Kilning

Kilning. (kil[n]'-ing)

The process of heat-drying malted barley in a kiln to stop germination and to produce a dry, easily milled malt from which the brittle rootlets are easily removed. Kilning also removes the raw flavor (or green-malt flavor) associated with germinating barley, and new aromas, flavors, and colors develop according to the intensity and duration of the kilning process. Kilning results in a loss of about 30-60 percent of the enzyme activity in the malt itself. Kilning is carried out in stages: a drying phase to about 10 percent moisture (called hand-dry malt) at 113-122 degrees F (45-50 degrees C) or less followed by a curing phase at 176-230 degrees F (80-110 degrees C) or higher when the moisture content is reduced to about 6 percent or, as in ale brewing, to about 2 percent. The temperature also affects the color of the malt husks and, consequently, the color of the beer. Pale-hued mild-tasting beers are produced by removing the malted barley immediately after drying whereas darker, stronger beers require a longer drying period at higher temperatures.

Syn: drying

See also: melanoidins