What is the difference between a malting barley variety and a feed variety?
Barley malt is the perfect combination of starch, enzymes, flavors, and aromas for brewing, distilling, baked goods, cereals and confections. There are many types of barley malt – from light to dark – but all are produced by variations on two principal themes: germination and kilning. Different end-uses require different malt quality specifications. There are rigorous certification processes to certify that varieties are suitable for malting. Some of the principal characteristics used to define malting quality are protein (low, moderate, or high), malt extract (high) , enzyme activity (moderate to high), and beta glucan (low). In general, malt barley commands a premium over feed barley, but yield less. Feed barley is food for animals. Extensive research has documented that varieties differ in their feeding properties and that some varieties are excellent feed for ruminant and non-ruminant animals. Be careful with barley and chickens, unless you want to deal with “sticky droppings”. Unf
