Malting is a biological process that takes place in three steps:  steeping, germination and kilning.

Steeping - 36 to 48 Hours 
    Water is added at suitable (52-56 degree F) temperatures. Malting quality barley is directed into large steeping tanks and air is injected into the water to maintain saturated dissolved oxygen levels.  A series of immersions will be done to assure that the barley is completely washed and uniformly hydrated. The final moisture of the barley will be raised from 12% moisture up to the 44-45% moisture range. 

Germination - 96 Hours  

     The grain is transported to germination compartments.  It will be grown under controlled temperature, airflow and humidity for approximately four days. The enzymes are activated and the starches are broken down into more simple forms of sugars as dictated by customer requirements.

Drying (Kilning) – 24 to 36 hours 

     When grown to satisfaction, the fully modified barley is now referred to as “green malt” and is moved into kilns for drying.  These are large rectangular or circular vessels with perforated floors.  The malt is dried to 4% moisture using high volumes of air at temperatures up to 190 degrees Fahrenheit. The air temperature and airflow are closely controlled to achieve the desired malt attributes.

     The principal result of this processing is that the starches have been broken down into more simple sugars, the enzyme potential has been optimized, color generated and the malty flavor developed. 

 Storage

      The finished product is binned in silos to be aged and separated for later blending to customer specifications.