Barley

Australian barley for malting and brewing

Australian malting barley is in high demand for beer production and for the distillation of spirits such as malt whiskey and Japanese shochu.

Australian malting barley varieties are versatile and suit a variety of processing requirements and beer styles.

With a high germination rate and uniform malting characteristics, Australian barley produces malt with an excellent level of extract and a range of enzyme levels to suit different beers and other end-products.

What is malting barley?

Malted barley is produced by soaking barley grains in water until they germinate and begin to sprout a new plant. The grains are then quickly dried in hot air (kilned) to stop the germination process.

This process, known as malting, causes chemical reactions which create the enzymes and sugars needed for the brewing process.

Malt is a crucial ingredient in beer production and is also used as a food ingredient.

Australian barley for animal feed

Australian barley is well suited for animal feed, including all types of poultry, dairy, pigs, sheep and goats.

Australian feed barley is very low in mycotoxin contamination with good nutritional attributes and energy content.

Australian barley has higher fibre than some other feed grains, which can be beneficial for gut development and function.

Australian barley production

Australia produces on average 12mmt of barley across 4.8 million hectares. 30–40% is delivered as malting barley, with the remainder used for animal feed or human consumption.

Australian barley growers operate in one of the cleanest environments in the world, using state of the art farming techniques to produce clean, dry, high quality barley that meets customer requirements.

Western Australia is the largest barley producing state, followed by Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.

Australian barley exports

Australian barley has an excellent reputation globally for malt production, mostly for beer brewing and distilling, and is in high demand for animal feed. Major markets for Australian barley include China, the Middle East, Japan and there are potential markets emerging in the Americas.

Between 55-70% of Australia’s total barley production is exported each year.

Australian barley: quality assured from farm to customer

Australian grain breeding organisations continue to develop new barley varieties that are high yielding, agronomically well-adapted and have specific malting and brewing qualities that meet customer requirements.

New malting barley varieties in Australia undergo a rigorous evaluation process before they gain accreditation and classification, including malting and brewing quality, agronomic performance and disease resistance. Varieties are then appraised for commercial processing capabilities.

Grains Australia sets the accreditation standards and manages Australia’s malting barley evaluation process.

Grains Australia manages classification, market access, market insights and market education on behalf of the Australian barley industry.

Grain Trade Australia is the organisation that defines the Code of Practice and the Trading Standards that guide quality specifications.

Supporting customers of Australian barley

In collaboration with the Australian barley industry, AEGIC conducts in-market and laboratory research to ensure the Australian industry understands and can meet customer requirements.

AEGIC helps Australian breeding companies by performing quality testing on upcoming grain varieties to ensure they meet customer needs. AEGIC’s barley scientists developed an innovative “MultiMalter”, a new prototype device which can test multiple malting protocols at once. This new technology will speed up the classification of new barley varieties and will help customers adapt to new varieties faster.

AEGIC provides technical support and education to customers across the world on the benefits of Australian barley for malting and animal feed. AEGIC’s virtual and in-person seminars are very popular with customers seeking updates on the current barley harvest and how to optimise the value of Australian barley.