Low-cost bench-top malting protocol for laboratory-scale malt quality evaluation

Authors: RANI, HEENA - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE); Standish, Andrew; Walling, Jason; Whitcomb, Sarah

Submitted to: LWT - Food Science and Technology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/21/2025
Publication Date: 3/3/2025
Citation: Rani, H., Standish, A.J., Walling, J.G., Whitcomb, S.J. 2025. Low-cost bench-top malting protocol for laboratory-scale malt quality evaluation. Journal of Cereal Science. 123(2025). Article 104138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcs.2025.104138.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcs.2025.104138

Interpretive Summary: Micro-malting methods have been used in labs for years to research various aspects of malting. These methods usually require relatively large sample amount and involve specialized, often costly, equipment and software. To make malting research more accessible, we developed a low-cost bench-top malting method that uses a standard laboratory water bath. This method allows precise control over the malting process without the need for expensive tools and uses smaller amounts of barley, water, energy, and space. Even with the reduced sample amount, our bench-top method produced malt quality results that were comparable to those from established laboratory malting methods. This suggests that our new bench-top method, is an effective tool for early-stage screening of malt quality in breeding programs with limited sample availability. Additionally, this method serves an excellent training tool for students and new researchers, providing practical, hands-on experience with minimal resources.

Technical Abstract: Brewing high quality beer requires high quality malt. Malt quality and character are determined by three primary factors: genotype, environment, and malting conditions. In order to evaluate malting barley breeding material and to understand how the changing environment affects malt quality, it is crucial to have laboratory-scale malting methods that produce malt that mimics malt produced by commercial malting operations. Established laboratory-scale malting procedures typically require large quantities of grain as well as specialized and expensive equipment. To address these limitations, we developed a low-cost bench-top malting method using a common laboratory water bath, facilitating precise malting control within a laboratory setting without the need for large sample amount and extensive specialized equipment. We evaluated the efficacy of this method by analyzing the malt produced using this approach. The standard quality tests conducted included measurements of malt extract, diastatic power, alpha-amylase activity, and wort composition (soluble protein, Kolbach index, ß-glucan, and free amino nitrogen levels). Our findings indicate that the bench-top malting method yields quality metrics comparable to those obtained from established small-scale and full-scale malting protocols. This suggests that our approach, when combined with existing small-scale mashing and malt analysis procedures, provides a low-cost, efficient alternative for the preliminary screening of malt quality traits in breeding lines with limited sample sizes.