Whether you brew professionally or at home, malt is a central and critical component (but often underestimated). Its quality directly affects the flavour, aroma and yield of the beer. That is why the choice between fresh malt and malt that was crushed long ago is decisive for the quality of the finished brew.
Malt provides the essential sugars needed for fermentation. The enzymes in the malt play an important role in converting the starch in the grain into these sugars. Fresh malt retains its enzymes and essential oils better than malt that has been crushed and stored for a long time, resulting in a more efficient sugar yield and richer flavour.
When malt is crushed, a process starts in which the quality can begin to deteriorate due to oxidation. This can lead to a loss of flavour and aroma. Fresh malt, especially if it is crushed just before brewing, minimises this risk and ensures that all the desired flavour characteristics and properties are preserved in the finished beer.
As a homebrew shop, Brewshop therefore recognises the value of offering fresh malt, and offers crushing at the time you buy the malt. This of course also applies to all-grain beer kits. The malt in our beer kits is always stored whole/uncrushed, and we only crush it if you choose crushed malt when you place your order in the online shop. The choice of ingredients and their quality has a major impact on the result of brewing, whether it is malt, hops, yeast or water. Fresh malt is not just a preference, but a key component in achieving a high-quality brew. The very best option is of course to have your own malt mill. Then you get the malt crushed exactly the way you want, and you are guaranteed to have it freshly crushed on brew day itself.
As a homebrewer you should be just as critical of your ingredients as a brewery, since everyone wants the best possible beer after many hours and weeks of work on a batch. So keep this in mind the next time you buy malt and all-grain beer kits, and look for the choice between whole and crushed malt. If you do not have that choice, there is a risk of buying beer kits with malt that was crushed many months ago.
