Malt
Brown malt
A traditional dark British malt giving dry toast and coffee character, central to historic porter.
What it does
Roasted malt or grain. Taken to high temperature in a roasting drum for coffee, chocolate and burnt character. No enzyme activity; used in small proportions.
Historically the main colouring malt of London porter, produced over a wood fire. Modern brown malt is drum-roasted and is a substantially different product from the eighteenth-century original.
Specification
| Colour | 50–75°L |
|---|---|
| Grain | barley |
| Enzyme activity | none — needs a base malt to convert it. |
| Fermentability | low |
| Typical share of grist | 3–15% |
| Flavour | dry toast, coffee, burnt bread |