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The Malting of Barley

Malting Floor of the Glendronach Distillery

Alcohol is made by fermentation of sugar. The barley corn contains only starch in the beginning. Starch is a multiple sugar seen from a chemical point of view (Chains of single sugar molecules). To release the sugar you have to cut the starch by fermentation into sugars (Maltose - Malt sugar). You steep the starch in the classical way and spread it for germination on the so called malting floors. If the barley contains 45% of water, the conversion of starch to sugar is performed best. The barley has to be turned over in exact time intervals, for letting the single corns germinate equally. The germination takes approximately five days. To the most famous distilleries, which germinate themselves, belong: Bowmore, Highland Park, Laphroaig, Springbank and Tamdhu.

The Kiln of Glen Garioch

If the barley corn has opened and the sprout grew to 2/3 of the length of the corn, the starch has also converted to sugar. The germination is interrupted by placing the wet malt on a grid in the kiln and heating it from below. The drying is stopped at 4% humidity. At this place the future whisky also gets an important part of his later taste. If you add peat to the drying fire, the malt picks up his peaty character. The evaporated steam is lead away through the pagoda shaped kiln roofs.

The Fermentation - Back to the Beginning