Microbrewery Flaked & Unmalted Adjuncts
Not all malts are the same. Choosing flaked or torrefied malt adds another dimension to your beer, and depending on the type of grain you choose, you can alter the colour, opacity (haze) or even the flavour of your brew.
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What is Flaked Malt used for?
Flaked malt is processed differently to other types of brewing grains, and it looks very different as a result. When a maltster or producer makes flaked malt, they torrefy it, then run it through roller mills to press each grain under pressure, revealing and releasing the starch within. This action creates a product that looks much more like your breakfast cereal than it does a brewing malt—but flaked malt can be extremely useful in your brews.
Flaked malt is already prepared and ready for your mash, so don’t try to mill it at home. Flakes are non-enzymatic “adjuncts”, which means you can add them to your grain bill in small amounts, but they never make up the bulk of the grist. 20% is usually the maximum amount of flaked malt a brewer will use.
Different flaked grains are used for different purposes in the brewing process.
Corn: Used for colour and flavour
Rice: Used for mouthfeel and sometimes flavour
Wheat: Used for head retention, body, haze, and flavour
Rye: Used for flavour and body
Barley: Body, flavour and colour
Oats: Used for head retention and body
What is Torrefied Malt used for?
When malt is torrefied, or undergoes torrefaction, this means that the maltster has heated the grains and created a reaction a lot like popping popcorn on the stove. It helps to remember that grain is actually individual seeds when you think about how this process works.