Often playing second fiddle to hops in the minds of craft beer drinkers, malt is the backbone of beer: "No barley, no beer." Malt defines the color, flavor, body, and alcohol of beer and has been cultivated for nearly as long as agriculture has existed. In this book, author John Mallett explains why he feels a book on malt is necessary, taking the reader on a brief history of malting from the earliest records of bappir through to the Middle Ages...