The following parameters are used to characterise and describe a malt product. Firstly, the ingredients of the malt flour/malt product are listed. The product description provides an indication of how the use of the malt product influences the baked goods’ properties.
Enzyme activity is indicated by the SKB units. To get an idea of how the crumb is influenced by the use of the respective malt product, the baked goods crumb is illustrated with different dosages of malt.
The aroma graph describes the influence on aroma and taste when using the malt product. The characteristics of the aroma are described as Malty, Honey, Spicy, Sour, Caramel and Roasted.
The EBC value (European Brewery Convention) describes the colour depth of a mash and is primarily used to measure colour in beer production. It is determined by visual comparison with defined colour discs or photometric measurement and indicates the extent to which a clarified mash absorbs light, regardless of the colour shade. The method used to determine the EBC values depends on the product in question. In the case of malt flours, this EBC value can be determined for their mash, but a direct transfer to the colour depth or the colour shade of malt flours/coarse malt in doughs/baked goods is only possible to a limited extent. Here, other influencing variables such as granulation and water solubility determine the visual effect. The effect of malt flours/coarse malt on the baked goods crumb can vary with the same EBC values. In the case of liquid malt extracts, the EBC value of the extract is determined directly, which makes it appear significantly higher compared to malt flours, from which a mash must be prepared first, and is therefore not directly comparable. The following figure shows an example of the characterisation of spelt caramel malt flour.
