What is the purpose of the kilning process in brewing?

The kilning process in brewing primarily serves to end germination in malt production. During the malting process, barley grains are soaked in water to allow them to germinate. This germination activates enzymes that convert starches into fermentable sugars, which are essential for brewing. However, once the desired level of germination is achieved, it is crucial to halt this process to prevent overgrowth and to stabilize the enzymes for brewing use.

Kilning involves heating the germinated barley to dry it and stop further enzymatic activity. It also develops the malt's flavor and color characteristics, but fundamentally, the primary role is to ensure that germination does not progress beyond the desired point.

While kilning does impact color and can affect flavors produced in the malt, those are secondary outcomes. The process does not initiate fermentation or increase moisture content, as both would be counterproductive to the brewing process. Thus, ending germination is a critical function of kilning, ensuring the malt is prepared properly for brewing.