Malt & Grain

What malt is an English bitter made from? Almost always barley sown before autumn ripening. This winter barley yields a sweetish, bready malt, and the most famous variety is called Maris Otter. It was bred in 1965 and 1966 at the Plant Breeding Institute in Cambridge and is still considered a classic for British ales today.

Malting means letting the barley germinate briefly and then drying it. In a kiln, the grain is dried with heat, and at high temperatures it takes on dark color and roasted aromas. A pale malt tastes of biscuits, a crystal malt of caramel, and a touch of it turns a bitter copper-red.

In the fields of Herefordshire and Worcestershire, barley grows alongside wheat and rapeseed. Which maltings supply the local breweries individually depends on the brewery. Small brewers like to buy from English maltings that offer Maris Otter, staying true to the variety their pub customers know.

The bitter of the region is rarely very dark. The malt provides color ranging from amber to copper, no more, while a mild or porter gets additional dark roasted malt. The sugary tail at the end of the sip stays short, so the hops aren't overwhelmed by sweetness.

In Germany, brewers of bottom-fermented beer would have to limit themselves to barley malt. Top-fermented beers are allowed more, under the old beer law, including other malts and sugar, except in Bavaria. English brewers have no such restrictions, and some recipes include sugar that makes the fermentation drier.