rodents, ambient temperatures, relative humidity and
oxygen content can damage stored barley. To maintain quality and prevent malting barley loss, these potential damages must be successfully controlled. In Canada, the cold and dry climate typical of the Prairie
provinces provides excellent conditions for barley storage without major concerns of fungal infection
and insect infestation. However, in countries with a hot and humid environment, various measures must
be taken to protect barley in storage from excessive fungal growth and insect infestation. The effects of
barley moisture content, fungal infection and insect infestation on barley quality are briefly discussed
on the next two pages.
14
Chapter Two
Barley Moisture Content

Barley moisture content is one of the most important factors in protecting stored
barley from fungal and heat damage. Malting barley with a moisture content of 13.5% or
lower can be safely stored for an extended period of time. Like other cereal grains, barley
grains are hygroscopic and will gain or lose moisture to achieve equilibrium with the ambient air. Barley in prolonged storage, however, must be closely monitored at all times to
ensure a safe moisture limit and uniform moisture content. Because dry barley grain is a
good thermal insulator, the stored barley in the silo does not cool or warm as quickly and
uniformly as the temperature changes outside. The outside cooling and heating changes
can create air convection currents in the bulk barley grain, causing moisture migration within the silo. As the moisture migrates from the lower grain layer to the upper
grain layer, barley moisture content varies substantially from location to location within a
storage bin. The resulting uneven moisture distribution causes inaccurate moisture
readings and high moisture grain zones where fungi and heat damage can start quickly and unexpectedly.
Fungi
Barley is most susceptible to infection during storage, though fungi can occur at
any time. The principal storage fungi are moulds from the genera Aspergillus and
Penicillium. Pr imar i ly, t hes e f ungi invade t he barle y embr yo, dest roying t he
viability of the kernel. Because of the toxic compounds these fungi produce, affected barley kernels
often have a mouldy, musty odour.
Table 1. Temperature and moisture requirements of major storage moulds

Fungi
Grain Moisture, %
Temperature Requirement
(Lower growth limit)
Aspergillus restrictus
14.0-14.5
Prefers warmer temperature
A. glaucus
14.5-15.0
A. candidus
15.5-16.0
A. ochraceus
15.5-16.0
Penicillium viridicatum
16.5-20.0
Prefers lower temperature
Generally, the cold Canadian prairie winters, along with lower barley moisture gives Canadian
produced barley immunity to most of the damaging barley fungi.
Insects
Insects, and sometimes mites, are a threat to the safety of stored malting barley.
If conditions are favourable for insect reproduction, malting barley can lose its malting
suitability in just a few weeks. Insects and mites damage barley in several ways. Some
insects eat embryos and whole kernels, while others consume only broken kernels and grain dust.
In addition to physical damage, insect infestation raises the temperature and moisture content in
the storage bin, further encouraging insect activities and mould growth.
Insect infestation is sensitive to grain temperature. Generally, grain temperatures
between 21C and 35C are considered favourable for insect development. Most insects
Chapter Two
15
cannot survive in an environment with temperatures above 42C. Temperatures below 16C limit insect activities. Obviously, storing malting barley at a low temperature is
an ideal way to protect it from insect infestation. Canadas long, cold winters have provided a low temperature storage advantage to Canadian farmers and the malting barley
industry for a long time. Typically, the temperature in Canadas Prairie provinces
remains below 16C for most of the year. Accordingly, there is little, if any, insect damage to stored
malting barley.
16
Chapter Two
Malting Canadian
Barley: Chemistry
IN THIS CHAPTER, SOME OF THE IMPORTANT BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES THAT
take place during the malting process will be outlined. The major aim of malting is to
convert barley into a product (malt) that has appropriate colour, aroma and physical
characteristics and that will yield a high level of extractable, fermentable material during brewing with minimal processing problems. Transforming barley into malt is a complex process in which the interior of the barley kernel is significantly altered through a
series of biochemical reactions. The art of the maltster is to control these reactions so as to
produce a malt with desired predetermined characteristics. Before these biochemical
reactions are discussed, however, it is important to look at some of the components and tissues of
the barley kernel that play important roles during malting and brewing.
Barley Kernel Structure
Aleurone
Testa
Pericarp
Husk
Starchy
Endosperm
Crushed Cell
Layer
Scutellar
Epithelium
Embryo
Figure 1. Cross-section of a barley kernel
A diagram of a barley kernel is shown in Figure 1.

The embryo, at the base of the kernel, is one of two living
tissues in the kernel. The other living tissue, the aleurone
layer, will be discussed later. During germination, the
embryo produces roots and the acrospire which, if allowed to grow, will develop into a new plant. During initial
stages of steeping, water enters the grain through the base of the
embryo.
The endosperm, which may be thought of as the energy store of the kernel, is the largest tissue in the kernel. It
consists of a continuous, highly organized network of cells
with walls that contain the highly viscous polysaccharide
bGlucan. Threads of bGlucan, therefore, are present throughout the endosperm. The cells are filled with
starch in the form of discrete bodies, or granules, and represent about 60% of the kernels weight. The granules are
embedded in a matrix of protein with fairly high levels around the
endosperm periphery and relatively low levels in central regions
of the endosperm (see Figure 2).
Encircling the endosperm, except where it meets the
embryo, is the aleurone layer, which is rich in protein and
lipids. This layer is three cells thick in barley, but only one
cell thick in other cereal grains. These living cells, which
s y nt h e s i z e a r a n g e o f hy d r o l y t i c e n z y m e s d u r i n g
germination, play an important role in malting.
Outside the aleurone layer and completely surrounding the kernel are a number of other tissues such as the
testa, pericarp and hull. These all play a role in the malting process such as mediating the rate of water uptake during steeping, protecting the embryo during malting and
forming the filter bed to clarify malt extracts during
bre wing. Of par tic ular imp or t ance for malting and
brewing, however, are the biochemical changes that take place in
the embryo, endosperm and aleurone tissues.
Chapter Three
17
Successful malting requires complete destruction of the endosperm cell walls,

controlled breakdown of the endosperm protein matrix, increased solubility of barley
proteins and the formation of an array of hydrolytic enzymes to carry out these changes
and to generate malt that has a high fermentable extract during mashing. To accomplish
these changes, the malting process takes place in three stages: steeping, germination and
kilning. Many of the biochemical reactions important to the malting process start during steeping, continue through germination and are only arrested at the late stages of
kilning. Many of these reactions are reactivated during mashing.
Canadian cultivars of malting barley exhibit little or no dormancy. They require only a limited
maturation period before achieving full germination energy and can be safely malted a few weeks
after harvesting.
Steeping
Steeping is the process of soaking the barley in water. The moisture content of barley is raised
to levels of 40 to 46% to ensure adequate hydration of the endosperm, thus enabling hydrolytic
enzymes to move throughout the endosperm in a uniform manner and carry out the desired
biochemical reactions. It is essential that all regions of the endosperm are hydrated because dry
spots will remain unchanged (unmodified) during malting and cause problems during brewing.
Relatively low temperatures are used for steeping (15 to 18C) to encourage uniform water
uptake.
Initially, water is taken up through the embryo. This tissue is hydrated rapidly and
begins to respire within a few hours after the start of steeping. Oxygen is required for
respiration, and so the kernels rapidly remove oxygen from the steep water. The oxygen must be
replaced with bubbling air. This is done by removing the water during
the air rest, which allows the kernels direct access to air. It is important
that kernels are supplied with adequate levels of oxygen during steeping
to maintain embryo metabolism, which promotes vigorous and uniform germination. At the end of steeping, kernels should be uniformly
hydrated, have a moisture content of 40 to 46%, and show evidence of
chitting (visible white tips of developing rootlets protruding from the
base of the kernel).
As Canadian barley starts to germinate ver y
rapidly after the initiation of steeping, the grain must have access
to adequate levels of oxygen so that germination is not impaired.
Care must be taken not to oversteep the grain or excess proteolysis
may occur with a corresponding loss of malt quality. On the other
hand, low out-of-steep moistures (40 to 42%) may reduce the effectiveness of b-Glucanases and lead to the production of malt
having higher than desirable levels of b-Glucan.
Factors that determine the rate of water uptake include:
Figure 2. Aleurone and outer endosperm layer

of barley kernel showing protein deposits
(stained green)
18
Chapter Three
1.
2.

3.

4.

Barley cultivar
Kernel size
Small seeds hydrate more rapidly than large seeds.
Water temperature
Water uptake increases with temperature.
Growing environment
This af fec ts endosp er m str uc ture. St archy or f lour y
kernels pick up water more rapidly than vitreous or steely
kernels. Uniform water uptake by all kernels is essential for
successful malting.
Germination
The hydrated barley kernels are maintained in a moist state and copious amounts of
air are passed through the grain bed. A good flow of air (oxygen) is necessary to promote
vigorous and uniform germination and to maintain the temperature of the germinating grain at appropriate levels (15 to 20C). Further growth of the roots and development of the acrospire under the hull are physical signs of germination. Unseen, however,
important changes are taking place inside the kernels.
Hormones, such as gibberellic acid, which are synthesized in the embryo, move out
to the aleurone layer and trigger the synthesis of a wide range of catalytic enzymes in the
Figure 3. TOP: Barley endosperm showing

b-Glucan deposits in the cell walls.
BOTTOM: Malt endosperm showing
disappearance of -Glucan in the cell walls.
aleurone cells. Many of these enzymes then move into the

