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Explore the Different Types of Malt with Jean-Louis Dourcy

Malting is a process of drying germinated cereal grain. Germination happens by soaking the grain in enough water and the process is halted by drying them in sunlight or hot air. Malted grain is often used in the process of making beer. And when it comes to malting, as they say, experts know it all. Castle Malting, one of the leading malt suppliers in Belgium, offers a wide variety of base as well as specialty malts. These are of the highest quality and can be used in brewing beer of any style, from Pilsen to White and even any organic beer forms.
Jean-Louis Dourcy, General Manager at Castle Malting, briefs us about the different types of malts.

  1. Château Pilsen 2RS
  2. Château Melano Light
  3. Château Vienna
  4. Château Biscuit
  5. Château Buckwheat Malt
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  1. Château Pilsen 2RS- This is one of the light coloured Belgian malts that is made from the finest European spring malting barley variety. This malt is kilned at 80-85 degrees Celsius. It is perfectly suited for single-step infusion or even for decoction machine. It has a strong sweet malt flavour and can be used as a base malt because of the sufficient enzymatic power that it contains. Jean-Louis Dourcy suggests that this malt can be used for all beer types. It can, in fact, be used for 100% pale beer varieties. Care instructions include storage in a clean, cool and dry area. 
     
  2. Château Melano Light- According to the Jean-Louis Dourcy Review it is also known as Belgian Melanoidin malt. It has a special germination process and is kilned in a different manner at 130 degrees Celsius. This malt has to be slowly dried as the temperature rises. It is aromatic and has an intense malty flavour. It is known to give fullness and roundness to the beer colour, almost promoting the red colour of beer. Jean-Louis Dourcy review suggests using this malt for amber and dark beer variants, even Scottish type and red coloured beer varieties. Carrying a shelf life of 18-24 months, this malt has to be stored in a clean and dry place. 
     
  3. Château Vienna- Also known as Belgian Vienna base malt, Chateau Vienna is lightly kilned at 85-90 degrees Celsius. It has a rich flavour of malt and carries a subtle aroma of caramel as well as toffee. It is known to give a deep golden colour to beer and helps in increasing the body and fullness of beer. It can be used for brewing all kinds of beer and especially to enhance the aroma and colour of light beer. 
     
  4. Château Biscuit- An interesting variety to try, this one is unique and a special Belgian malt. Chronique de Jean-Louis Dourcy states that this malt tends to produce a very unique ‘toasty’ flavour in the beer. It has a warm bread and biscuit flavour and aroma. It tends to promote warm brown colour in the beer variant. This can be used with all kinds of beer with about a 24% mix. It is usually used to enhance the roasted flavour and give subtle characteristics of chocolate malt.

One can follow Chronique de Jean-Louis Dourcy Blog to finds the different varieties of malts that are offered by them. Some of them are unique and of high quality. When it comes to Chronique de Jean-Louis Dourcy, the amount of knowledge and information is immense in the field of malts.