The Fab Four: Malt With Ben & Simon of Muntons

In the final episode of The Fab Four series, Martin sits down with Ben Saward and Simon Whittington from Muntons to explore the malt that shapes every beer we drink. They break down the malting process of steeping, germination, and kilning, and explain the differences between base malts, specialty malts, roasted malts, and adjuncts.

The conversation dives into brewing science, malt extract, consistency, kernel size, modification, and how malt affects everything from lagers to hazy IPAs. Ben and Simon also talk openly about the challenges of the 2025 barley harvest, sustainability, regenerative farming, and the innovations Muntons are developing for malt extract.

Whether you’re a pro brewer, an ambitious homebrewer, or simply a beer lover wanting to understand what’s in your glass, this episode is packed with knowledge and practical insight.

Topics include:
• How malt is made and why it matters
• Base vs specialty malts and when to use each
• The impact of weather and farming on barley quality
• Sustainable malting and regenerative agriculture
• Using malt extract for consistency and efficiency
• Innovations in low/no-alcohol brewing

A brilliant finish to The Fab Four series and essential listening for anyone in the beer world.

Muntons Homebrewing Supplies: https://www.muntons.com/home-brewing-supplies/

Muntons History: https://www.muntons.com/history/

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome & Introduction
• 0:53 A quick history of Muntons
• 2:24 What malt extract is & how brewers use it
• 6:24 Breaking down steeping, germination & kilning
• 18:32 The mashing process explained
• 25:09 Base, specialty, adjuncts & roasted malts explained
• 28:39 Weather challenges & the 2025 barley harvest
• 34:28 Sustainability, anaerobic digestion & biomass
• 40:31 Muntons’ new innovations & research brewing
• 46:58 Navigating no and low alcohol beers
• 52:13 What brewers can expect from Muntons in the future
• 54:45 Wrap up and outro