endosperm to break down endosperm components such
as cell walls, protein and starch. BetaGlucan degrading
enzymes (b-Glucanases) are synthesized rapidly in aleurone and embryo tissues, and move through the endosperm
breaking down b-Glucan. This destroys the endosperm cell walls.
Cell walls in the distal tip region of the endosperm are the last to
be attacked by the b-Glucanases. Figure 3 shows barley endosperm
before and after germination, illustrating the complete breakdown
of endosperm cell walls.
Some protein-degrading enzymes (proteases) are present
in mature kernels; however, the levels increase significantly
(mainly in the aleurone layer) during germination because of
synthesis. A smaller increase comes from the embryo. These
enzymes must move through the endosperm, solubilizing the
protein and breaking up the protein matrix to release the starch
granules. Distal tip proteins are the last to be modified in this
way. Only 20 to 25% of barley proteins are soluble in water. This
level must be raised to 40 to 42% during malting. Raising the level
ensures adequate destruction of the protein matrix,
reduces the potential for protein-induced hazes in beer,
provides peptides and amino acids for appropriate colour
formation in wort, and provides amino acids for yeast
nutrition during brewing. Excessive protein degradation leads to undesirably high wort colour and poor foam
stability in beer. Therefore, protein degradation, or modification,
must be carefully controlled during malting. This is why the proportion of malt protein that is soluble in water is an important
malt quality factor.
The combined effect of b-Glucanases and proteases is
destruction or modification of the endosperm structure.
Various tests are carried out on malt to measure this
parameter. These tests include: hot water extract, fine and coarse
extract difference, friability and Kolbach Index.
As the germinating barley kernel requires energy to
maintain growth, it must utilize its energy reservesthe
insoluble starch granules. Aleurone cells and, to a lesser
extent, the embryo, synthesize -Amylase, a major starchdegrading enzyme. This enzyme is primarily responsible
for the degradation and solubilization of starch granules
during malting and for the rapid degradation of solubilized starch to starch dextrins during the brewing process.
Chapter Three
19
Alpha-Amylase alone cannot reduce all the starch products to the small sugars, glucose and maltose that are required by the embryo during malting and the brewers yeast
during brewing. Other enzymes are required for this, the most important being
b-Amylase. This enzyme exists in the endosperm of mature barley in two forms the free
(or soluble) b-Amylase, and the bound (or insoluble) b-Amylase. During germination,
the bound form is converted to free b-Amylase. After three days of germination, all the
b-Amylase is in the free form. Beta-Amylase does not attack whole intact starch granules, rather, it rapidly hydrolyzes a high proportion of solubilized starch and starch
dextrins to maltose.
As starch is the major component of malt extract, its utilization during malting must be minimized. Therefore, although high levels of -Amylase are required in malt so that starch degradation
during the brewing process is rapid, the action of this enzyme during malting should be limited. The
art of the maltster is to encourage rapid synthesis of the enzyme during malting but limit its action
on the starch granules. High quality malt will contain large amounts of both amylases. Malt diastatic
power (DP) is a measure of b-Amylase. A more specific method is often used to measure -Amylase.
C anadian barle y germinates rapidly and pro duces high le vels of enzymes.
Germination temperatures must be controlled and kept relatively low to prevent
excessive protein breakdown. Typically, germination temperatures will start at about 18C
to promote rapid enzyme development and endosperm modification. Temperatures are
then lowered to about 14C to control protein breakdown without restricting hydrolysis of b-Glucan. Controlling the extent of protein breakdown reduces the formation of
soluble proteins and reduces the risk of excessive colour formation in the resulting malt.
When the maltster determines that endosperm modification has been completed and
that adequate levels of -Amylase have been formed, germination must be terminated
before starch is degraded and malting losses become unacceptably high. This is
accomplished through kilning.
Kilning
Dry air of increasing temperature is passed through the green malt to reduce its
moisture content. The enzymes that have been developed so carefully during
germination are sensitive to high temperatures when the malts moisture content is high. Therefore,
the moisture content of the green malt should be lowered with warm rather than hot air during the
initial stages of kilning. Developing an appropriate kilning regime is complex and the regime chosen
depends on the type of malt required. Usually, the air temperature is raised from about 30C initially
to a final temperature of about 80C over a period of 24 to 30 hours. Malt enzymes are more stable at
high temperatures when the moisture content of the malt is low. Under low moisture and high temperature (70 to 80C) conditions, complex chemical reactions take place between products of starch
degradation (sugars and dextrins) and protein degradation (peptides and amino acids), forming
compounds that provide colour and aroma to the malt.
Kilning ultimately stops biological activity in the malt. As the moisture content of
the malt decreases, enzymic activity slows down and eventually stops. Finished malt at a
moisture content of 4 to 5% is a stable product and not subject to bacterial or fungal
spoilage. It is crisp, slightly sweet, has a pleasant flavour and aroma, is darker in colour than the
initial barley and readily cracks open with light milling.
Canadian barley has the potential to germinate and modify rapidly and produce high
levels of hydrolytic enzymes. Even though some enzyme activity is inadvertently lost
during kilning, the final malt still contains more than adequate enzyme levels. These high enzyme
levels coupled with good soluble protein levels make Canadian malt ideal for brewing with starch
adjuncts. Canadian malt can also be used successfully in all-malt brews or when syrups are used
as adjuncts.
20
Chapter Three
Malting with
Canadian Barley
Introduction
Malting practices may vary from region to region, and from country to country due to variations in available malting barley supplies, designs of malting plants, local brewing practices, and
climatic conditions, as well as social and historical reasons. However, the basic malting procedures
remain very much the same. In general, malting practices, perhaps one of the oldest biotechnologies employed in the history of human civilization, have been very conservative to embrace any
drastic changes in technological development. The rapid advances in barley breeding techniques
have provided more and more new barley varieties with more desirable malting and brewing traits
in terms of plant physiology and biochemistry, which has lead to more efficient malt processing.
Advances in computer science and engineering in the past century have enabled todays maltsters
to employ shorter processing times for a production batch and to produce malt with consistent and
desirable quality. In addition, adequate cooling and heating capabilities at a modern malting plant
today have enabled maltsters to produce malt year round, in contrast to the old plants which could
only operate seasonally to avoid adverse weather conditions.
In the malting process, the viable barley grains are converted into malt by germinating the grains
to a selected degree, and then the germinated grains are dried in a kiln under carefully controlled
processing conditions. Although malt production facilities around the world differ widely in design
configuration and capacity, the basic process is the same. All maltsters strive for uniformity in
the processes of steeping, germination and kilning, so that the resultant malt meets the functional
requirements of brewing, distilling or food processing. Considering that one metric tonne of
malting barley contains roughly 25,000,000 barley kernels, it is easy for the reader to understand
why barley purity and homogeneity in kernel size, germination energy and protein content are so
important to maltsters. The maltster expects/hopes that all the barley kernels in a production batch
hydrate evenly at steep, germinate evenly at germination and obtain a similar degree of modification. Quality malt results from careful attention to malting, barley cultivation by the producer,
selection of consistent quality barley by the maltster and the skill of the maltster in choosing the
appropriate malting conditions. First, the farmer must grow and harvest a high-quality barley crop;
barley selectors (from grain companies or malting companies) must select the barley according to
the requirements on variety, type, protein content and germination capacity, etc. Upon arrival at a
malt plant, retesting the barley to ensure the barley meets quality requirements is done, and once
it is approved, barley is put through a complete cleaning process to remove any impurities, chaff,
broken or low-grade barley kernels. At this time, the cleaned barley is ready for malt production.
Sometimes the uncleaned barley is sent into separate storage silos for future production. Usually
the barley is stored separately by variety, type, protein content, and plumpness etc.
A brief review of the malting process
The whole malting process, which begins with the barley being loaded into a steep tank and
ends with the malt being unloaded from the kiln, is traditionally divided into three separate stages:
Steeping, germination and kilning. Since each stage usually takes place in different vessels (or
compartments) in a commercial malting plant, to facilitate the discussions, the malting process will
be discussed stage by stage. Please note, in reality, malting involves more than these three stages,
and the divisions between the stages are not always clear-cut. In some plants with multi-function
vessel designs, some of these physical separations between the stages are not present, for example,
steeping stage and part of the germination stage may take place in the same vessel (compartment),
and the germination stage and kilning stage may take place in the same vessel (compartment).
Chapter Four
21
In a special case, these three stages can take place in the same vessel (compartment). Besides the
multifunctional vessels/compartment designs, the arrangements of the vessels or compartments
also vary substantially from a horizontal arrangement in a conventional Saladin malthouse to the
vertical arrangement of modern malting towers. Therefore, the malting process will be reviewed in
generic and broad terms, rather than trying to focus on a particular type of malthouse.
Steeping
This very critical stage in the malting process takes place in a steep tank. The steeping process
initiates malting by providing water and oxygen to the resting embryo, thereby stimulating the
barleys biological germination activity. At the same time, steeping causes hydration of the starchy
endosperm, facilitating its partial breakdown by hydrolytic enzymes (modification) during germination. Additionally, the barley is washed, cleaning away materials that may hinder the malting
process or reduce the final malt quality.
The steeping stage usually consists of several alternately arranged wet periods and dry periods,
which are also called immersion periods and air-rest periods. In the wet period, barley is immersed in water and in the dry period, water is drained from the barley. As the barley absorbs water
it begins to respire, taking up O2, releasing CO2 and generating heat. In order to maintain optimal
growth conditions for the barley in the steep tank during the wet periods, an adequate amount of
air is delivered into the steep water, and during the dry periods, CO2 is mechanically evacuated and
replaced with fresh air (oxygen). In steeping, the temperature of the barley is controlled between
12-20 C, and the whole process may require up to two days (48 hours) in a modern malt plant.
The current understanding is that barleys germination activity is activated when moisture levels in
the barley are elevated to 30 to 32% from an original level of 10 to 14%. However, these moisture
levels are not adequate for the barley to maintain target growth and to obtain the required degree
of modification in the following malting stages. In practice, barley moisture levels are increased to
42-46% for production of pale type malt, and 45-47% or higher for production of dark malt. For
economic reasons, maltsters always strive to use the shortest possible steeping duration to obtain the
target moisture level and chitting rate. At the start of each crop year, micro-malting and pilot-scale
trials are often undertaken to determine optimum steeping conditions. Water-sensitive barley, for
example, may require shorter immersion periods and longer air rests to ensure successful malting.
After the barley has obtained the target moisture level and is chitting evenly, then it is moved to
the next stage known as the germination stage.
Germination
In this stage, the steeped barley grains from the steep tank are transferred into a germination
vessel or a compartment to carry out the germination process. In some malthouses, steeped barley
is transferred into a pre-germination vessel to complete the first part of the germination and then
the barley is loaded into a germination vessel to carry out the remainder of the germination process.
Biological germination begins as early as at steep and is well established already when the germination stage commences. The objectives of the germination are: to enable the barley to continue its
physiological activities started in the steep, to permit vegetative growth (acrospire and rootlet) in a
controlled manner, to develop hydrolytic enzymes, to break down cell wells, proteins and starches,
and to transform the steeped barley into green malt.
This stage usually takes up to four to five days, depending on the barley variety being processed
and the malt specifications expected. Cooled and humidified air is supplied to barley to provide O2
for respiration, to maintain the barley moisture content , and to carry away CO2 and heat (generated
by barley respiration). This creates an environment that controls the barleys vegetative growth, whilst
encouraging the metabolic biochemical changes occurring within the barley kernels. A mechanical
turner passes through the grain bed at regular intervals (e.g. every eight to ten hours) to prevent
matting of the rootlets and compaction of the grain. Water sprays may be applied during turning
to replenish moisture which is inevitably lost along with heat and carbon dioxide during germination. Temperature control is generally maintained in the range of 14 to 20C, depending on progress
of modification and the type of malt being made. In general, higher temperatures and moisture
22
Chapter Four
levels promote rapid modification, however, they can also lead to more vegetative growth and a
higher respiration loss. Warm conditions at the start of germination promote early development of
soluble protein, while extended germination at a lower temperature favours complete breakdown
of b-Glucans in the endosperm while avoiding excessive protein solubilization.
During germination, maltsters are concerned with barleys respiration activity (consumption
of oxygen and barley storage substances to produce CO2 and heat), vegetative growth (production
of rootlets and acrospires), production of hydrolytic enzymes, and the actions of the hydrolytic
enzymes on the endosperm (leading to target modification). Maltsters are unable to directly control
the metabolic activities of barley grains and the associated biochemical actions in germination.
However, through alternating variables such as barley temperatures, moisture levels, humidity of
the supplied air, air recirculation and the length of the germination period, they are able to significantly regulate barleys vegetative growth and the biochemical activities for processing the green
malts to a target degree of modification. Sometimes, plant growth regulators (which stimulate or
inhibit barleys growth), such as gibberellic acid, can be applied at the early stages of germination
to shorten the germination period, promote modification, or control malting loss.
After the green malt has been modified to the target degree, it is then moved to the final stage
known as kilning.
Kilning
This is the last stage in the malting process. In this stage, the green malt with the required degree
of modification is transferred into a kilning vessel/compartment from the germination vessel or
compartment. In principal, a kiln operates very much like a conventional oven, where the moist
green malt is dried or roasted at a controlled speed by use of a warm/hot forced air stream. This
transforms the green malt into brewers malt. The aims of kilning are to:

Reduce moisture content

Arrest germination activity slowly

Stabilize the malt, fixing the desirable qualities achieved during steeping,

germination, and in the early part of the kilning cycle

Introduce characteristics such as flavour, aroma, colour and friability

Maintain sufficient enzyme activity to ensure optimal wort production from the

malt during mashing in the brewery

Eliminate or reduce undesirable smells and unacceptable compounds
The total kilning cycle may last from 24 to 48 hours, depending on the barley variety being
processed, malt type to be produced, grain bed depth, the kiln design, and the ambient weather
conditions. Kilning is conceptually divided into two distinct stages, the drying stage and curing stage.
(1) The Drying Stage

The early part of the kilning process involves free evaporation of moisture from the green malt;
and this stage is sometimes called free drying or the withering phase. This stage may last 12 hours
for a single floor kiln, or 24 hours for a double floor kiln. By applying forced air at a volume of
65-90 m3/tonne/minute at a temperature of between 50 70C, the green malt moisture content
is gradually reduced to 10-12% from beginning moisture of 40-43% at the start of kilning. During
this period, the cooling effect of evaporating a substantial amount of water from the green malt
creates a relatively cool and moist condition in the grain bed. This allows some vegetative growth
and hydrolytic enzyme development to continue.
Chapter Four
23
(2) The Curing Stage

The curing stage begins after the drying front (moisture removal from the green
malt bed takes place in layers, the lower layers dry first, the basal drying zone progressively moving upward), reaches the surface of the grain bed, which is accompanied by
the so-called breakthrough (a point of time when the drying zone reaches the upper
surface of the grain bed). Therefore this stage is sometimes referred to as the post-break.
During this part of the cycle, the moisture content of the malt is further reduced to its
final level of approximately 4% from the 10-12 % achieved in the free drying stage. In
contrast to the drying stage, this stage is a much slower drying process since the rate of
water removed from the barley is much slower, requiring more time. During this stage,
the air-on temperature may be increased to 65-75C with a progressive air volume reduction and increment of air recirculation. In the final part of the curing stage, the air-on
temperature may be increased to 80-85C for 3-4 hrs for production of pale malt, and
up to 100C for production of ale malt. The complex chemical reactions between the
products of starch degradation and protein degradation (i.e. sugars and amino acids) at
high temperature produce the typical colors, flavors and aromas associated with malts.
Enzyme actions are largely halted and some enzymes have been destroyed, although the
final malt still contains adequate levels of enzymes for successful brewhouse performance.
After kilning, the malt must be cooled to room temperature (preferably to 20C or
less) to avoid further color formation and enzyme destruction. Usually this is accomplished by cooling the malt below 37C, and then cleaning it to remove rootlets, sprouts
and loose husks. The finished cleaned malt is then transferred to storage silos that are
arranged according to variety and quality specifications. After a target aging period,
malt with similar quality from the silos are blended to meet the precise specifications
required by the brewers, then go through a final cleaning prior to loading into a truck
or railcar for shipping.
In theory, from the same batch of green malt unlimited types of malt could be
produced by kilning the green malts under different conditions. This further emphasizes
the importance of the kilning stage for quality malt production.
Processing Canadian malting barley varieties
The key malting stages of malt have already been outlined in this section. The discussion here will focus on how to malt Canadian barley and to fully utilize its quality
potential. The scope of these discussions will be limited to producing pale malt, because
the greatest amount of malt produced in North America and in other parts of the world
is pale malt.
24
Chapter Four
For practical consideration, the choice of malting cycles (programs) are

determined by factors such as barley variety, quality of the barley, achievable malt quality, process condition requirements and the malting facility. Among these factors, barley
variety, barley quality and its malting behavior, are perhaps the most influential considerations and need to be the first concerns in designing a commercial malting program.
It has been well recognized by the malting and brewing industry world wide, that the
current Canadian malting varieties have some unique quality attributes in comparison
with malting barley of other origins including:
Low degree of dormancy

Uniform kernel size and relatively thin husks
Good germination energy and germination vigor
Barley protein content on average may be higher than European and
Australian malting barley
High extract yield
High levels of enzymes
Adequate levels of FAN
Easy to malt and to produce malt with consistent quality under different
malting conditions
Highly fermentable wort, ideal for high adjunct levels
Fig. 1 A tower malting plant

at Alix, Alberta, Canada.
1
2
3
4
5
Barley Supply Elevator

Malt Cleaning/Loading
Barley Cleaning/Grading
Barley Surge Bins
Barley and Malt Storage
6 Malt Surge Bins
7 Kilns
8 Kiln Air Supply Buildings

