Brewing Series #1: Malt
This series will educate and illustrate regarding some of the basics of brewing—an art practiced by millions of homebrewers and more than 8,000 small breweries in the US.
This first cache covers malt—the most fundamental ingredient of beer. Malt is a sprouted seed, usually made from barley or wheat, used in brewing. At the end of malting, the grain is dried and lightly toasted on a kiln. This toasting accounts for the basic flavor of beer. Variations in kilning create different colors and flavors in malt. Those who find this cache will see four different types of malt: Pilsner malt, wheat malt, Munich malt, and black patent malt. By combining various types of malt, brewers control the flavor and color of the finished beer.
During brewing, the malt is crushed and then mixed with hot water. Enzymes from the barley (or wheat) convert the malt’s starchy endosperm into sugar which dissolves in the water to form “wort” which will soon be fermented to create beer. When you are near a brewery, you’ll sometimes smell the sweet toasty aroma of the boiling wort.
Cache is a 6-ounce Lock’n’lock container. Should be an easy find. If I see some DNFs, I’ll post a hint.