E-Malt.com News article: United States: Meeting malting barley quality specifications not an easy task - experts

With malting barley historically fetching $1.50 to $2 more per bushel than feed barley, many farmers in Montana and Wyoming try to meet malting barley quality specifications to earn the premium, The Prairie Star communicated on July, 2.

That task is not easy, according to Lola Raska, who administers the National Barley Growers Association office from Great Falls, Mont.

Raska said there are more potential quality discounts for malting barley than there are for wheat due to the strict requirements necessary to produce a premium malt product.

She also said that in Montana, about 70 percent of barley acres are planted to malting varieties with much of that grown under contract, rather than for the open market.

“Malting barley contracts have very clear criteria that must be met for the crop to be accepted by the buyer,” Raska said.

The most common quality discounts barley growers face in Montana and Wyoming are for test weight, protein, thins, skinned and broken kernels, moisture and sprout damage.

To meet U.S. No. 1 malting barley grading standards, test weight must be higher than 50 pounds per bushel.

“Malting barley grown on irrigated ground is at lower risk for potential quality discounts,” Raska said.

However, dryland malt barley often struggles to meet that requirement, she said. “Dryland barley production in Montana is often affected by drought conditions that can lower test weight, increase protein content and increase thins,” she said.

Raska said protein content is one of the most important quality factors for malting barley. Two-row malting barley contracts specify a maximum protein content of 13 to 13.5 percent. Higher protein levels can cloud the fermentation process leading to an inferior product.

Thins and plumps is a factor that refers to the size of individual kernels. Most two-row malting barley contracts stipulate a maximum of 10 percent thins.

“Maltsters want a very plump barley kernel in order to extract the most malt from it,” she said. Too many thin kernels can lower the grade and, consequently, the price.

Skinned and broken is another discount. Barley kernels that are missing part of the hull, or broken kernels, or whole kernels that have some of the germ missing can result in discounts for skinned and broken.

Raska said, “Producers need to closely monitor their combine settings so that malting barley isn't skinned or broken during the harvesting process.”

Moisture in the individual kernel is another problem with growing barley.

“You want to dry it lower than other crops,” said Scott Heisel, vice-president and technical director of the American Malting Barley Association (AMBA). That is to help protect the sprouting ability of the crop.

“You want to be very careful not to hurt the germination,” he said. Heisel said the best way to lower the moisture is in the field. “Natural air is the best thing to use,” he said.

Producers should strive for a moisture rate of less than 13 percent.

Heisel said some producers allow the crop to dry in the field on the stalks. Others swath it and lay it down to hasten the drying time. In the bin, fans to circulate the natural air and methods to keep the bins at 100 degrees are other options producers can try.

Since most malt barley is grown under contract, the companies that contract for that barley are particularly interested in the sprout-ability of the seed.

“We need to be able to germinate it for the fermenting process,” said Heisel. Not only do they want it to germinate well, they want to make sure that the seeds germinate at about the same time.

If some kernels are germinating later than others, it makes it difficult to control the fermentation process and get a quality product.

There are other discounts.

Other factors that can cause discounts on the sale of malting barley are staining of the seed from too much rain on the kernel or rain at the wrong time, mould, blight, frost and heat damage and toxins that can render a barley harvest unacceptable for malting purposes.

Heisel said producers also need to remember to not use herbicides at the wrong time or in contradiction to the herbicide label. AMBA malting and brewing members will not knowingly buy malting barley that has been treated post-heading with herbicides like glyphosate. It stays on the kernel and affects germination in malt barley.

“If it's treated after heading, it won't germinate uniformly. The industry needs uniformity,” he said.

“Pesticides are used to control weeds and insects during the growing season and don't affect final product quality if used according to the label,” she said.

Across the U.S., malting barley acreage is declining. Heisel said this year, according to the March projections, acreage dropped 300,000 acres.

Raska said some producers plant malting varieties but struggle to meet the malting barley criteria and lose the larger expected price premiums.

“If they don't meet the standards specified in their contract, or that are required by an open market buyer, they run the risk of severe discounts or rejection of their crop. They may then have to sell it for feed barley at a much lower price,” she said.

This year, however, Heisel said the crop that is planted is looking good.

“Barley loves cool weather. Last year was a cool year and the barley crop loved it. We had a good crop despite the fact that we had fewer acres,” she said.

Cool weather helps the crop produce large, plump kernels just right for malting. And, with the early spring weather so far this year, Heisel is hoping for more of the same good crop they saw last year.



07 July, 2010