9 Steep Tanks
Pre-Germination box
Turner
Germination boxes
Water supply
Boiler House
9
1
2
3
5
7
7
8
Schematic of a typical
Canadian malthouse
25
Chapter Four
25
The attributes listed above suggest that, in order to achieve their quality potential,
Canadian varieties need to be malted in a different manner than barley of other origins.
In general, Canadian malting barley can be processed relatively easily and can achieve
desirable modification rapidly under a broad range of processing conditions. Canadian
barley carries little or no dormancy due its genetic make up and growing conditions.
Canadian barley is ready for malting shortly after harvest; therefore there is no need for
any treatments to overcome dormancy. The uniform kernel size and thin husk enable
Canadian barley to obtain even hydration at steep with shorter simpler steep cycles.
Good germination energy and strong vigor enable the barley to achieve a high degree
of chitting at steep and to obtain rapid vegetative growth and fast modification advancement, without applying gibberellic acid or other additives. High enzyme levels enable
the resultant malt to have acceptable levels of enzymes and FAN (free amino nitrogen),
even under less than desirable malting conditions. The relatively higher barley protein
content requires some attention from the maltster during processing in order to control
the protein solublization and to develop desirable levels of soluble protein and malt color.
Although a wide range of processing programs are used in commercial malting plants
in Canada and U.S., most of the malting cycles use six to seven days of processing time
to complete a production cycle. An example of the processing program for malting of
the two-rowed Canadian variety, AC Metcalfe, is given in Table 1 below for reference:
Table 1: Processing Conditions for Malting Canadian AC Metcalfe
Process Stage Steeping
Germination
Kilning
Scope of the
processing
conditions
Air-on temp: 12-15 C
Air on temp:
Free dry at 50 to 68C
for 10-12hrs
Heating at 68-80C for
2-3hours
Curing at 80-85 C/
3-4 hours
Duration; 3.5 - 4 days
Duration: up to 24 hrs
Air flow: 9-10 m3/

min /tone
For bed depth at 0.81.3m
Air flow: 60-80m3/

min/tone for bed
depth at 0.8-0.9m
Day 1 and Day 2

@14C; Day 3 and
Day 4 @ 13C
A 21 hour cycle with

a 4-hours of curing
phase at 80-83C
Water Temp: 12-16 C

Target moisture:
43-44 %
Duration: up to 48
hrs
Aeration: 15 minutes
out of every 30
minutes 1.5-1.6m3/
minute/tone at wet
period. Maintain
good CO2 evacuation
at air-rest at rate of
5m3/ minute/tone
Example
40 hours (8 hours
Wet-10 hours Dry -8
hours Wet-10 hours
Dry -4 hours Wet)
@14 C
At steeping, the barley is usually steeped at a temperature ranging from 12 to 18C

for a total cycle time of up to 36- 48 hours with simple cycles (two water immersions
or three immersions separated by one or two dry ventilated air-rests). Target cast
moisture is approximately 45% and the chitting rate should be above 80% at the end
of steep. Whether using multi-immersion steeping or spray steeping, the cycles should
be chosen so that the barley grains hydrate evenly and chit uniformly by the end of the
steep period. It is important to recognize that Canadian barley varieties take up water
fast, and they have strong germination vigour. This can lead to excessive CO2 and heat
26
Chapter Four
production, consequently uneven chitting, and uneven growth. If the aeration during
the wet periods, or the CO2 removal during the air-rest periods are not adequate, or the
steep water temperature and/or the grain temperature are too high, uneven growth and
subsequent non-uniform modification can also result. The uniform kernel size, delicate
husks and easily hydrated endosperm structure of Canadian varieties dictate that care
must be taken not to oversteep the barley.
At a steeping temperature of 12-18C, it is expected that the first wet period /immersion of 6 to10 hours will result in a barley moisture of 30 to 35%. The first air-rest
should be long enough (8 to12 hours) to enable the barley to commence chitting prior
to the second immersion (6 to 10 hours). The second air-rest (6 to 8 hours) and the
third immersion (2 to 4 hours) are designed to elevate the final moisture content of the
steeped barley to approximately 43 to 45% and a chitting rate above 80%. During immersion, adequate aeration is required to aid the washing and mixing of barley grains
in the tank, as well as to replace the depleted oxygen in the steep liquor. During air rest,
CO2 suction is necessary to remove CO2 and to control grains temperature. However
over-suction of CO2 during air-rest also needs to be avoided, because it may cause the
surface layer of the barley grain to dry up and cause undesirable uneven temperature
distribution in the grain and consequently uneven water hydration. If a two-immersion
cycle is employed, the final moisture content is adjusted by spraying water during the
germination stage.
An alternative to multiple immersion steeping is spray steeping, in which the initial
immersion is followed by spraying water onto the surface of the grain (alternated with
aeration periods) until the desired moisture content is achieved. As a result of difficulties in controlling hydration and chitting rate, the spray steeping cycle is not commonly
used for processing Canadian barley varieties.
During germination, the steeped barley needs to germinate for a period of 3.5 to 4
days at temperatures ranging from14 to 20C, to complete the modification process. The
required germination time may vary, depending on the barley varieties being malted,
the germination temperature, and the target malt analysis. In some cases, a temperature
regime is maintained such that the temperature decreases during germination (start at
20 reducing to 14 C), although in most cases, the temperature during germination will
remain constant. Warm conditions at the start of germination promote early development of soluble protein, while germination at lower temperatures favours complete
breakdown of cell walls (Beta-glucans) in the endosperm while avoiding excessive protein
solublization (when the time of germination is extended). Usually there is no need to
add gibberellic acid or other additives to the green malt. Germination conditions are
achieved by passing humidified air through the grain bed at a rate of 10 13 cubic m3/
min/tonne. A mechanical turner passes through the grain bed at regular intervals (usually 8 to 12 hours) to prevent matting of the rootlets and compaction of the grain bed.
Water sprays may be applied during turning to replenish moisture loss, but the quantity
of spray water should be kept to a minimum. If adequate steep-out moisture is obtained
at steeping, it is possible to avoid water spray during germination. Spraying water during
germination tends to cause increased malting loss and enhance soluble protein development. Spraying late in germination can fully re-hydrate the embryo without appreciably
wetting the endosperm and cause excessive vegetative growth without further accelerating
modification. Like processing any barley, higher temperatures and green malt moisture
content promote more enzyme development and rapid modification, but also leads to
more vegetative growth (rootlet and acrospire) and higher respiration losses.
The kilning process can be generally completed within a 24 hours period. Weather
conditions and equipment design may require longer periods. Modern single deck
kilns are generally more efficient at achieving the desired drying conditions than traditional double-deck systems. Indirect fire system is preferred to avoid formation of
Chapter Four
27
NDMA (Nitrosamines). Due to its high levels of enzyme activities and protein content,
when kilning green malt produced from Canadian malting barley, care must be taken
to maintain high airflows and to keep relatively low temperatures at the early stage of
kilning. Low airflows and high temperatures in the early kilning stage could lead to a
stewing effect, which promotes excessive production of soluble protein and resultant
higher colour. Temperature at the curing stage is usually controlled at 75 to 85C for 3
to 4 hours. Colour development can take place at the later stages of kilning, as a result
of the high levels of reducing sugars and free amino acids (the precursors of coloured
melanoidins) present unless conditions are accurately controlled.
In general the finished malt from Canadian barley is considered as well modified,
with the majority of the acrospires growing to -1 times the kernel length. In some
instances, up to 15% of overgrowth (acrospire longer than the kernel length) can occur
without affecting final malt quality.
28
Chapter Four
Brewing with
Canadian Malt
THE ATTRIBUTES OF CANADIAN MALT ALLOW FOR SUCCESSFUL BREWING OF

a wide range of beer styles, using many different beer production technologies and
equipment. This chapter outlines some of the features of typical brewing operations in which the
characteristics of the malt used are significant.
The brewing process consists of the following steps: milling, mashing, wort
separation, boiling, cooling, fermentation, maturation, filtration and packaging. The whole
process, from mashing to packaging, takes about 21 days.
In the mash, coarsely ground malt, together with cooked
cereal adjuncts if used, is mixed with warm water. Malt
Malt Storage
enzymes convert the starch to soluble sugars. The residual barley
Cereal Storage
husks then provide a bed through which the malt extract, called sweet
wort, is filtered using a lauter tun or mash filter. The sweet wort runs
to the brew kettle, where boiling with hops adds aroma and bitterness.
In a whirlpool, the hop residues and other insolubles are removed,
Weigh
Malt
Malt
and the hopped wort passes through a cooler to the fermenter.
Hopper
Mill
Hopper
En route, yeast is added and fermentation commences. Wort
becomes beer. Following fermentation, beer is matured,
Cereal
filtered and packaged. A schematic diagram of a typical
Weigh
brewery operation is shown in Figure 1.
Hopper
Whirl
Pool
Malt Storage and Milling

Brew
Kettle
Lauter
Tun
Mash
Tun
Hot
Wort
Tank
Cereal
Cooker
Water
Hops
Wort
Cooler
Closed
Figure 1. Schematic diagram of a typical

Canadian brewery.
Initial
Storage
Bottle
Shop
Filtration
Ware
House
Secondary
Storage
Shipping
Filtering and
Carbonating
Kegging
As malt is often transported over large distances, breweries must maintain sizable inventories. Malt is shipped
at about 4% moisture, with due regard to its hygroscopic
nature. Very cold malt tends to shatter in the mill and may
cause lower than expected mash-in temperatures. Therefore, a period of acclimatization at the brewery is desirable for malt delivered in the winter. Malt, like any other food
product, is susceptible to pest infestation, and care must be
taken to properly store malt at the brewery. Bins used to store
malt should be emptied and fumigated on a regular basis,
depending on local conditions. Due to the cool and relatively dry
Canadian climate, infestation is not an issue with barley and malt
shipped from Canada.
Malt is coarsely crushed in a malt mill, designed to
keep the husks as intact as possible while producing grist of
optimum particle size from the starchy endosperm. The optimum sieve analysis of the grist depends on the type of
mill being used and the capability of the wort separation
system (lauter tun or mash filter). Mill settings best suited
to the kernel size must be established when brewing with
Canadian malts, as they may be different from settings used
for malts of different origin. The precise mill settings can only
be determined through trial and error but some varieties
with very plump kernels will require slightly larger roll
gap settings.
Chapter Five
29
A starting point for a six-roll dry mill would be:

