Malt & Grain

A Pils needs pale malt, and that comes from barley. Rothaus names domestic malt made from summer barley for its Tannenzäpfle. Summer barley is sown in spring and harvested in high summer. So when you drink a Pils, you're essentially tasting the harvest of a single summer, refined by water, hops, and time in the cellar. It's the classic brewing barley, prized for its low protein and high starch content.

Barley becomes malt when the grains are made to germinate. During this process, enzymes break down starch, which later turns into sugar. Once the sprouts are short, the maltster halts growth in the kiln—a drying oven using warm air. Pale, gently kilned malt gives Pils its golden color and a flavor reminiscent of fresh bread.

Fürstenberg speaks of using domestic quality malts. Which maltings supply them isn't stated in the sources, so that remains open here. The same goes for Alpirsbach and Waldhaus: both breweries say they use regional raw materials but don't specify where the malt comes from.

Since Pils and Helles form the core of the lineup, barley defines the character of these breweries—not wheat or rye. A Pils has no need for dark, roasted malts, which would mask its color and flavor.

Then there's the law. In Germany, bottom-fermented beer may only contain barley malt, hops, yeast, and water. So a Black Forest Pils contains no sugar and no rice or corn, even though such ingredients are permitted elsewhere.