I am starting a discussion here on barley and the malting processes.In this first write up I will discuss barley as it is unmalted and compare 2-row versus 6-row.

Many varieties of malted barley exist and are either used as animal feed or for human consumption.Farmers that choose to produce barley that will be used for brewing purposes must accept a lower yield and much tighter restrictions on the quality of barley grown.

Malted barley is part of the grass family that includes wheat, rye, oats, and corn.The common barley names used in home brewing are 6-row and 2-row.These two types of grain are two different species but are of the same genus.Both 6-row and 2-row are used by commercial breweries.6-row is commonly used by large scale breweries that also use a large amount of adjunct sugars.(For example, a large brewery might use 6-row along with a large amount of rice.)Small craft breweries will use 2-row as adjunct sugar sources are not usually a part of a recipe.

6-row makes up the majority of barley grown in the US.6-row is approximately 80% of the US production, and 2-row 20%.6-row is much thinner than 2-row and has a higher protein rate than 2-row. This high protein rate in 6-row is what makes this species more attractive to breweries that include adjunct cereals like rice in a brewing recipe.6-row’s higher amount of enzymes helps break down the starch in the adjuncts.It is important to consider these characteristics of each species when deciding on what grains to use in your home brew recipe.

If your recipe calls for the use of rice, corn, rye, etc…then consider the use of 6-row.If your recipe is entirely made up of malted barley then you should select 2-row.

This short article was meant to be an intro to malting.In a future post I will be explaining the biochemistry of malted barley and the malting process.