First pass
1.3 mm
Second pass 0.7 mm
Third pass
0.3 mm
Mills that are set too tight will give higher yields, but runoff may be unacceptably long. Conversely, gaps that are too large will give fast runoffs but poor yields. The
settings for four-roll mills, or wet mills, will be different. The condition of the rolls is an important
factor in proper grinding, and rolls should be re-fluted when they become worn. As well, the gap
changes as the rolls wear, and should be checked regularly, to ensure optimum operation of the mill.
Harrington, the variety standard for Canadian malt for many years, suffers from
marginal hull adherence, and does not mill as well as the newer Canadian varieties, which have
improved hull adherence.
Mashing and Adjuncts
A specific weight of crushed malt is added to the mash-mixing vessel that contains an appropriate
amount of water. In a typical mashing cycle, the initial water temperature of about 45C is held for about
20 minutes before being gradually increased in a series of steps. These temperature rests allow for
malt enzymes to take the sequential action required to produce sweet wort from the malt and adjunct
components of the mash. In the double mash system common in Canada, the optimum temperature for
mash scarification (approximately 65C) is achieved by adding adjunct mash to the
main mash. The high enzyme potential of Canadian barley and the resulting high degree of malt modification means that less time may be required for proteolytic rests and
conversion for Canadian malts than for malts from other countries. This results in greater brewhouse
productivity. Also, the increased availability of Diastatic enzymes (especially -Amylase) permits
precise control of mashing to yield worts that contain the desired range of fermentable sugars required for production of particular beers.
The trend to beers with higher adjunct ratios has generated a need for malt with
a higher enzyme content, as up to 50% of the raw material may be rice or corn.
Fortunately, Canadian malts have enzyme levels that are up to the challenge, and
brewing with high adjunct ratios is not a problem. The world brewers are moving away from solid
adjuncts, replacing corn or rice with high maltose syrups that are pre-converted and are, therefore
added to the kettle. Acknowledging this trend, new Canadian varieties have been developed that have
moderate enzyme levels. As Canadian malts tend to have slightly higher levels of soluble protein,
they produce highly fermentable worts even at the highest adjunct levels.
Wort Separation
After mashing, the entire mash is transferred by gravity or pump to either a lauter tun or (less
commonly) a mash filter where the liquid wort is separated from the mash solids.
Lauter tuns are circular vessels with slotted floor plates, providing a large surface area for wort
filtration. The barley husks from the malt settle onto the floor plates, providing a filter medium
through which the wort is drawn. The residual mash is then sparged (raked and sprayed with hot
water) to recover as much extract as possible.
Mash filters consist of polypropylene cloths through which the liquid wort is
separated from the mash solids using high pressure. A combination of sparging and
compression of the mash plates ensures maximum recovery of wort. Using mash filters, wort separation can be achieved in less than an hour, while lautering typically takes up to two hours to complete.
Beta-Glucans are an important group of compounds present in malt, and high levels can cause
processing problems, as they will significantly increase the viscosity of the wort. Canadian barley
varieties have always produced malts with relatively low -Glucan content. When well modified,
AC Metcalfe, CDC Kendall, Stein, and CDC Copeland have lower wort -Glucan than Harrington.
Breweries in Canada using the new varieties have reported faster runoffs. The speed of lautering can
affect the economics of the brewhouse if the lautering step is the rate determining stage in the brew
30
Chapter Five
centre timing. A savings of 15 minutes in lautering time (90 minutes to 60 minutes for example)
could translate to 34 extra brews per week in a 24 hour, seven day operation, or one day less in a
24 hour a day, five day a week operation. This can have positive economic implications in terms of
energy/utility costs, manpower costs and/or increased capacity.
Wort Boiling
After lautering, or mash filtering, the wort is boiled for at least an hour in the
presence of hops. Evaporation rates of 7% per hour are common with vigorous boils.
The objectives of boiling are to:
sterilize the wort
inactivate all enzymes
concentrate the wort to the desired specific gravity
extract desirable hop bitterness and aroma
coagulate some of the wort protein to improve beer stability
Boiling also increases the colour of the wort due to biochemical reactions similar to those which
occur in malt kilning. The specific gravity of the wort indicates how much sugar is present, from
which the amount of alcohol that will be formed by fermentation can be calculated. Most, if not all,
brewers, utilize high gravity brewing in their operations. Normal original gravities vary from 14 to
up to 18o Plato. The residual hop material, coagulated proteins and tannins (collectively called trub)
are removed as hot break in a vessel known as a whirlpool. Worts produced from Canadian malts
are clearer than those made from barley of other origins. Clear wort has less fatty acid material,
and as such promotes a better final beer foam. Additionally, clear wort contains less nucleation sites
for gas breakout during fermentation (and subsequent overfoaming), allowing brewers to decrease
the head space volume in the fermenter. This allows for capacity increase in the fementation area
by increasing the volume in each fermenter. The reduction of overfoaming also decreases the loss
of bittering components that may cling to the wall of the fermenters after emptying. The loss of
bittering requires the brewer to increase his hop bill (adding cost) to meet product specifications.
This is especially true in large vertical fermenters.
Fermentation
Using a plate heat exchanger, the hopped wort is cooled to between 10 and 15 o C
before fermentation. Heat drawn from the wort is used to heat incoming brewing water for subsequent mashes. Air or oxygen is usually injected into the cooled wort to ensure
sufficient oxygen is available for yeast metabolism in the early stages of fermentation. Yeast may be
added to the cooled wort en route to the fermentation vessel, or pitched directly into the fermenter
as it exits the cooler.
The strain of yeast chosen, wort composition and conditions of fermentation all have a profound effect on the type and quality of beer produced. Lagers are generally produced by slow, cool
fermentations (10 to 15C), at the end of which the yeast settles to the bottom of the fermentation
vessel, to be collected for repitching. Ale characteristics come from warmer (15 to 20C) and more
vigorous fermentations. Ale yeast rises to the top of the vessel at the end of fermentation, where it
is skimmed for use in subsequent brews.
Fermentation, usually in closed vessels, proceeds for about seven days, during which time fermentable sugars are converted to alcohol and carbon dioxide. The spectrum of fermentable sugars
and nitrogenous compounds in the wort not only influences the rate and degree of fermentation,
but also the levels of yeast metabolism by-products, which contribute to beer flavour and character.
Malt from Canadian barley varieties produces highly fermentable worts, allowing the modern brewer
to precisely adjust both mashing and fermentation conditions to achieve desired beer styles. When
compared to malts produced with barley from Australia and Europe, worts from Canadian barley
varieties are always more fermentable. Thus, the same malt source can be used to produce a range of
beers, such as Pilsener, dry and light beers, which differ in degree of fermentation, level of residual
Chapter Five
31
sugar and alcohol content. This is a direct economic benefit to the brewer; more of the extract is
fermentable. As well, the higher protein in Canadian barley results in the high levels of free amino
nitrogen (FAN) present in well modified Canadian malt, which provide the yeast with enough nutrients to ferment worts with high adjunct levels and higher original gravity, up to 20 degrees Plato.
The higher levels of protein and FAN can prevent the sluggish fermentations that often occur when
the adjunct ratio is raised. Additionally, the high FAN negates the need for the brewer to add artificial
yeast foods (that can be costly and may not be perceived by the consumer as acceptable in their beer
i.e. addition of Zinc Sulphate solution or diammonium phosphate.)
Maturation, Filtration and Stabilization
From the fermenter, beer is transferred to large tanks where it matures for a period of 10 to 21
days at -1C. During maturation, residual yeast settles out, and further complexing of proteins and
polyphenols may occur, forming hazes, which are subsequently removed by filtration. In addition
to filtration through diatomaceous earth, beer may be further stabilized by either pasteurization or
sterile filtration prior to final packaging. High levels of -Glucan in the fermented beer can cause
filtration problems, but this is not a problem with Canadian malt, due to its inherent low levels of
-Glucan. The effect of -Glucan on beer filtration is to extend the time required to complete a filter
run, and/or to decrease the amount of beer that can be filtered in a single run. These two factors have
an economic impact in increased cost of filtration material (either diatomaceous earth or membranes)
as well as the added manpower costs for the increased time required for filtration. Finally, there
can be a negative impact in quality of the beer due to increased frequency of filter start-ups (due to
shorter runs). The beer used in start-up of a filter has a high oxygen content, and this beer is either
disposed of or is blended back into the beer that is to be filtered. As oxidation leads to staling and
other undesirable flavour changes affecting the shelf life of beer, care must be taken to avoid uptake
of oxygen throughout the brewing process, and particularly during packaging.
Beer Quality
Since the discovery in the late 1970s of dimethylsulphide (DMS) and its precursor DMSP, and
their effect on beer flavour, Canadian maltsters and brewers have led the way in understanding and
controlling DMS and DMSP in malt and beer. Today, most brewers have specifications for these
compounds in their malt, as well as in the finished product. As a result, Canadian malt has very low
levels of these compounds. There was a time when a 90 to 120 minute boil was necessary to ensure
low levels (<50 ppb) of DMS in the finished product, but with current levels in Canadian malt, a
60-minute boil is sufficient. However, care must be taken not to hold the wort in the whirlpool too
long as the residual DMSP will continue to produce DMS.
32
Chapter Five
One of the known advantages of using Canadian malt is the enhancement of beer foam. The higher
protein content of Canadian barley translates not only into higher enzyme titres, but also into a higher
amount of foam active proteins. This is of great importance to those brewers using higher adjunct levels.
Foam specifications can be achieved without the addition of foam stabilizers, which are expensive and
can have poor consumer acceptance.
Beer physical stability using the newer Canadian varieties is also enhanced. The result of this is
the ability of the brewer to reduce the amount of beer stabilizers added to achieve a clear stable beer.
With the cost of these stabilizers increasing annually, there is an economic benefit to the brewer.
In conclusion, brewing with Canadian malt offers great flexibility to the brewer in terms of designing the brewing process to optimize brewhouse yield without compromising performance, and
at the same time ensuring the highest level of beer quality.
Chapter Five
33
34
Chapter Six
Varieties of Canadian
Malting Barley
ALL OF CANADAS MALTING BARLEY IS PRODUCED ON THE PR AIRIES
of Western Canada (see Chapter 1, Figure 1). This is a vast area with over 40 million
hectares of arable land. Almost half of this area is suitable for malting barley production and each
year some four million hectares are planted to barley. The barley producing area is generally the
cooler, moister regions as well as the heavier soils in the warmer areas. In summer, these areas all
experience hot days and cool evenings. Barley grown under such conditions can be of special quality
with high levels of both enzymes and extract.
Malting varieties are selected and bred to perform well in Canadas variable
environment and to produce a high quality product with a minimum of inputs. Disease
resistance, which Canada breeds into its varieties, is the most environmentally friendly
method of disease control. Canada is the lowest pesticide user per unit area of any
developed nation.
Canada grows a range of two- and six-rowed malting barley varieties. The number of
registered varieties in Canada has increased in recent years due to breeders developing
varieties with higher disease resistance and better field performance while preserving
malting quality.
All varieties must undergo extensive testing before receiving registration in Canada
(see Chapter 7). Good quality malt can be produced from all the varieties listed on the CMBTC
Recommended Malting Barley Varieties List (see Chapter 7, Figure 1) given adequate
growing conditions for the barley. Potential malting quality for all the varieties presently recommended in Canada is outlined in the following pages. The important malting
features of each variety should be noted when comparing varieties.
Each variety has its own unique malting characteristics and optimum malting
conditions are required if the quality potential of a particular variety is to be realized. The
malting of mixtures requires compromises on malting conditions and, as a result, full
quality potential may not be reached. Malts made from mixtures of varieties can show
increased losses in the malthouse, reduced extract in the brewery, problems with lautering and
beer filtration, and poor quality beer due to hazes and off-colour. The breeding of high quality
barley, which can overcome all these problems, is wasted when varieties are mixed prior to malting.
Canada has developed a handling system that ensures varieties are kept separate from the field to
the malthouse. Compromises are not accepted.
Malting Barley Varieties Under Development
Breeders are continually working on the next generation of malting barley varieties.
T he re are a lw ay s ne w v ar i e t i e s at v ar i ous st age s of d e vel opme nt t hat show
improvement in agronomics, disease resistance and quality. In Canada, some of the
quality traits currently looked for in potential varieties include better hull adherence, good endosperm modification without the production of excess soluble protein, higher extract and longterm germination.
Attributes of Canadian Two-Rowed Varieties at a Glance

Low dormancy and good vigour. They malt readily and have a high enzyme
potential. Thus, they can be used immediately after harvest with no production
delays while waiting for dormancy to break.
Easy to handle, producing consistent, predictable performance.
Uniform kernel size, with thin hulls, facilitating rapid, even hydration of the starchy
endosperm during steeping. This in turn leads to homogeneous modification and
absence of -Glucan/viscosity problems.
Adequate levels of free amino nitrogen (FAN) are produced, supporting good yeast
fermentation.
High levels of starch degrading enzymes (high diastatic power) are produced,
allowing for efficient conversion of high levels of unmalted adjuncts in the
brewhouse.

High extract yields are produced. The high enzyme potential, coupled with the ease
of hydration, ensures that modification and extract are adequate, even at relatively
high protein contents. They produce similar levels of extract to Australian or EU
varieties (provided recommended malthouse procedures are followed).
Chapter Six
35
TWO-ROW
VARIETIES
36
Chapter Six
37
CANADIAN TWO-ROW MALTING BARLEY
~12.5
4.7-5.3
42-48
110-150
70-120
TOTAL PROTEIN, %
SOLUBLE PROTEIN, %
KOLBACH INDEX
DIASTATIC POWER, L
WORT BETA - GLUCAN, PPM
70-100
3844
120-155
4.7-5.1
~12.5
~80.5
3.04.5
CDC KENDALL
NEWDALE
~80.5
3.5-4.5
~12.5
4.6-5.2
40-45
105135
65-100
CDC COPELAND
~81.0
2.0-3.5
~12.5
4.5-5.0
42 44
100 130
70-110
81.7-82.5
4.0-4.4
9.6-10.9
5.0-5.7
44~52
120-160
75-120
CDC POLARSTAR
Robert McCaig
Managing Director and Director of Brewing Technology
Telephone
204-983-1981
Fax
204-984-5843
E-mail
rmccaig@cmbtc.com
Dr. Yueshu Li
Director of Malting Technology
Telephone
204-984-0561
Fax
204-984-5843
E-mail
yli@cmbtc.com
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
www.cmbtc.com
Canadian two-row malting barleys have long been recognized for quality all over the world. They are recognized for having low dormancy and good
germination vigour. They malt readily and have a high enzyme potential. They are easy to handle and to produce consistent predictable malting and brewing
performance. Kernel size is uniform, with thin hulls, facilitating rapid and even hydration of the starchy endosperm during steeping. This in turn leads to
homogeneous modification and absence of beta-glucan problems. Adequate levels of alpha-amino nitrogen are produced, supporting good yeast fermentation.
They possess high diastatic power for efficient conversion of high levels of adjuncts in the brewhouse. High extract yields are produced provided recommended
malthouse procedures are followed. Please note that some of the newer two-row varieties offer significantly higher extract yields, and some offer special quality
attribute such as CDC PolarStar having low LOX activity.
OVERALL COMMENTS
COLOR, EBC
~81.5
3.0 4.5
AC METCALFE
FINE EXTRACT, %
TM
COMPARATIVE MALT QUALITY PARAMETERS
TM
AC METCALFE
TM
Two-rowed, a cross of Oxbow x Manley, was fully

registered in 1997, and was developed by
Dr. W. Legge, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada,
Brandon Research Centre.
AGRONOMIC TRAITS

Higher yield
Early maturity than CDC Copeland
Fair lodging resistance
Good disease resistance
Improved resistance to peeling

Higher extract
Average enzyme levels and soluble protein
Low wort Beta-glucan
Fast modification
BREWING QUALITY TRAITS

AC Metcalfes high levels of extract and enzymes

make this variety very suitable when used with
higher levels of adjuncts. Its very low Beta-glucan
content also makes AC Metcalfe attractive to
brewers who experience problems with slow runoffs
and poor beer filtration.
FOR MORE INFORMATION,

PLEASE CONTACT:
MALTING QUALITY TRAITS

OVERALL COMMENTS
Satisfactory overall brewhouse performance

Fast conversion time
Acceptable lautering performance
Good yield and material efficiencies
Robert McCaig
Managing Director and Director of
Brewing Technology
Telephone
204-983-1981
Fax
204-984-5843
E-mail
rmccaig@cmbtc.com
Dr. Yueshu Li
Telephone
204-984-0561
Fax
204-984-5843
E-mail
yli@cmbtc.com

TM
FINE EXTRACT, %
COLOR, EBC
TOTAL PROTEIN, %
SOLUBLE PROTEIN, %
KOLBACH INDEX
DIASTATIC POWER, L
38
AC METCALFE
CDC COPELAND
~81.5
3.04.5
~12.5
4.7-5.3
42- 48
110-150
70-120
~ 81.0
2.0-3.5
~12.5
4.5-5.0
4244
100130
70-110
www.cmbtc.com
CDC COPELAND
TM
Two-rowed, a cross of WM861-5/TR118, registered

in 1999, and was developed by Dr. B. Harvey, Crop
Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan.
AGRONOMIC TRAITS

High yield and early maturing variety

Good resistance to disease and lodging

Better resistance to peeling

Good plump and thousand kernel weight
Low soluble protein
Low wort color
Extract and enzyme levels slightly less than
AC Metcalfe
As barley protein increases, steeper decline in
extract than AC Metcalfe
Takes water slightly slower than AC Metcalfe
Modification acceptable

Good overall brewhouse performance

Moderate conversion time
Faster lautering than AC Metcalfe
Excellent yield and material efficiencies
OVERALL COMMENTS
CDC Copeland is very forgiving in the malthouse,
able to produce quality malt on a consistent basis,
even when the malting conditions are changed. Its
ability to provide low Beta-glucan and low soluble
protein at the same time is unique. Its lower soluble
protein and lower color provide added variety to
the portfolio of our recommended Canadian malting
barley for certain customers.

PLEASE CONTACT:
Robert McCaig
Brewing Technology
Telephone
204-983-1981
Fax
204-984-5843
E-mail
rmccaig@cmbtc.com
Dr. Yueshu Li
Telephone
204-984-0561
Fax
204-984-5843
E-mail
yli@cmbtc.com

TM
FINE EXTRACT, %
COLOR, EBC
TOTAL PROTEIN, %
SOLUBLE PROTEIN, %
KOLBACH INDEX
DIASTATIC POWER, L
CDC COPELAND
AC METCALFE
~81.0
2.0-3.5
~12.5
4.5-5.0
42 44
100 130
70-110
~81.5
3.0 4.5
~12.5
4.7-5.3
42-48
110-150
70-120
www.cmbtc.com
39
CDC MEREDITH
TM
Two-rowed, a cross of SM98472/SM98787,

registered in 2008, and was developed by the Crop
Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan.
AGRONOMIC TRAITS

Higher yield than AC Metcalfe

Low grain protein
Mature two days later than AC Metcalfe
Fair resistance to lodging
Resistant to true loose smut
Moderately resistant to stem rust, Fusarium
head blight, covered smut, false loose smut
and black semi-loose smut

Extract similar to or higher than AC Metcalfe

S/T higher than average
Color higher than AC Metcalfe
Enzyme levels similar to AC Metcalfe
Beta-glucan higher than AC Metcalfe

OVERALL COMMENTS
CDC Meredith represents a variety with significantly
improved yield potential. Quality attributes similar
to Harrington, AC Metcalfe and CDC Kendall, but
most importantly it consistently offers lower grain
protein and increased malt extract.

