Barley malt is made out of brewing barley – usually 2 row summer barley. It is bred with high germination capacity and uniform germination. It has a high starch as well as a moderate protein content. This makes it particularly suited to malting.

Malt production involves cleaned barley first being softened in water until it has a water content of approximately 43%. The grain now begins to germinate on malting beds. These are situated in a damp, warm, and well-ventilated environment of 15-20°C. The germinating process is halted after approximately 7 days. The malt is kiln-dried to prevent starch from being broken down by now fiercely growing germ buds. This also gives malt a longer shelf-life as well as producing its colourings and flavouring. Kilning begins with a drying process, after which a roasting process follows. Depending on the temperature and duration of the kilning process, the typical colour and flavour of barley malt is created here, through what is known as the Maillard reaction. The kilned malt is thoroughly cleaned and separated from the germ buds.

It is then coarsely ground or milled, so that it can be used for other purposes. Only a small part of the total harvest of barley is used for making malt. Most of it, mainly winter barley, serves as animal feed. Malt is used for brewing beer and malt beer. It is also used for making malt coffee and different grain spirits, such as corn spirits or whisky. Malt is also used as a colouring and for rounding off flavour in food, such as pastries.

We use barley malt as a natural sweetener for rounding off the flavour of the rice flakes in our RITTER SPORT Strawberry Yoghurt and RITTER SPORT White Whole Hazelnuts. We also use it for the cornflakes in our RITTER SPORT Cornflakes.