Along with water, hops, and yeast, grain is one of the basic ingredients of beer, as well as braggot (a specialty mead). The most common type of grain used in brewing is barley, but other grains may be used. Ordinarily most or all of the grain used in brewing is malted in order to create the enzymes needed to convert the grain's starches to sugars. However, some types of unmalted grain may also be used in brewing.
Brewing grains can be divided into categories in three ways: by the specific of grain used, by the way the grain is prepared for use, or by the way the grain is used in brewing.
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Grains Used in Brewing
Barley
Barley is the most common grain used in brewing beer. The grist of most beer is made up primarily or entirely of malted barley.
Unmalted barley is also used in some beers, usually in its roasted form.
Wheat
Wheat is probably the second most common grain used in brewing. It appears in many traditional European beer styles, often in lighter, summery beers, where it adds a unique character to the beer.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a common
Rye
Rye is a less common but still traditional brewing ingredient.
Maize (Corn)
Maize (called "corn" in the United States) is a common and traditional ingredient in many lighter British and American beers. It is usually used flaked or in the form of grits rather than as a malt.
Rice
Rice is used as an ingredient in many American and Asian lagers. It is usually used unmalted, and is prized by brewers for the clean, neutral flavor it contributes to beer. Rice hulls are sometimes used separately in the mash, where they help prevent a stuck mash without contributing anything to the wort.
Other Grains
Homebrewers will try just about anything, and beers can and may be made with other kinds of grain, such as amaranth, qinoa, millet, or spelt. However, the use of these less common grains in brewing is limited, since they are usually not available to homebrewers in malted forms.
Processes for Preparing Grain for Brewing
In some cases, grain is simply used in its whole, natural state. However, more commonly, the grains used are prepared for use by using one or more processes designed to create specific flavors or chemical compositions.
Malting
Most grain used in brewing is malted, which is a process of allowing grain to germinate, then heating it to stop the germination and create a shelf-stable product. After the basic malting process, grain may be subjected to one or more specialized processes to change its character or chemical composition, including kilning, crystallization (also known as stewing), or roasting.
Roasting
Unmalted roasted grain, such as roasted barley, is sometimes used to add a distinctive roasted flavor to a beer.
Smoking or Peating
Smoked or peated malts, usually barley, are used to give a smoky flavor to beers.
Processes specific to unmalted grain
Some unmalted grain, such as unmalted barley, wheat, and maize, is prepared for being used in brewing using special processes which can include flaking, torrification, micronization, or the preparation of grits or grain syrup.
Use of Grains in Brewing
The most important distinction between different types of grain, from a homebrewer's perspective, is how and when they can be used in brewing. Some types of grain may simply be steeped in water to extract its sugars; others must be used in a mash, and a few require special treatment beyond mashing.
Base Malts
Base malts are malted grains which, because of the way they are processed, contain enough enzymes to convert their own starches to sugar. They will make up the majority of almost every grist. This category includes not only basic pale ale malt, six-row malt, and other mildly flavored malts, but also high-kilned malts such as Vienna malt and Munich malt which are capable of self-conversion.
Mash-tun specialty grains
Mash-tun specialty grains are grains which are unmalted or have been treated in such a way that they have no diastatic power, but which still contain a significant amount of starch. These grains must be mashed together with base malt so that the diastatic power of the base malt will convert their starches to sugar.
Kettle specialty grains
Kettle specialty grains are malted grains which have been treated in such a way that their starches have already been converted to sugars, or from which no starch can be extracted. These are the only grains that may be steeped for use in a malt extract beer where no mash is performed. This category includes crystal malt, roasted barley, and dark roasted malts such as chocolate malt.
Special process grains
A few forms of non-barley grain, such as grits, need to undergo additional processing in the brewery before they can be added to the mash or to the kettle. These are rarely used by homebrewers.