PLEASE CONTACT:
Robert McCaig
Brewing Technology
Telephone
204-983-1981
Fax
204-984-5843
E-mail
rmccaig@cmbtc.com
Dr. Yueshu Li
Telephone
204-984-0561
Fax
204-984-5843
E-mail
yli@cmbtc.com

Higher extract
Lautering time similar to AC Metcalfe
Excellent fermentability
Good foam stability and physical stability
Slightly higher beer colour

TM
CDC MEREDITH
CDC COPELAND
AC METCALFE
80.7~81.8
3.5-5.0
~81.0
2.0-3.5
TOTAL PROTEIN, %
~10.5
~12.5
SOLUBLE PROTEIN, %
4.8-5.3
4.5-5.0
DIASTATIC POWER, L
44-49
110-150
42 44
100 130
75-134
70-110
~81.5
3.0 4.5
~12.5
4.7-5.3
42-48
110-150
70-120
FINE EXTRACT, %
COLOR, EBC
KOLBACH INDEX
40
www.cmbtc.com
CDC POLARSTAR
TM
Two-rowed, a cross of OU1003/CDC Kendall,

registered in 2008, and was developed by the Crop
Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan and
Sapporo Breweries.
AGRONOMIC TRAITS

Yield similar to CDC Kendall

Fair resistance to lodging
Maturity is earlier than AC Metcalfe
Moderately resistant to Fusarium head blight
Fair resistance to covered smut, false loose
smut and black semi-loose smut
Very susceptible to true loose smut

Malting profile similar to CDC Kendall

Higher enzymes
Higher Extract
Produce Lox-less malt
Higher soluble protein
Average beta-glucan


Very fast conversion time
Faster lautering than AC Metcalfe
The LOX-less trait positively effects beer foam
retention and beer flavor stability (less oxidation)
OVERALL COMMENTS
The LOX-less trait positively effects beer foam
retention and beer stability thus increasing shelf life
and transportability of the product. CDC Polarstar
has much higher diastatic power, which would make
it very suitable where higher levels of adjuncts are
used in brewing. In addition, the improved husk
retention helps during lautering by aiding in the
formation of a better filtration bed.

PLEASE CONTACT:
Robert McCaig
Brewing Technology
Telephone
204-983-1981
Fax
204-984-5843
E-mail
rmccaig@cmbtc.com
Dr. Yueshu Li
Telephone
204-984-0561
Fax
204-984-5843
E-mail
yli@cmbtc.com

TM
FINE EXTRACT, %
COLOR, EBC
TOTAL PROTEIN, %
SOLUBLE PROTEIN, %
KOLBACH INDEX
DIASTATIC POWER, L
CDC POLARSTAR
AC METCALFE
81.7-82.5
4.0-4.4
9.6-10.9
5.0-5.7
44~52
120-160
75-120
~81.5
3.0 4.5
~12.5
4.7-5.3
42-48
110-150
70-120
www.cmbtc.com
41
CDC RESERVE
TM
Two-rowed, a cross of TR253/H96034//CDC

Kendall, registered in 2008, and was developed
by the Crop Development Centre, University of
Saskatchewan and Sapporo Breweries.
AGRONOMIC TRAITS

Higher yield than AC Metcalfe

Lower grain protein
Fair to good resistance to lodging
Exhibits slight dormancy and tolerance to
pre-harvest sprouting
Fair to good tolerance to drought
Susceptible to true loose smut, stem rust,
septoria speckled leaf blotch, scald, Fusarium
head blight, covered smut , false loose smut,
black semi-loose smut, spot blotch and net
blotch , moderately susceptible to common
root rot

Good malt quality

Good extract
High DP and adequate alpha-amylase
Moderate soluble protein
Lower wort Beta-glucan
Lower soluble protein

Lautering time similar to AC Metcalfe
Good Fermentability
OVERALL COMMENTS
CDC Reserve has slight dormancy which allows it
pre-harvest sprout tolerance. Quality is similar to
AC Metcalfe, however it has significantly higher yield.

PLEASE CONTACT:
Robert McCaig
Brewing Technology
Telephone
204-983-1981
Fax
204-984-5843
E-mail
rmccaig@cmbtc.com
Dr. Yueshu Li
Telephone
204-984-0561
Fax
204-984-5843
E-mail
yli@cmbtc.com


Good extract

TM
CDC RESERVE
CDC COPELAND
AC METCALFE
COLOR, EBC
~81.0
3.0-3.6
~81.0
2.0-3.5
TOTAL PROTEIN, %
~11.5
~12.5
SOLUBLE PROTEIN, %
4.5-4.7
4.5-5.0
42-46
110-150
80-140
42 44
100 130
70-110
~81.5
3.04.5
~12.5
4.7-5.3
42-48
FINE EXTRACT, %
KOLBACH INDEX
DIASTATIC POWER, L
42
www.cmbtc.com
110-150
70-120
NEWDALE
TM
Two-rowed, a cross of CDC Stratus/TR236, was fully

Dr. W. Legge, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada,
Brandon Research Centre.
AGRONOMIC TRAITS

Excellent yield
Good lodging resistance and harvestability
Medium-late in maturity (one day later than
AC Metcalfe)
Good disease resistance

Improved resistance to peeling

Increased friability
Moderate extract level
Good enzyme and soluble protein levels
Fast modification


Fast conversion time
Simlar lautering when compared to
AC Metcalfe
OVERALL COMMENTS
Newdales moderate levels of enzyme make this
variety very suitable when used with adjuncts. Its
low Beta-glucan content also makes Newdale
attractive to brewers who experience problems with
slow runoffs and poor beer filtration.

PLEASE CONTACT:
Robert McCaig
Brewing Technology
Telephone
204-983-1981
Fax
204-984-5843
E-mail
rmccaig@cmbtc.com
Dr. Yueshu Li
Telephone
204-984-0561
Fax
204-984-5843
E-mail
yli@cmbtc.com

TM
FINE EXTRACT, %
COLOR, EBC
TOTAL PROTEIN, %
SOLUBLE PROTEIN, %
KOLBACH INDEX
DIASTATIC POWER, L
NEWDALE
AC METCALFE
~80.5
3.5-4.5
~12.5
4.6-5.2
40-45
105135
65-100
~81.5
3.04.5
~12.5
4.7-5.3
42-48
110-150
70-120
www.cmbtc.com
43
SIX-ROW
VARIETIES
44
LEGACY
TM
Six-rowed, a cross of Excel/Bumper/Karl/Manker,

Dr. B. Cooper, Busch Agriculture Resources Inc.,
Ft. Collins, Colorado.
OVERALL COMMENTS
AGRONOMIC TRAITS
Overall the high enzyme packages of 6-row malts

make them ideal for high solid adjunct brewing.
When compared to Excel, Legacy derives similar
brewhouse performance with slightly lower beer
colour.

PLEASE CONTACT:
Very good yield potential

Maturity similar to Tradition
Fair lodging resistance
Lower grain protein, plumpness similar to
Excel
Better disease resistance than most 6-rowed
varieties

Higher extract and enzyme levels

Fast modification
Some year shows some water sensitivity


Satisfactory lautering
Slightly lower colour
Robert McCaig
Brewing Technology
Telephone
204-983-1981
Fax
204-984-5843
E-mail
rmccaig@cmbtc.com
Dr. Yueshu Li
Telephone
204-984-0561
Fax
204-984-5843
E-mail
yli@cmbtc.com

TM
FINE EXTRACT, %
COLOR, EBC
TOTAL PROTEIN, %
SOLUBLE PROTEIN, %
KOLBACH INDEX
DIASTATIC POWER, L
LEGACY
EXCEL
78.9-81.0
3.8-5.0
10.5-12.5
4.5-5.5
43-48
140-160
70-140
79.0-81.0
3.5-5.4
11.5-12.0
4.5-5.5
42-48
140-155
90-140
www.cmbtc.com
45
STELLAR-ND
TM
Six-rowed, a cross of Foster//ND12200/6B88-3213,

Dr. Richard D. Horsley, North Dakota State
University, Fargo.
AGRONOMIC TRAITS

High yield potential

Fair to good lodging resistance
Earlier heading date than Tradition and Legacy
Resistant to spot blotch
Moderately susceptible to Fusarium head
blight and net blotch

Good malting quality

Moderate total protein
Good extract
Very high enzyme levels


Satisfactory lautering
Slightly lower colour
OVERALL COMMENTS
Overall the high enzyme package of Stellar-ND
makes it ideal for high solid adjunct brewing. When
compared to Legacy, Stellar-ND delivers similar
brewhouse performance with slightly lower beer
colour. Beta-glucan could be on the higher side
when compared to Legacy.

PLEASE CONTACT:
Robert McCaig
Brewing Technology
Telephone
204-983-1981
Fax
204-984-5843
E-mail
rmccaig@cmbtc.com
Dr. Yueshu Li
Telephone
204-984-0561
Fax
204-984-5843
E-mail
yli@cmbtc.com

TM
FINE EXTRACT, %
COLOR, EBC
TOTAL PROTEIN, %
SOLUBLE PROTEIN, %
KOLBACH INDEX
DIASTATIC POWER, L
46
STELLAR-ND
LEGACY
~80.0
3.0-4.2
~12.0
4.6-5.3
44-49
140-170
80-160
78.9-81.0
3.8-5.0
10.5-12.5
4.5-5.5
43-48
120-160
70-140
www.cmbtc.com
TRADITION
TM
Six-rowed, a cross of 6B89-2126/ND10981,

Dr. B. Cooper, Busch Agriculture Resources Inc.,
Ft. Collins, Colorado, USA.
AGRONOMIC TRAITS

Good yield potential and plumpness

Medium maturity
Good lodging resistance
Good malt quality

Good extract
High DP and adequate alpha-amylase
Moderate soluble protein

Overall the high enzyme packages of Tradition

make it ideal for high solid adjunct brewing. When
compared to Legacy Tradition delivers similar
brewhouse performance with slightly lower
beer colour.

PLEASE CONTACT:

OVERALL COMMENTS

Satisfactory lautering time
Lower final beer colour than Legacy
Robert McCaig
Brewing Technology
Telephone
204-983-1981
Fax
204-984-5843
E-mail
rmccaig@cmbtc.com
Dr. Yueshu Li
Telephone
204-984-0561
Fax
204-984-5843
E-mail
yli@cmbtc.com

TM
FINE EXTRACT, %
COLOR, EBC
TOTAL PROTEIN, %
SOLUBLE PROTEIN, %
KOLBACH INDEX
DIASTATIC POWER, L
TRADITION
LEGACY
78.5-79.5
3.0-4.0
10.7-12.3
4.6-5.2
42-45
140-175
70-130
78.9-81.0
3.8-5.0
10.5-12.5
4.5-5.5
43-48
120-160
70-140
www.cmbtc.com
47
48
Development and Approval of

New Canadian Malting Barley
Introduction
THE MAJOR CANADIAN MALTING BARLEY BREEDING PROGRAMS ARE LOCATED

