Malted Grains for Home Brewing

Shop malted grains for home brewing, including base malt, crystal and speciality malt, wheat malt, roasted malt and flaked brewing grains. Choose whole grain for milling at home or crushed grain when you want it ready for the mash.

Buy Malted Grains for Home Brewing

Malt supplies the fermentable sugars used to make beer and contributes flavour, colour, aroma and body. Most all-grain recipes use a large proportion of base malt supported by smaller amounts of speciality grain.

• Base malt: the main source of fermentable extract in most recipes. Options include Maris Otter, pale ale, lager, Pilsner, Vienna and Munich malts.
• Crystal and caramel malt: adds colour, sweetness, body and caramel or toffee character, depending on the malt and quantity used.
• Roasted malt and grain: contributes darker colour and flavours ranging from toast and cocoa to coffee and roast.
• Wheat and flaked grains: can influence head retention, body, haze and grain character when used in a suitable recipe.

Follow a tested recipe when choosing quantities. Malts with similar names can differ in colour and flavour between maltsters, so check the individual product specification rather than substituting purely by name.

Choosing Malt for Different Beer Styles

• Pale ales and bitters: commonly begin with pale ale or Maris Otter malt, with crystal or speciality malt used where the recipe requires more colour and malt character.
• Lagers and Pilsners: typically use pale lager or Pilsner malt as the base, sometimes supported by Vienna or Munich malt.
• IPAs: generally need a clean base malt that supports the hops without making the beer overly sweet.
• Stouts and porters: usually combine a pale base with measured additions of roasted barley, chocolate malt, black malt or dark crystal malt.
• Wheat beers: use wheat malt alongside a suitable barley base malt according to the recipe.

These are general starting points, not fixed rules. The recipe, malt colour and intended strength determine the correct grain bill.

Whole or Crushed Brewing Malt?

Whole malt stores well when kept cool, dry and airtight, but it must be milled before mashing. Crushed malt is convenient and ready to use, although it is best kept sealed and used reasonably fresh.

The crush should expose the inside of the grain while retaining enough husk material to support lautering. Do not grind malt into fine flour unless the brewing system or recipe specifically requires it.

Malted Grain, Malt Extract or Beer Kits?

Malted grain is mashed in water at controlled temperatures to extract fermentable sugars. Malt extract has already been mashed and concentrated, making it suitable for extract brewing. A beer kit provides an even simpler route because its malt extract is normally already balanced and hopped.

For a complete grain recipe, browse our all-grain beer kits. You can also find suitable systems and mash equipment in all-grain brewing equipment, then complete your recipe with brewing hops and beer yeast.

Malted Grain FAQs

What is malted grain?

Malted grain is cereal grain that has been allowed to germinate under controlled conditions and then dried. This develops the enzymes and characteristics required for brewing.

Does base malt need to be mashed?

Yes. Base malt normally needs to be mashed so its enzymes can convert starch into fermentable sugars. Follow the mash schedule in your recipe.

Can I add speciality grain to a beer kit?

Only when following a suitable recipe. Some speciality grains can be steeped to add colour or flavour, but base malt requires a proper mash and not every beer kit benefits from extra grain.

How should brewing malt be stored?

Keep it sealed in a cool, dry place away from moisture, pests and strong odours. Whole grain generally keeps its quality longer than crushed grain.