In the final instalment of The Fab Four series, Martin sits down with Ben Saward and Simon Whittington from Muntons, one of the UK’s most respected maltsters, to unpack everything about malt, from steeping and germination to kilning, consistency, sustainability, and how malt shapes beer styles.
Whether you're a commercial brewer, homebrewer, or simply a beer geek who loves diving into the science, this episode takes you deeper into malt than ever before. Ben and Simon share a century of Muntons’ expertise, discussing:
– How malt is made and what really happens in steeping, germination & kilning
– The differences between base malts, specialty malts, adjuncts & roasted malts
– The challenges of the 2025 barley harvest and the reality of UK farming conditions
– Sustainable malting, regenerative agriculture & Muntons’ carbon-focused future
– How malt extract helps with consistency, efficiency, and high ABV brewing
– Why kernel size, nitrogen, modification & milling matter more than most brewers realise
This episode is packed with practical knowledge, industry insight, and forward-thinking innovation, perfect for brewers looking to improve quality, efficiency, and sustainability in their beer.
Muntons Homebrewing Supplies: https://www.muntons.com/home-brewing-supplies/
Muntons History: https://www.muntons.com/history/
Buy UK independent beer: https://thebeerrep.com
(20% off your first order of individually added cans)
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - 00:52 Welcome & Introduction
00:53 - 02:23 A quick history of Muntons
02:24 - 06:23 What malt extract is & how brewers use it
06:24 - 18:31 Breaking down steeping, germination & kilning
18:32 - 25:08 The mashing process explained
25:09 - 28:38 Base, specialty, adjuncts & roasted malts explained
28:39 - 34:27 Weather challenges & the 2025 barley harvest
34:28 - 40:30 Sustainability, anaerobic digestion & biomass
40:31 - 46:57 Muntons’ new innovations & research brewing
46:58 - 52:12 Navigating no and low alcohol beers
52:13 - 54:44 What brewers can expect from Muntons in the future
54:45 - Wrap up and outro
