Malt is one of the main ingredients of beer and ovomaltine, being produced mainly from the barley grains, which are moistened and placed to germinate. After the shoots are born, the grain is dried and roasted to leave the starch more available to produce the beer.
Common malt is produced from barley, but it can also be made from grains of wheat, rye, rice or corn, and is then named according to the plant that gave the product, such as wheat malt, for example.
How it is used in brewing
In beer production, malt is the source of starch, a type of sugar that will be fermented by yeast to produce alcohol and other important components of that beverage.
Thus, the type of malt and its form of production determine the taste, color and aroma of the beer.
How it is used in the production of whiskey
While some types of beer also use wheat, corn and rice grains for their production, whiskey is made only from barley malt, which goes through the same process to produce the alcohol from the drink.
Health Benefits
Malt is very rich in vitamins and minerals, bringing health benefits such as:
- Regulate blood pressure by being rich in sodium and potassium, important for relaxing blood vessels;
- Maintain muscle health and prevent diabetes due to the presence of magnesium;
- Prevent anemia by being rich in folic acid;
- Improve the functioning of the nervous system by containing B vitamins;
- Prevent osteoporosis and strengthen bone and teeth by being rich in potassium.
To get these benefits, you should consume 2 to 6 tablespoons of barley or 250 ml of beer per day. See more in: Consuming alcohol can reduce the risk of heart disease.
Malt Bread Recipe
This recipe yields approximately 10 servings of bread.
Ingredients:
- 300 g ground barley malt
- 800 g of wheat flour
- 10 tablespoons honey or 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon of organic yeast
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- 350 ml of milk
- 1 tablespoon margarine
Method of preparation:
- Mix all the ingredients with the hands in a bowl until forming a homogeneous mass, that must be kneaded during 10 minutes;
- Allow the dough to rest for 1 hour;
- Knead again and put the dough into a greased bread form;
- Cover with a cloth and expect to grow to double in size;
- Bake in preheated oven at 250ºC for 45 minutes.
After finishing the cooking in the oven, the bread should be unformed and kept in an airy place, to maintain its shape and texture. However, it is important to remember that people with gluten intolerance can not consume barley, and to prevent intestinal problems in these cases, see what gluten is and where it is.