in the Prairie provinces where malting barley is produced. The Agriculture and Agri-Food
Canada (AAFC) breeding program at Brandon, Manitoba has a long history of successful variety development, especially in six-rowed types. Conquest and Bonanza are notable
examples. More recently there has been a consolidation of programs from Winnipeg and
an added focus on two-rowed varieties. AC Oxbow, AC Metcalfe, Calder and Newdale are
examples of varieties which resulted from this effort. The lead scientist at AAFC is
Dr. Bill Legge.
The program at the University of Saskatchewan has also been successful in generating new and
improved malting varieties. These include Harrington, Stein, Manley and, more recently, CDC
Stratus, CDC Kendall, CDC Select and CDC Copeland. Aaron Beattie is the programs lead scientist,
and Dr. Bryan Harvey and Dr. Brian Rossnagel act as consultants.
The Alberta program in Lacombe is a joint effort between AAFC and Alberta
Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. It combines the resources from former
breeding programs at Lethbridge and Beaverlodge with those from Lacombe. Lacombes lead scientists are Dr. Pat Juskiw and Dr. James Helm.
In addition to these public programs, Busch Agricultural Resources, Inc. is
breeding malting varieties for Western Canada. B1602, B1215, Merit, Legacy and Tradition are
varieties from this program. Seed companies are also bringing in European and other USA varieties
to test their adaptation and possible commercialization in Canada.
The breeding programs all place a high priority on malting quality and selection for
desirable physical and chemical characteristics at each stage of the program. Good field
performance and disease resistance are also important targets. The programs use
conventional breeding methods supplemented by modern technology. Bulk/pedigree systems
are enhanced through the use of southern winter increases, single seed descent in indoor
growth facilities and doubled haploids produced by anther or microspore culture. Micromalting facilities are extensively used to assist in identifying quality genotypes. Molecular
marker assisted selection is used as a tool to screen for disease resistance, quality and field
performance traits. While most programs are doing basic research on genetic engineering in order
to explore its potential and to explore the basic physiology of seeds and whole plants, none are currently using it as a breeding tool. No genetically engineered lines are currently being considered
for pre-commercialization testing.
Approving new malting barley varieties for commercial production in Canada is based on
variety registration and a favourable listing on the CMBTC Recommended Malting Barley
Varieties List. All varieties of barley are required to be registered under the provisions of the
Seeds Act in order to be sold in Canada by variety name. Inclusion in the recommended
category of the Variety List indicates the varietys marketability as well as its commercial
acceptability in terms of processing.
Registration is based on merit and is granted only after extensive, rigorous testing. It
is granted by the Variety Registration Office of AAFC on the recommendation of a committee recognized by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. All malting
barley in Canada is currently produced in Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba and British
Columbia. Thus, the recognized committee is the Prairie Grain Development Committee. The Prairie Recommending Committee for Oats and Barley (PRCOB) is specifically
Chapter Seven
responsible for barley. The PRCOB consists of three evaluation teams, with each team responsible for
an aspect of performance. The agronomy and breeding team evaluates field performance including
traits such as yield, straw strength, maturity and kernel physical characteristics. The pathology team
evaluates resistance to diseases including net blotches, scald, smuts, root rot and rust. The quality
team evaluates malting quality through laboratory and pilot-scale tests. Teams are comprised of
scientists, maltsters, brewers, farmers and extension specialists.
The primary source of data considered by the teams are the Western Canadian Barley Cooperative preregistration tests and subsidiaries. Before entrance into these tests,
a breeding line must show potential merit compared to Canadian checks under Canadian conditions. For malting barley, a minimum of four station years of field data collected and a minimum of two years of malting quality from plots grown under prairie conditions with comparisons to current quality checks are required. Once in the
Cooperative test (Co-op), two years of data are normally required before a variety is
considered for registration. The Co-op tests are grown at more than 20 sites in all of the
major agricultural regions of the Prairies as well as observation sites in the USA and
Eastern Canada. In addition to Co-op data, the quality team requires two years of malting data from Collaborative testing. As the Collaborative testing program involves larger
plots, greater quantities of barley are tested. Only barley of selectable quality is malted. In
making a final decision, all data from both the Co-op and Collaborative tests are
considered, and strengths and weaknesses balanced. If supported by the PRCOB and
approved by the Variety Registration Office, a line is granted full registration.
The step after registration is to have a variety included in the recommended category of the CMBTCs Recommended Malting Barley Varieties List (see Figure
1). The Recommended Malting Barley Varieties List is used by producers as an aid in
deciding on appropriate varieties for seeding. The recommended category in the list
indicates which varieties of malting barley the industry feels will be in demand, both
domestically and internationally, in the coming year. The comments column implies
commercial acceptability of the variety.
Quality Testing
Testing the quality of malting barley involves several stages. Early generations are tested
by the breeding institutions and the Cereal Research Centre (Agriculture and Agri-Food
Canada). The malting industry and the Canadian Grain Commissions Grain Research
Laboratory (GRL) micro-malt larger barley samples from the Western Canadian Barley
Cooperative tests. In the Collaborative program, even larger quantities of barley are malted
by the CMBTC and then the industry and GRL using pilot-scale equipment. Lines tested collaboratively must show the potential of a good malting barley variety that is worthy of registration in Canada. However, testing does not stop with registration. A barley must perform well
during plant-scale testing in both malt houses and breweries before it is granted the final seal of approval and inclusion in the recommended category of the Variety List. Before
a line ever reaches full commercial production, the malting and brewing qualities are well
understood. Table 1 outlines the development stages of a malting barley variety that is
recommended for commercial production in Canada.
Western Canadian Barley Cooperative Tests
The GRLs first task is to determine the malting suitability of the barley from each
station of the Western Canadian Barley Cooperative test. As there is a limited capacity for malting and
malt analysis, only barley samples from some of the Co-op stations can be selected for malting. Samples
of check varieties (i.e. AC Metcalfe, Excel) from each of the 20 primary Co-op stations are sent to the GRL,
where barley quality testing is performed. Selection is based first on quality and second on station location.
An effort is made to select a station from each of the three soil zones that exist on the Canadian
Prairies. Barley parameters of interest include kernel plumpness, germination, protein content and
general appearance. This selection process is very similar to that of the commercial malt industry.
Chapter Seven
49
Recommended Malting Barley Varieties 2013-14

These recommendations are based on the varieties expected to be selected by grain and malting companies for both domestic
and export markets from the 2013 harvest. Seeding decisions should be based on agronomic considerations and feedback from
your grain company representative, local elevator operators and malting companies. This list is published on behalf of the
members of the CMBTC, and other companies that have provided their input. Varieties not listed are not recommended. The
varieties are listed in descending order to the amount expected to be selected next crop year.
Recommended Two-Row Barley Varieties

VARIETY
DOMESTIC
EXPORT
MARKET DEMAND
AC Metcalfe4
Established
Established
Stable Demand
CDC Copeland4
Established
Established
Stable Demand
CDC Meredith4
Established
Limited
Increasing Demand
Newdale3
Established
Limited
Stable Demand
CDC Polarstar5 **
Limited
Limited
Stable Demand
Merit 575
Major1
Limited
Limited
Limited Demand
Limited
Limited
Limited Demand
Bentley, Norman, Cerveza, CDC Kindersley, CDC Landis, CDC Reserve, Voyager and AAC Synergy are not yet being grown for the commercial
market. Production is limited to quantities required for testing and market development. **CDC Polarstar is available only through a closed
loop Identity Preserved program offered by Prairie Malt Limited/Sapporo Breweries and their agents.
Recommended Six-Row Barley Varieties

VARIETY
Legacy1,2,3
DOMESTIC
Established
EXPORT
Established
MARKET DEMAND
Stable Demand
Stellar-ND5
Established
Established
Declining Demand
Tradition1,2,3
Established
Established
Declining Demand
Celebration5
Limited
Limited
Limited Demand
Innovation, CDC Mayfair and CDC Anderson are not yet being grown for the commercial market. Production is limited to quantities required for
testing and market development. Please talk to your local malting company selector in regards to demand for Lacey and Robust.
Domestic as used in this publication, means barley selected for domestic processing into malt to supply domestic
brewers as well as for malt destined for export. Export is that malting barley designated for markets outside of Canada
including the U.S., shipped as unmalted grain.
The following companies have pedigreed seed distribution rights for those varieties that are footnoted:
1-Viterra; 2- BARI-Canada; 3 FP Genetics; 4 - SeCan; 5 CANTERRA SEEDS
The CMBTC and its members recommends the use of Certified seed to ensure varietal purity and to
increase opportunity for selection.
CMBTC Members: Alfred C. Toepfer (Canada) Ltd.,CWB, Canadian Grain Commission, Cargill AgHorizons, SABMiller,
Richardson International, Parrish and Heimbecker, Prairie Malt Limited, the Public Barley Breeders, Rahr Malting Canada, SeCan,
Manitoba Liquor Control Commission, Alberta Agriculture, Saskatchewan Agriculture, Manitoba Agriculture, Molson Coors, Alberta
Barley Commission, Fedoruk Seeds, FP Genetics and Viterra.
Other organizations providing input to this list: BARI-Canada, BMBRI and CANTERRA SEEDS
Questions? Call your selector, seed company, grain handling company,

or contact the CMBTC at 204-984-4399 (cmbtc@cmbtc.com).
Figure 1. Malting Barley Industry Groups annual Recommended Malting Barley
Varieties List
50
Chapter Seven
Once selected, all of a stations barley samples are forwarded to malt industry labs or the GRL
for malting. Prior to malting each sample is sized and only the barley remaining on top of a 6/64
(2.38 mm) slotted screen is malted. Suitable quantities (i.e. 500 grams, dry matter) of each sample
are malted in automated micro-malting equipment.
Each participating laboratory uses its own malting schedule to process the barley.
The use of different malting schedules results in additional information on malting
characteristics of the lines. Schedules are similar to commercial practices although certain aspects
of the schedule, such as kilning, may be more severe to rigorously test the samples. For example,
at the GRL, samples are steeped for 48 hours, germinated for 96 hours and kiln dried for 48 hours.
Malts are tested for quality using the following tests: friability, fine grind extract,
soluble protein, soluble protein to total protein ratios (S/T), wort viscosity, wort
-Glucan, diastatic power and -Amylase activity. Tests are standard methods of the
Amer ican S o ciety of Bre wing C hemists. Results f rom malt analysis are us e d
by the quality team of the PRCOB to determine which lines have potential for registration. The Subcommittee identifies first year Co-op entries that they feel show
sufficient quality to warrant further Co-op testing. These selected first-year entries are also entered
in a separate subsidiary, the Collaborative program.
Collaborative Pilot-scale Malting Trials
The Collaborative program involves large plot sizes and about 10 growing stations.
The larger plots result in more commercial-like conditions for seeding, growing and
harvesting the barley. A major aim of the program is to grow commercial quality grain.
Commercial grain must be plump, bright, have a low protein content and high
germination. The Collaborative program is administered by the Brewing and Malting
Barley Research Institute (BMBRI). The BMBRI is funded by the malting and brewing industries of
Canada with a mandate to support malting barley development in Canada. The BMBRI organizes
the growing station sites, arranges for seed delivery and conducts tours of the plots each summer.
Small quantities of samples from each site are forwarded to various representatives of the malting
industry. These malting labs test the barley for selectability with an even higher quality standard
than the Co-op test. Once a station is deemed selectable, the barley is forwarded to industry and
GRL labs where it is cleaned and sized. Once again, only the barley remaining on top of a 6/64 (2.38
mm) slotted screen is malted. In most cases, the barley is malted in pilot-scale equipment, which
allows for larger batch sizes than the micro-malting equipment used for the Co-op test. Because
of the larger batch size, pilot-scale equipment simulates commercial conditions more closely than
micro-malting equipment. The malt is produced and analyzed in a manner similar to that used for
Co-op testing, although conditions are more commercial. Generally, experimental lines require two
years of Collaborative data which, in conjunction with the two to three years of Co-op data, are used
to decide a particular lines suitability for registration.
Recommended Malting Barley Varieties
The Recommended Malting Barley Variety List is relatively new to Canada. The Variety List
indicates which registered malting varieties have established markets and are known to produce
quality commercial malt. The information on the Variety List helps seed companies, seed growers
and producers in deciding which varieties to supply and grow in the coming year. The list is reviewed
each fall by the CMBTC, who are responsible for the list. The 2012-2013 List (Figure 1) is the tenth
list developed by the CMBTC.
A registered variety must b e commercially acceptable b efore it is granted
recommended status on the Variety List. This means that the variety was malted and
brewed in plant-scale trials where processing was carefully monitored. In many cases, newly
registered varieties are contract grown through arrangements of the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB),
BMBRI, and Prairie producers. This is often the first time the variety is grown under commercial
conditions. If the harvested barley is of selectable quality, it is delivered to a domestic malt plant
Chapter Seven
51
Table 1. Development of malting barley varieties in Canada

Year
Stage of Development
1-4
Make cross - Grow early generations
5-6 F8- Multi-location yield trials
F9 - Multi-location yield trials
7 F10 - Western Canadian Barley Cooperative tests
8 F11 - Western Canadian Barley Cooperative tests
8 F11 - Collaborative pilot-scale malting trials
9 F12 - Collaborative pilot-scale malting trials
9 F12 - Breeders seed increase
10 F14 - Seed increase
11 F15 - Limited commercial production
12 F16 - Regular commercial production
Quality Evaluation - Location

Physical kernel characteristics
BI1 prediction malting
CRC2 50 to 100 g malting
GRL3 & Industry - 500 g malting
GRL & Industry - 500 g malting
GRL & Industry 10 to 70 kg malting
GRL & Industry 10 to 70 kg malting
Seed company
Plant scale 4 to 6 carlots malting
Plant scale 4 to 6 carlots malting
Full production
BI = Breeding Institution and collaborating labs

CRC = Cereal Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
3
GRL = Grain Research Laboratory, Canadian Grain Commission
1
2
where it is isolated throughout the standard malting processes. The finished malt is forwarded to
a domestic brewery where routine brewing conditions are used to brew the malt. All processing
conditions, in both the malting plant and the brewery, are carefully monitored and any deviations
from normal are noted. Only when a variety receives a commercial acceptable rating from both the
malthouse and the brewery is the variety eligible for recommended status. It should be noted that
foreign maltsters and brewers may also participate and recommend the commercial acceptability of a
variety. Ultimately, for a new Canadian variety to be eligible for recommended status, it must undergo quality testing for a minimum of eight years. In total, more than ten years will have passed
since the initial cross.
C om me rc i a l a c c e pt abi l it y is not t he f i na l re qu i re me nt for re c om me nd e d
status. Any variety, new or old, must also show market potential for the coming crop year.
This information is brought forward each fall to the Malting Barley Industry Group by
the sellers of Canadian malting barley and malt in both Canadian and export markets.
Only when a variety is shown to have adequate market demand for the coming year will
the group vote to have it listed as recommended. At this point, the breeders toils come to
fruition with the possibility of seeing full commercial production of their variety.
Summary
In summary, potential malting barley lines are thoroughly tested before they are
registered and given recommended status. Breeders test their lines for eligibility to enter
Co-op tests. Agronomic, disease resistance and malting quality data are collected from the
two years of Co-op testing. Alongside the Co-op tests, potential varieties are placed in a
Collaborative program where barley is grown in larger plots and the malting properties
investigated using pilot-scale equipment. Lines receive registration after testing in both
the Co-op and Collaborative programs indicate their agronomics, disease resistance and
quality is equal to, or better than, check varieties such as AC Metcalfe, CDC Copeland, CDC Mayfair
and Celebration. Recommended status is then granted by the Malting Barley Industry Group
after commercial acceptability and marketability of the registered malting barley variety
has been demonstrated.
52
Chapter Seven

