The good, the bad and the ugly
In the last issue, I discussed the need for more beer knowledge in the industry, so instead of just talking the talk, it makes sense to walk the walk and put in some share of the work. So, what better place to start than discussing some of the most important aspects of beer—flavour.
With the combination of ingredients in beer, the complexity of flavours becomes almost exponential. Sweetness, caramel, roastiness from the malt, bitter, floral, fruity hops, and the variety of yeast-imparted qualities all play together with the mineral content of the water to create a symphony of taste we all get to enjoy with every sip.
With so many choices, and the compounds that create them, sometimes we get flavours we want, sometimes we notice others that seem a little odd, and on occasion, we run into some of the dreaded off-putting notes in a beer, which can be the difference between just not buying that beer again and the disastrous drain-pour.
To make it easier to understand, and to avoid overwhelming anyone, malt will be the starting point this time around.
The Good
Sweet: In most beers, the only sweetness comes from the malt. When malting barley, it converts starches into sugars, which are then steeped out of the grain in the wort. It’s like making a sugar water tea and straining off the grain. Darker malts contain less sugar and, as they’re roasted, they become complex sugars, which helps break down the yeast, leaving more sweetness in those beers using caramel malts.
Graininess: An important characteristic of lighter beers, this note of crackers or biscuits is your first hello from the malt. The second most prevalent ingredient in beer, it would make sense that its impact is immediately noticed, both on the nose and in that first glorious sip.
Caramel: Roasting malts a little more than base malts will begin to caramelize the sugars in the grain. This imparts notes of toffee, caramel, toast and added sweetness from sugars which, as mentioned earlier, are more difficult to break down. Think of an amber or red ale, or a märzen, and the maltiness and sweetness that come with the added body and experience.
Chocolate: If you leave the malt to roast even longer, you get notes of chocolate, with more time leading to more notes of cocoa, just like the fancy chocolate bars in the store showing the percentage of cocoa in them. From dunkelweizens to chocolate porters, the beers with these notes tend to lean into the cooler months.
Coffee: Roasting beyond the chocolate point leads to a note many of us know too well: The scent and taste of roasted black coffee. Used to give that rich deep flavour associated with stouts and porters, this has even led to the belief by some that there is coffee in well-known stouts like Guinness.
Roasted: Patent malt, typically the darkest roast imparts notes of acidity, bitterness, and sometimes astringency. It can also add acidity to a brew, similar to those coffee notes from above.
Dark fruits: This is where things can get interesting. Those darker roasts used in certain ways can create notes of black currant, raisin, plum, prunes, and cherry. Think of a barleywine, old ale, or a winter warmer. These fruity notes come from a combination of processes and ingredients, but malts play a huge role in creating those flavour notes.
The Bad
Metallic: This one isn’t always bad, except in increased quantities. Many darker roasted malts give off a metallic taste or an iron-like note. This means some darker beers like stouts and porters can have metallic notes associated with them, especially if there isn’t as much complexity to the beer. So, while you may not notice this in those big imperial stouts, your dry Irish stout might give you this flavour.
Musty: This one is quite rare but typically involves how the malt was stored. Just like flour for bread, it’s best to keep it dry until you are using it, so any level of moisture over time can spoil the malt, leading to flavours of must, mould, and mildew. Beer is a perishable product, as are the ingredients that go into it, so keeping things fresh will prevent this issue.
The Ugly
Dimethyl Sulfide (DMS): This is the ultimate malt-based off-flavour, and while it’s been some time since it’s been a major issue to worry about, the rise of smaller maltsters has increased the possibility of this showing up in your beer. DMS starts as a compound in paler malts called S-methylmethionine (SMM), which can then be boiled off in the brewing process, as long as it’s done vigorously, for long enough, with proper venting. This can be experienced as everything from flavours of corn to tomato soup to cabbage, all the way up to oysters and sauerkraut. Some beers are okay with having small amounts, but watch out for this.
Now that you know what to expect with malt, keep an eye out for the next issue where we will touch on the flavours of hops.
