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Distilling Malt (Pot Still Malt)

Our Price: $5.89

Distiller's Malt is usually sold only to large distilleries, but now, Mile Hi can offer this high quality distiller's malt at a great price.

Malt, Not Just for Brewing

We all now that malt is not just used to brew beer, but also is the main ingredient, if not the only ingredient, for a variety whiskeys produced around the world. The bourbon country of Kentucky and the sour mash whiskeys of Tennessee currently account for the majority of the Distillers Malt sold in the U.S. However craft distillers are popping up around the country as the demand for locally distilled higher end whiskeys increase. What are the differences between the pale brewers malt we know, and the malt our cousins are using down south?

To begin to explain the differences we will first compare some of the analytical parameters, talk about typical grain bills for American whiskeys, and discuss the different needs of the master distiller as compared to the master brewer.

Analytically they are clearly different animals.

Typical Malt Analysis:

Moist % FExt db % Color ASBC Total Malt Prot % Sol. Prot % S/T D.P. Alpha pH Bu Wt.
Lbs/Bu
2-row Pale 3.8 81.6 2.26 11.11 4.99 44.9 150 58.4 6.00 40.5
6-row Distillers 6.1 77.8 3.19 13.68 8.85 64.7 275 94.2 5.43 37

Right from the beginning the moisture difference is noticeable. This is related to the fact that the biggest challenge the maltster has with producing this type of malt is to achieve the high DP and Alpha levels the distiller demands. Therefore while kilning, lower heats are used to help preserve (denature less) as much of the enzyme that was produced during germination, resulting in the higher moisture.

Extract levels also are lower in the distiller malt. Not only will a 6-row inherently have less extract, but also due to the greater modification (or growth) during germination, the kernel will utilize more of its starch stores lowering the extract. The American whiskey distiller does not have the same extract concern as the brewer since the majority of his extract is coming from other grains, namely corn and rye. A typical grain bill for an American whiskey might be 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley. In fact, many times the smaller fractions of the barley are used to make distillers malt, which further accounts for the difference we see in extract and Bushel Weight.

Kernel size also relates directly to the protein difference we see. The smaller kernels have less extract, but typically are higher in protein. The higher protein barley has a greater enzyme potential since after all, enzymes are made of proteins. Unlike brewers who prefer lower protein barley to help avoid the haze producing proteins in beer. Distillation resolves any haze issues from using high protein barley.

There are similarities between brewing and distilling since both create a mash and ferment to create a beer, or in distillers terms a wash. However, that fermentation takes place under different conditions. While a brewer creates a sterile wort by boiling in the kettle and fermentation is in a hopefully sterile sealed tank, the distiller doesn�t boil prior to fermenting. Distillation later in the process will create a sterile product, and fermentation takes place in an open tank. Therefore the distiller is concerned with competing bacteria affecting his alcohol yield. To help limit the bacteria load in the mash the maltster applies, a solution of Sodium Bisulfite to the malt first, and then Phosphoric Acid right before the batch goes to kiln. The reaction causes the pH on the kernel surface to drop enough limiting the bacteria count, and many distillers have maximum levels that they like to be below.

As mentioned earlier though, the enzyme levels both DP and Alpha are the biggest difference between the two types of malt. With the large amounts of non-enzymatic grains in an American whiskey grain bill you easily see why the distiller is very interested in enzyme levels. Also, briefly touched on, was a couple ways the maltster manipulates his kilning regiment to maximize enzyme, while pushing modification during germination to achieve those levels. To help the modification in germination the use of Gibberalic Acid is sometimes used. This natural plant growth hormone is applied to the kernel via a light misting spray during the first day of germination to give the kernel a jump-start accelerating growth and enzyme production.

Therefore, the type of whiskey dictates what malt gets used. For the aspiring craft distiller that wants to make a bourbon or American whiskey that utilizes large amounts of corn, rye and/or wheat then you want to use a high enzymatic distiller�s malt. If you want to make an all malt whiskey however, you probably want to look at some of the brewer�s malts, which are very close enzymatically and have similar extract levels as some of the English distiller malts.

Flaked Maize (Corn) 5lbs

Our Price: $5.69

Flaked Maize (Corn) 5lbs

2-Row Pale Malt - 5 pounds

Our Price: $5.89

2-Row Pale Malt - 5 pounds

50lbs bag 2-Row Pale Malt

Our Price: $49.99

50lbs Bag 2-Row Pale Malt

50lbs bag Flaked Maize (Corn)

Our Price: $52.69

Flaked Maize (Corn) 5lbs

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