Vessel Certification Process for
THE CANADIAN GRAIN COMMISSION (CGC) IS A FEDERAL AGENCY REPORTING directly
to the Minister of Agriculture. Under the mandate provided by the Canada Grain Act the CGC
establishes and maintains standards of quality for Canadian grain.
The Head office of the CGC is in Winnipeg, five regional offices located at Vancouver, Winnipeg,
Thunder Bay, Chatham and Montreal. The CGC is organized into four divisions; Industry Services
(IS), Grain Research Laboratory (GRL), Corporate Services and Executive.
The Grain Research Laboratory is responsible for conducting pure and applied research related
to the 21 grains under the CGCs mandate. The GRL employs 14 research scientists amongst its
staff of close to 100.
The CGCs Industry Services division consists of approximately 500 employees. The division has
been ISO certified since 2001 and was upgraded to ISO 9001-2000 in 2004. The main functions
of IS are quality and quantity certification of all bulk vessel shipments exported from Canada. It is
important to note that IS carries out the certification process as an impartial third party and has no
involvement in the purchasing or selling of grain.
Selling grain in international markets is a complex procedure. Quality standards and specifications may vary from country to country. The CGC is involved in ongoing meetings and technical
missions between buyers, sellers and government agencies to ensure that all parties understand the
methodologies, specifications and quality standards used in certifying Canadian grain.
CGC Procedures During Loading
The vessel certification process ensures that vessels receive the quantity and quality of grain
ordered by customers and that cargoes are loaded under conditions conducive to maintaining that quality. Prior to grain being loaded it is received into the elevator from rail
cars. Each car-lot is sampled, inspected, weighed and segregated according to quality.
The first step in the vessel certification process is the delivery of a loading order to
the CGC staff on site at a terminal or transfer elevator. The loading order will state the
vessel name and quality and quantity of grain to be loaded. Grain is shipped according
to established grade tolerances published in the Canada Grain Regulations or may be
shipped according to customer specifications. Prior to authorizing the loading of a vessel
the CGC must receive a Port Wardens certificate and Phytosanitary certificate ensuring
that the vessel is in fit condition to receive grain.
The weighing staff of industry services is responsible for certifying the quantity of
grain loaded to each vessel. Scales used for the weighing of grain have been certified to
meet specified levels of accuracy. The weighing of grain is performed by the staff at the elevator of
loading under the continuous monitoring of the CGC. The integrity of the grain delivery pathway,
from scale to vessel, is checked throughout loading to ensure that all grain weighed is delivered to
the vessel.
The quality certification process is meaningless unless it is based upon a sample that is representative of the lot of grain being loaded. Samplers must be located at a point in the grain flow
after the shipping weigh scales. Diverter type samplers are used to take a crosscut of the grain as it
delivered to the vessel. Samplers are set to take a cross section of the grain at intervals of no more
than 45 seconds but may be adjusted lower based upon the quantity and rate of grain being loaded.
Chapter Eight
53
Samplers are routinely checked to ensure that they are functioning properly. The bulk sample is
reduced at the sampling point by an approved divider prior to being delivered pneumatically to the
CGC inspection office.
The CGC inspector will perform an incremental analysis every 2000 tonnes throughout the loading
of the vessel. For each increment a 1 kilogram sample is divided from the grain delivered to the CGC
inspection office. Malt barley quality factors monitored throughout the loading of the vessel include:
peeled and broken, plump and thin, moisture content, test weight, foreign material and damage.
Plump kernels are defined as those kernels that do not pass through a No. 6 slotted sieve having
openings measuring 2.38 mm by 19.05 mm. Thin kernels are kernels passing through a No. 5 slotted
sieve with openings measuring 1.98 mm by 19.05 mm.
Moisture content is determined using a Seedburo Model 1200A moisture meter. Moisture meters
are calibrated against American Association of Cereal Chemists (AACC) Method 44-15 and tested
for accuracy biweekly.
Test weight is determined using the Ohaus half-litre measure. The Ohaus procedure is calibrated
to the Schopper Chondrometer by means of regression formula.
A representative portion of each incremental sample is analyzed for the presence of any damage
that could affect the quality of the end product. A sub-sample is pearled to aid in the detection of any
heated or sprouted kernels that may not be readily apparent with the hull intact.
Increments are checked to ensure that they meet the definition of commercially cleanliness and
that the content of foreign material such as seeds, wild oats and other cereal grains are within specified tolerances.
Each incremental sample is also thoroughly checked for any sign of infestation. There is a zero
tolerance for insects in Canadian grain shipments. If insects are detected the infested grain is required
to be discharged or fumigated.
All increments must meet the specifications of the contract. Where the analysis of an increment
reveals that it is outside of a contract specification the grain must either be removed from the vessel
or it will be certified different from the contract.
CGC Procedures Post Loading
Upon completion of loading, composite samples are forwarded to the Grain Research Laboratory. The composite samples will be tested for germination, varietal purity, 1000 kernel weight and
protein content.
In making a determination on the varietal purity of a cargo, DNA based varietal identification
methods are used.
Protein content is determined through the use of Combustion Nitrogen Analysis utilizing a LECO
Model FP-428 Nitrogen/Protein Determinator.
Germination vigor is determined using the 3 day Germinative Energy Test Method 1.7 of the
Institute of Brewing Barley.
The weight of 1000 kernels is analyzed according to Institute of Brewing, Methods of Analysis
(1997).
Certification
Upon completion of loading and inspection and once it has been determined that all specifications
for the cargo have been met, the Certificate Final is issued.
Established procedures are in place to deal with the concerns of customers that may arise after
receipt of a cargo. A composite sample of each shipment is retained for a period of six months. Upon
receipt of a complaint, the office of the Chief Grain Inspector for Canada reviews the official composite sample and documentation. The GRL will perform any relevant analytical testing related to
the concern. A report is then prepared by the Chief Grain Inspector and forwarded to the concerned
customer. In some cases a technical working group may travel to the customer in order to deal with
the complaint directly.
54
Chapter Eight
Grain Safety
The GRLs involvement does not stop with the loading of the vessel. The GRL has conducted an
ongoing grain safety monitoring program since 1965. Cargo samples are routinely tested for pesticide
residues, mycotoxins and heavy metals. The results obtained from this monitoring program are used
as the basis for issuing Letters of Assurance for cargoes to meet customer demands for grain safety.
In testing for pesticide residues and mycotoxins a variety of sophisticated analytical technologies
are employed such as: liquid chromatography, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The presence of heavy metals is tested for by atomic absorption.
Chapter Eight
55
Testing Methods
Notes on the methods routinely used to test Canadian malting barley quality. Unless otherwise specified, analytical results for
barley and malt are reported on a dry weighted basis. The ASBC methods cited are those of the American Society of Brewing Chemists, Eighth Edition, 1992.
Dockage and Assortment
All samples are passed through a Carter Dockage Tester

equipped with a No. 6 riddle to remove foreign material and 2 slotted sieves to assort the barley. Heavy Grade barley is the material
retained on a 6/64 x 3/4 (2.38 mm) slotted sieve. Intermediate
Grade is barley that passes through the 6/64 x 3/4 sieve but is
retained on a 5/64 x 3/4 (1.98 mm) slotted sieve.
Weight per Thousand Kernels
Malt Mills (ASBC)
Fine-grind malt is prepared with a Buhler-Miag disc

mill set to fine-grind. Coarse-grind malt is prepared with
the same mill set to coarse-grind. The settings for fineand coarse-grinds are based on the screening of a ground ASBC
check.
Fine-Grind and Coarse-Grind Extracts

(ASBC)
A small sample of dockage-free, Heavy Grade barley is handpicked to remove any residual foreign material. The number of
kernels in a 20 g sub sample (dry basis) of this cleaned material
is then counted.
Are prepared using a Brewing Research Foundation (BRF)

mash bath and the Congress mashing procedure from 45 - 70C.
Specific gravities are determined at 20C with an Anton Paar
DMA 55 digital density meter (LaBerge, Journal of the American
Society of Brewing Chemists 37:105, 1979).
Protein Content (N x 6.25)
Wort-Soluable Protein (ASBC)
Is pre dic te d on He av y Grade b arle y using NIR

equipment that has been calibrated by Combustion
Nitrogen Analysis (CNA). CNA is determined on a LECO Model
FP-428 CNA analyser calibrated by EDTA. Samples are ground on
a UDY Cyclone Sample Mill fitted with a 1.0 mm screen. A 200
mg sample is analysed as received (it is not dried before analysis).
A moisture analysis is also performed and results are reported
on a dry matter basis.
Germination Energy
Is determined by placing 100 kernels of Heavy Grade

barley on 2 pieces of Whatman #1 filter paper in a 9.0 cm
petri dish and adding 4.0 ml of deionized water. Samples
are kept in the dark at room temperature. Germinated
kernels are counted after 48 and 96 hours.
Water Sensitivity
Is determined exactly as described for germination

energy, except that 8.0 ml of deionized water is added to
each petri dish. Water sensitivity is reported as the percentage of kernels that germinate in 8 ml, which can then be
compared to the germination energy.
Friability (ASBC)
Is measured using the International method and

reported on an as is basis.
Is determined spectrophotometrically using the method

of Haslemore and Gill (1995), Journal of the Institute of
Brewing 101:469.
Kolbach Index (Ratio S/T)
Is calculated from the formula, (% soluble protein/malt

protein) x 100.
Diastatic Power (ASBC)
Is deter mine d us ing t he fer r ic yanide ass ay for

reducing sugars.
Alpha-Amylase Activity
Is determined using -limit dextrin, prepared from

waxy maize starch, as substrate (Briggs, Journal of the
Institute of Brewing, 67:427, 1961). Alpha-amylase activity determined by this method is converted to Dextrinizing Units (DU)
using regression equations relating this method to the official
ASBC procedure.
Beta-Glucan Content of Malt Extract
Is d e t e r m i n e d b y f l o w i n j e c t i o n a n a l y s i s u s ing Calcoflour staining of soluble, high molecular weight

-Glucan (Jorgensen, Carlsberg Res. Commun. 53:277, 1988).
Viscosity
Is measured on the fine extract using a Brookfield cone/plate

viscometer and reported in centipoises (cps).
56
Testing Methods
Organizations and Companies

in the Canadian Malting Barley
Industry
THIS CHAPTER PROVIDES A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE PRINCIPAL
organizations and companies involved in the Canadian malting barley industry. Since it is beyond
the scope of this guide to introduce these organizations in detail, only their major functions, which
are directly related to the production, marketing and trade of malting barley, as well as new barley
variety development, are described.
Canadian Wheat Board (CWB)

The CWB was formed in 1935 as a farmers marketing agency and as a Crown Agency.
In early 1999, the CWBs corporate structure was changed so that farmers would have
ownership of the corporation. The CWB is now governed by a 15-member Board of
Directors 10 of whom are directly elected by Prairie farmers. The CWBs head office is located in
Winnipeg, Manitoba with branch offices in Regina, Saskatchewan; Vancouver, British Columbia; Beijing, China; and Tokyo, Japan. In 2012 the single desk marketing of wheat and barley was dismantled.
Canadian Grain Commission (CGC)

Established in 1912 by the Canada Grain Act, the Canadian Grain Commission is the agency of
the Government of Canada that establishes and maintains the quality standards of Canadian grain
and regulates Canadas grain handling system. Its headquarters are located in Winnipeg, Manitoba
with a network of regional offices and service centres across Canada.
The CGC is organized into four areas: the Executive sets policy and provides overall
direction; Corporate Services is responsible for administration, finance, communications,
licensing and information technology; Industry Services ensures quality control of grain
by inspecting and grading samples throughout the entire handling process; and the Grain
Research Laboratory (GRL) provides scientific data and research on the quality of grain.
Two of the fourteen units that comprise the GRL are directly involved with malting
barley. The Applied Barley Research unit performs tests on malt and malting barley, and
investigates feed quality of new harvest feed grains. The Barley and Malt Research
unit identifies and characterizes the components in barley and malt that affect end
use quality.
Canadian International Grains Institute (Cigi)

The Canadian International Grains Institute (Cigi) was created in 1972 as a non-profit
organization in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Cigi promotes and enhances world markets on
behalf of Canadas grains, oilseeds and special crops industries through instructional
programming and technical activities. Institute facilities include classrooms (equipped
with simultaneous interpretation systems and audio-visual equipment), a pilot flour mill,
pilot bakery, pilot noodle plant, pilot pasta plant, and quality control and food quality
testing laboratories.
The Institute works in affiliation with the CWB, CGC, Agriculture and Agri-Food
Canada (AAFC) and commercial sectors of Canadas grain industry. The Institutes
activities are funded by both the CWB and the International Markets Bureau of AAFC. Additional
technical support services are provided by the CGC.
Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre (CMBTC)

The Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre (CMBTC) is a research and technical
market support facility recently established in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Its current members are Alberta
Chapter Nine
57
Agriculture, Alberta Barley Commission, Alfred C. Toepfer Canada Ltd., Canadian Wheat Board, Canadian Grain Commission, Cargill Aghorizon, FP Genetics, MLCC, Manitoba Agriculture, Molson Coors,
Parrish and Heimbecker Ltd., Prairie Malt Limited, Public Barley Breeders, Rahr Malting Canada, Richardson International Limited, SABMiller, Saskatchewan Agriculture, SeCan, and Viterra Inc. Its overall
goal is to support market development and commercial evaluation of approved registered Canadian
malting barley varieties. The CMBTC carries out applied malting and brewing research, pilot malting
and brewing tests and provides technical support and education programs for its members, clients and
their customers. The CMBTC provides services to members and clients on a fee-for-service basis.
Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute (BMBRI)
The Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute (BMBRI) is funded by its
members from the malting and brewing industry. The Institute was established in 1948 and
is located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Current membership includes Anheuser-Busch Inc., IMC
Limited, Labatt Brewing Company Limited, Molson Canada, Moosehead Breweries Limited,
Prairie Malt Limited, Sleeman Breweries Limited and Rahr Malting Limited. The BMBRIs mandate is to support the development and evaluation of new malting barley varieties in Canada
which will meet the needs of its members. The BMBRI funds research projects, coordinates
evaluation trials of new malting barley varieties on behalf of its members, and
participates in the varietal registration system. The Institute also provides information to breeders,
researchers and producers about quality traits of importance to its malting and brewing members.
Malting Barley Breeding Centres
In Canada, most of the malting barley breeding work is carried out by universities and government research organizations. The Canadian breeding centres most heavily involved in malting barley
are briefly introduced below.
Crop Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan

The Crop Development Centre is an integral part of the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. Established in 1971, its primary
objectives are to develop crop varieties with superior quality and marketability that are adapted
specifically to Saskatchewan.
The Centres plant breeding programs have led to the release of almost 150 crop
varieties, over half of these in the 1990s. This includes two-rowed malting barley varieties such as
Harrington, Manley, Stein, CDC Copeland, CDC Select, CDC Stratus and CDC Kendall, and sixrowed malting varieties Tankard and CDC Sisler.
Brandon Research Centre, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada

