Since 1870 we’ve lived and breathed malting. With this passion and expertise, and by combining traditional and modern techniques, we create an impressive range of malted and non-malted products, including several unique and exclusive barley malts.
There is nothing more we love than talking to brewers and distillers so if you have any questions, or would like to arrange a call with a member of our team, please feel free to get in touch – we would love to hear from you!
Introducing Chit Malt; initially launched as a Small Batch product, it is now available in our Speciality Malts collection.
Raw barley can be useful, but chit malt is something else! Scroll down for a summary of the usage and benefits. First, a bit more of an explanation.
‘Chits’ are the small white sprouts that emerge from the raw grain when it’s had enough water to start the process of germination. Generally, in malting, the grain would be steeped long enough for the chits to grow into longer rootlets which would be shaken off during and after kilning. But with chit malt, the grain is grabbed for kilning before those sprouts have reached a significant length.
So, Chit Malt is a highly functional malt that’s undergone very short germination, resulting in a barely (not to be confused with barley – though it’s that too!) malted brewing ingredient.
With the relatively short steeping, Chit Malt is very hard – but the good news is, it’s highly friable. This means that the grains break apart easily in the mill. So, unlike with raw grain, you don’t need to use a separate hammer mill or any other specialist equipment prior to normal milling. And if you would like to receive your Chit Malt ready milled, of course, we can help…
Chit Malt has a high level of starter enzymes which support the conversion of starch into soluble sugars. And the high friability leads to the production of a fine grist, which of course supports solubility and increases yields. Result.
Additionally, similar to raw grain, there is a large proportion of ‘high molecular weight proteins’ – and these enhance foam and head retention and improve mouthfeel.
Chit Malt can introduce a bit of haze and provide haze stability in intentionally hazy beers. It also helps reduce sweetness and increases crispness. The incredibly low colour means you won’t end up inadvertently changing the colour of your beer.
In summary, Chit Malt;
Use Chit Malt at up to 10% the grist.
Pair with Naked Oat Malt, Wheat Malt, and Cara Gold Malt for the ultimate hazy beer.
You can absolutely use Chit Malt to enhance all beers, but we have found it to be the go-to addition for lagers, especially, helping to create a stable foam with a crisp finish taking them to the next level.
It’s high in beta-glucans (because the germination period when beta-glucans are reduced is short) – with levels around 500ppm. So, if your brew is destined for sterile filtration, it would be wise to use beta glucanase in the mash to extend the life of the membrane filter.
We’d love to hear from you about what you’ve brewed with Chit Malt, or what you plan to brew with Chit Malt! Happy Brewing.
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