BLOG

Last time, we saw how important farmers are for The Swaen. It all starts with the right grain. Now we will take a look at the next chapter in malting – steeping.

First, we need to allow the grain to rest. It will be stored and dried for a few weeks. We also make sure the grain is clean and all excess material is removed. Don’t worry, we don’t throw anything away – the collected product is used as animal feed.

Now the grain is finally ready to go through the malting process. The first step is called steeping. This means the grain will be soaked in big tanks full of water to increase the moisture content. Here it is moved around to make sure every kernel reaches its ultimate potential.

Just soaking the grain isn’t enough though, there need to be dry periodes in between. Otherwise, you would simple drown its potential. While it seems that water is the main component here, the right amount of oxygen is just as important. It allows the grain to breathe.

Steeping will awaken the enzymes needed for brewing beer or distilling whisky. This part of the process usually takes between one to two days. When the right moisture content is reached, the grain is ready to germinate. It will be transported to one of our germination boxes. But that is a story for another time…