The Brandon Research Centre is located in Brandon, Manitoba. The Centre is one of
18 research centres of the Research Branch of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The
barley research team at the Centre has established a good reputation in barley breeding.
Its breeders have developed and released 21 varieties of malting, feed and hulless barley since 1939 with improvements in disease resistance, agronomic performance, malting
quality and nutritive value. The Centre has developed the six-rowed varieties of AC
Buffalo, Parkland, Conquest, Paragon and Bonanza, the two-rowed variety AC Metcalfe, Newdale,
Calder and a few interim two-rowed malting barley varieties.
Field Crop Development Centre, Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural

Development
The barley program at the Alberta Agriculture Field Crop Development Centre
in Lacombe, Alberta is responsible for technology transfer and for partnering with
58
Chapter Nine
associated government and private sector groups in the development of high quality barley varieties
for international and domestic markets.
As the location of the main research facilities for the provincial/federal/producer
sponsored Barley Development Project, the Centres field and laboratory facilities were
further enhanced by the on-site addition of the James H. Helm Cereal Research Centre in 1998.
Barley research activities have a three-fold focus the development of two-rowed malting barley,
feed barley and hulless barley varieties. It has released over 20 varieties of barley and triticale with
multiple disease resistance and agrinomic and yield traits needed by Alberta producers.
Malting Companies
In Canada there are currently four major malting companies: Canada Malting Co.
Limited, Prairie Malt Limited, Rahr Malting Limited, and Malteurop Canada Limited.
Currently, the combined capacity of all four companies is 922 000 tonnes. Capacity is
expected to continue to be fully utilized, even in a world market with no significant growth, since
Canada is recognized as a supplier of consistently high quality malt.
Canada Malting Co. Limited

Founded in 1902, Canada Malting Co. Limited is part of a group of companies
owned by GRAINCORP, one of the worlds largest producers of malted barley for use by
brewers, distillers and food manufacturers. In total, Canada Malt produces 1.2 million tonnes of
malted barley annually from 19 plants in 5 countries.
Canada Malting Co. Limited is Canadas leading malt producer and exporter. Canada Malting Co. Limited operates three plants, the largest located in Calgary, Alberta.
The Calgary plant has a capacity of 260 000 tonnes annually. The Thunder Bay, Ontario plant has a
capacity of 130 000 tonnes and the Montreal, Quebec plant 80 000 tonnes annually.

Prairie Malt Limited is located in Biggar, Saskatchewan. The plant is part of the third largest
malster Cargill Inc. Prairie Malt uses two separate malting systems: the Fleximalt and Wanderhaufen
malting systems. The plant produces up to 220 000 tonnes of malt annually for brewers worldwide.
Malteurop
Malteurop is the largest malting company in the world comprising 24 sites and 2.2M mt of
production. The capacity of MaltEurops operation located in Winnipeg, Manitoba is 92 000 tonnes.
Malt is supplied to domestic breweries, mainly in Eastern Canada, and a significant portion of the
companys production is exported. Facilities include both Fleximalt capacities and separate germination kiln styles of production. All operations are automated for process flow and process control.
Rahr Malting Canada Limited

R a h r Ma lt i ng L i m ite d i s l o c ate d i n A l i x , A l b e r t a . T h e c omp any s m aj or
shareholder is Rahr Malting Co. of Minneapolis, USA. Westcan Malting Limited
commissioned the first tower malthouse in North America in early 1993. Utilizing the latest European
and North American technologies, the tower-malting system has a high degree of automation and
computer control. Approximately 50% of the malt produced is sold to overseas markets. Current
capacity is 140 000 tonnes annually.
Chapter Nine
59
Table 1. Major Canadian Malting Companies (production capacity)

2004/2005
2010/2011
Company Capacity (000 tonnes)

Calgary, AB
180 250

Thunder Bay, ON
135
125

Montreal, PQ
85 75

Biggar, SK
220 215
Malteurop Canada

Winnipeg, MB
95 82

Alix, AB
140 140
Total Canadian Malt
Production Capacity 885 887
60
Chapter Nine
Contact List
Organizations
Brewing and Malting Barley
Research Institute (BMBRI)
Michael Brophy
President and CEO
1510-1 Lombard Place
Winnipeg, MB R3B 0X3
Phone: 204-927-1401
Fax: 204-947-5960
Email: mbrophy@bmbri.ca
Canadian Grain Commission (CGC)

Industry Services Division
Mr. Randy Dennis
Chief Grain Inspector for Canada
303 Main Street, Room 900
Winnipeg, MB R3C 3G8
Phone: 204-983-2780
Fax: 204-983-0315
Email: rdennis@grainscanada.gc.ca
Dr. Michael Edney
Program Manager, Barley Research
Phone: 204-983-8854
Fax: 204-983-0724
Email: medney@grainscanada.gc.ca
Website: www.cgc.ca
Canadian International
Grains Institute (Cigi)
Earl Geddes
Executive Director
Phone: 204-983-4980
Fax: 204-983-2642
Email: egeddes@cigi.ca
Website: www.cigi.ca
Canadian Wheat Board (CWB)
Sales
Mr. Bob Cuthbert
Senior Marketing Manager, Malting Barley / Products
423 Main Street
Winnipeg, MB R3C 2P5
Phone: 204-983-3402
Fax: 204-983-3841
Email: bob_cuthbert@cwb.ca
Quality Control and Marketing Support
Mr. Doug Munro
423 Main Street
Winnipeg, MB R3C 2P5
Phone: 204-984-7819
Fax: 204-984-1699
Email: doug_munro@cwb.ca
Mr. Haiguang Shi
General Manager, Beijing Office
Suite 708, Tower B, Beijing CO FCO Plaza
8 Jianguomen Nei Street
Beijing, PR 100005
China
Phone: 86-10-6526-3906
Fax: 86-10-6526-3907
Email: haiguang_shi@cwb.ca
Website: www.cwb.ca
Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre (CMBTC)
Mr. Robert McCaig
Managing Director/ Director of Brewing Technology
Phone: 204-983-1981
Fax: 204-984-5843
Email: rmccaig@cmbtc.com
Dr. Yueshu Li
Phone: 204-984-0561
Fax: 204-984-5843
Email: yli@cmbtc.com
Website: www.cmbtc.com
Contact List
61
Malting Barley Breeders

Dr. Aaron Beattie
University Coordinator of Agricultural Research
209 Kirk Hall, 117 Science Place
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8
Phone: 306-966-5795
Fax: 306-966-4737
Email: aaron.beattie@usask.ca
Website: www.ag.usask.ca
Dr. Jim Helm
Field Crop Development Centre
Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development
5030 - 50th Street
Lacombe, AB T4L 1W8
Phone: 403-782-8696
Fax: 403-782-5514
Email: james.helm@gov.ab.ca
Website: www.agric.gov.ab.ca
Dr. Pat Juskiw
Field Crop Development Centre
Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development
5030 - 50th Street
Lacombe, AB T4L 1W8
Phone: 403-782-8691
Fax: 403-782-5514
Email: patricia_juskiw@gov.ab.ca
Website: www.agric.gov.ab.ca
Malteurop Canada Limited

Ian Maccan
North American Operations
3001 Dugald Road
Winnipeg, MB R2C 5H4
Phone: 204-943-0741
Fax: 204-947-6791
Email: ian.maccan@malteurop.com
Website: www.malteurop.com
Mr. David Klinger
Sales Manager
P.O. Box 1150
Biggar, SK S0K 0M0
Phone: 306-948-3500
Fax: 306-948-3969
Email: david_klinger@prairiemalt.com
Website: www.prairiemaltltd.com
Mr. Bob Sutton
President
P.O. Box 113
Alix, AB T0C 0B0
Phone: 403-747-2777
Fax: 403-747-2660
Email: bsuttonGrahr.com
Website: www.rahr.com
Dr. Bill Legge

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Brandon Research Centre
P.O. Box 1000A, R.R.#3
Brandon, MB R7A 5Y3
Phone: 204-726-7650
Fax: 204-728-3858
Email: blegge@em.agr.ca
Malting Companies
Mr. Bruce French
Director of Malting
3316 Bonnybrook Rd. SE
Calgary, AB T2G 4M9
Phone: 403-571-7000 ext. 3088
Fax: 403-571-7070
Email: bruce.french@ctmalt.com
62
Contact List
Glossary of
Acrospire
THe shoot formed during barley germination.
Adjunct
Source of starch or fermentable sugars other than malt, usually containing very little
protein; e.g. corn, rice, wheat, barley, sorghum, corn syrup.
Air Rest
A time span between two immersions in a steeping cycle.
Ale
Aleurone layer
Alpha-Amylase
ASBC
Basal marking
Beta-Amylase
Beta-Glucan
Chit
Dextrin
A beer produced by top-fermentation yeast differing from lager beer in being more
heavily hopped and being fermented at a higher temperature.
Thin layer of living cells surrounding the endosperm of the barley kernel.
Enzyme that breaks down starch into smaller units of dextrin, maltose and glucose.
American Society of Brewing Chemists.
The form or shape of a depression on the base of the lemma located on the dorsal side near the
point of attachment.
Enzyme that hydrolyzes and solubilizes starch and starch dextrins into maltose.
Cellulose-like carbohydrate which is a major component of barley endosperm cell walls. It is very
viscous in water.
Early stage of rootlet growth during barley germination.
Carbohydrate formed as intermediate stage of starch hydrolysis to glucose. Usually 6 - 12 glucose
units long.
Diastatic power
A measure of amylase activity of a sample of malt.
Draft (draught)
Unpasteurized beer.
EBC
Embryo
Endosperm
Enzyme
FAN
Fermentation
Germination
Glossary of Terms
European Brewery Convention.

The live part of the barley kernel that develops into a young plant as the seed germinates. The embryo
is situated at the lower end of the kernel on its dorsal side. It consists of the coleoptile, epicotye,
radicle and coleorhiza (the primary organs of acrospire and rootlets) and scutellum.
Nutritive tissue in the kernel containing all the starch and most of the protein.
A protein biochemical catalyst.
Free Amino Nitrogen.
Decomposition of organic substances by micro-organisms or enzymes, e.g. breakdown of sugar by
yeast, producing ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Sprouting of the grain. In malting industry it also refers to the germination process.
63
Grist
Husk/hull
The outermost protective coating of the kernel, which is a floral envelope formed by lemma and
Palea tightly or loosely adhering on the caryopsis.
Hops
The cone of the female plant of a climbing vine of the mulberry family which imparts a bitter flavour to beer.
Hygroscopic
Ability to absorb moisture from the air.
Kilning
Drying of the green malt in a kiln. In malting industry it also refers to the kilning
process.
Lager
A beer produced by a bottom-fermentation yeast at a lower temperature than for ale. It is stored in
refrigerated cellars for maturation and clarification.
Lauter tun
Mash
Modification
Pericarp
Polypeptides
& amino acids
Proteases
Rachilla
Saccharification
Sparge
Scutellum
Steeping
64
Ground malt.
Vessel used to separate wort from spent grain.

Mixture of grain and water.
Destruction of the cell walls and breakdown of the starch and protein in barley kernel during
the malting process.
One of the outer layers of the barley kernel.
Degradation products of protein.
A family of enzymes that break down protein into polypeptides and amino acid subunits.
A bristle or stalk-like structure that lies within the kernel crease on the ventral side and
attached at the base of the barley kernel.
Degradation of starch to soluble sugars.
Water sprayed on the mash to extract as much sugar as possible.
A shieldlike structure partly enclosing the apical end of the embryo and coleoptile.
It serves as an absorptive organ.
The process of soaking the barley in water to achieve full hydration.
Stout
A dark ale with a strong flavour and taste provided by the use of roasted (caramelized) malt as an
adjunct in the brewing process.
Street
Long, rectangular germination beds.
Testa
One of the outer layers of the barley kernel, lying between the pericarp and the
aleurone layer.
Wort
Unfermented beer.
Glossary of Terms
65
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Canadian Barley

Financial support provided by:

Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre

The Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre (CMBTC)

The Canadian Barley Malting

Mr. Robert McCaig

Chapter 1: Canadian Malting Barley

Chapter 2: Malting Barley Selection,

Copyright CMBTC 2012

Chapter 6: Varieties of Canadian

Chapter 7: Development and

Chapter 8: Canadian Grain

Chapter 9: Organizations and

Figure 1. Barley Growing Areas in Canada

Table 1. Disposition of Canadian Barley

Barley Types and Malting Varieties

CWB Variety Survey 2001-2010

Figure 3: Tworow malting

Feed (2&6 Row)

Hulless (2&6 Row)

CWB Variety Survey 2001-2010

Percentage of seeded acres

Figure 4: Sixrow malting

CWB Variety Survey 2001-2010

Markets for Canadian Malting Barley

Malting Barley Exports

Table 2. Leading Markets for Canadian Malting Barley (000 tonnes)

Malt Production for Domestic and Export Markets

Table 3. Markets for Canadian Malt (000 tonnes)

The Marketing System for Canadian Malting Barley and Malt

Malting Barley Selection Process

Germination and Vigorous Growth

Barley Protein Content

Barley Moisture Content

Peeled and Broken Kernels

No more than 5% of the kernels should be peeled or broken, as husk and

Malting Barley Handling and Storage

Combining and Conveying

Barley Moisture Content

Table 1. Temperature and moisture requirements of major storage moulds

(Lower growth limit)

Prefers warmer temperature

Prefers warmer temperature

Prefers warmer temperature

Prefers warmer temperature

Prefers lower temperature

Barley Kernel Structure

Figure 1. Cross-section of a barley kernel

A diagram of a barley kernel is shown in Figure 1.

Successful malting requires complete destruction of the endosperm cell walls,

Figure 2. Aleurone and outer endosperm layer

Figure 3. TOP: Barley endosperm showing

aleurone cells. Many of these enzymes then move into the

A brief review of the malting process

(1) The Drying Stage

(2) The Curing Stage

Processing Canadian malting barley varieties

For practical consideration, the choice of malting cycles (programs) are

Low degree of dormancy

Fig. 1 A tower malting plant

Barley Supply Elevator

8 Kiln Air Supply Buildings

Table 1: Processing Conditions for Malting Canadian AC Metcalfe