COMPARATIVE MALTING PERFORMANCE OF OLD AND NEW BARLEY VARIETIES

Abstract

A comparison was made of the malting behaviour of eight barley varieties representing a range from ancient to modern types. Plants were grown under controlled conditions in a glasshouse with two different nitrogen treatments and the grain obtained was subjected to a factorial micro‐malting analysis. Under the conditions of this experiment there was little evidence of an improvement in malting ability between Plumage Archer and Ark Royal and there is limited scope for further increases in potential hot water extract. It would therefore appear that emphasis should now be given to the production of varieties with good agronomic characteristics which maintain this potential and modify rapidly without the need for abrasion and exogenous GA3. 1978 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling