What does malting mean?
Malting is the process of preparing grain, especially barley, for use in brewing, distilling, and food production. The grain is soaked in water so that it begins to germinate, then it is dried with heat, a stage known as kilning, to halt further growth. The resulting malt provides sugars and enzymes that help convert other grains into fermentable sugars and contribute flavour, colour, and texture to products such as beer and whisky. The word can also refer to a malting house or maltings, a facility where the process is performed. In combinations such as malting barley and malting equipment, malting acts as an adjective. The term is used in Britain, the United States, and other English-speaking regions where brewing, distilling, or malting industries are established. It is technical in industrial contexts but readily understood when discussing the transformation of grain into malt.
The process of converting grain, especially barley, into malt by soaking, germinating, and drying it.
"The quality of the beer depends partly on careful malting."
Usually uncountable when referring to the process.
A building or facility where malt is produced.
"They visited a traditional malting in the town."
Usually used in the plural form maltings for such facilities.
Relating to the production of malt or to grain prepared for malting.
"The farmer grows malting barley for local breweries."
Common chiefly in technical and agricultural combinations.
The plural is used mainly for buildings or facilities where malt is produced. The process itself is generally uncountable.
"Historic maltings can often be found in old brewing towns."
Malting is the hidden transformation that turns ordinary barley into the ingredient behind beer, whisky, and many foods.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of malting
Malting derives from the older noun malt, with the ending -ing denoting an activity or process. Malt itself comes from Old English malt, which was borrowed from Proto-Germanic *maltiz and ultimately from Latin maltum. The related word malster refers to a person or business that makes malt, while maltings names buildings or facilities used for malting. The modern industrial process developed from traditional methods of soaking, germinating, and drying grain.
Related word forms
How malting is actually used
As a noun, malting is usually uncountable when referring to the process and countable in the plural form maltings when referring to facilities. As an adjective, it commonly occurs in phrases such as malting barley.
Easily confused with malting
Malting is the germination and drying of grain to produce malt, whereas mating refers to the process of producing offspring or to the fitting together of components.