Malt
Six-row malt
A high-enzyme American base malt whose surplus diastatic power lets it convert large proportions of maize or rice.
What it does
Base malt. Fully modified, gently kilned malt with enough enzyme activity to convert itself and some adjunct. Forms the bulk of a grist.
Six-row barley carries more protein and considerably more diastatic power than two-row, at the cost of a thicker husk and a grainier flavour.
Specification
| Colour | 2–3°L |
|---|---|
| Grain | barley |
| Enzyme activity | high |
| Fermentability | high |
| Typical share of grist | 40–80% |
| Flavour | grainy, slightly husky |
The high husk proportion raises the risk of tannin extraction, so pH and sparge control matter more than with two-row.
Substitutes
- Pale ale malt — Two-row alternative; less enzyme surplus for adjuncts.
Used in
- American lager
A very light, highly attenuated pale lager brewed with a substantial proportion of maize or rice, prioritising drinkability and cold service.
- Pre-Prohibition lager
A reconstruction of the American lager brewed before Prohibition: fuller, more bitter and more characterful than what replaced it.
- Kentucky Common
A quick-turnaround dark American beer brewed largely from maize, often lightly soured, extinct since Prohibition.