Malting Barley
Brewing-grade two-row barley by germination, protein and plumpness
Malting barley is a seed, not a feed, and it is bought on whether it will sprout evenly in the maltster's steep. Germination energy of 95% minimum (98% for premium lots) and germinative capacity of 98% come first, measured within days of sampling because both fall in storage; then protein in a narrow window, 9.5–11.5% dry basis for brewing, because too little starves the yeast of amino nitrogen and too much lowers extract and clouds the beer. Plumpness, 90% minimum retained over a 2.5 mm slotted screen (85% for six-row), decides how much extract a tonne yields; moisture 12.5% max, skinned and broken kernels under 5%, pre-germination nil, varietal purity 95% or better on a named variety the maltster has trialled, and no fusarium or pink kernels. The variety matters as much as the numbers: a maltster buys Spartacus, Planet, Commander, Copeland or Synergy by name and specification, and a barley that misses the germination or protein window becomes feed barley overnight at a discount of USD 30–60/MT. UN Comtrade 2025 export declarations under HS 1003, which cover malting and feed grades together, place Australia at 8.94 million MT at an average USD 242/MT, Canada at 2.42 million MT at USD 246 and Argentina at 2.75 million MT at USD 226. Australia's own 2025 destination list separates the malting trade from the feed trade by price and partner: China 6.52 million MT at USD 239/MT (a mix of both), Japan 0.54 million MT at USD 246, Mexico 0.32 million MT at USD 277, Viet Nam 0.22 million MT at USD 255, Peru 0.10 million MT at USD 255 and Singapore 0.03 million MT at USD 328 — the Mexican, Vietnamese, Peruvian and Singapore premiums over the Saudi feed price of USD 233 being the malting premium, paid by brewers.
The buyer is a maltster or a brewery with its own malthouse, in China, Japan, Viet Nam, Mexico, Latin America, East Africa or the Middle East, and the enquiry starts with the variety list the malthouse has approved and the protein and germination window it runs to. A lot that arrives at 12% protein and 93% germination is not a small miss; it is a different product. CBIL is a commodity brokerage company and brokers malting barley from Australian, Canadian, Argentine and European exporters and trader positions against SGS or Intertek certification of germination energy and capacity, protein, screenings, moisture, varietal identity and mycotoxin screening, with samples sent ahead for the maltster's own micro-malting test where the tonnage warrants it. Parcels run from Handysize (25–35,000 MT) for a single malthouse to Supramax for a Chinese or Vietnamese group on FOB, CFR and CIF terms, and because CBIL also runs a chartering desk (LaycanDesk), freight can be quoted alongside the cargo. Send your approved varieties, protein window, germination floor and discharge port and we will work the crop to it.
Need the ship as well? Our chartering desk prices Danube and Black Sea coaster freight on LaycanDesk.
Indicative reference
$240–300 USD / MT
as at September 2026
Reference level only — not an offer, and reviewed quarterly. Levels shown are as at September 2026. Firm pricing is quoted per RFQ, subject to volume, terms and inspection.
Typical Specification
Specifications are indicative and adjusted to the agreed contract and destination requirements. Final spec confirmed on COA / SGS.
Available Grades
Applications
- Brewing malt (lager & ale)
- Distilling malt
- Food malt & malt extract
- Seed multiplication under licence
- Downgraded lots into feed
Category
Agriculture & Fertilizers
Incoterms
FOB · CFR · CIF
Pricing basis
USD / MT
Inspection
SGS / Intertek at load port
Malting Barley — buyer questions
What germination figure should I write into the contract?
Germination energy 95% minimum in the 4 ml test, and germinative capacity 98% minimum, both tested within a defined number of days before loading, because both decline in storage and in transit through hot climates. Premium contracts ask 98% energy. Write in the test method (EBC or ASBC) and the sampling point; a lot that germinates at 93% is feed barley, and the discount for it should be agreed before the vessel sails, not after.
Why does protein matter so much in malting barley?
Because it sets the extract and the beer. Below about 9.5% there is too little soluble nitrogen to feed the yeast and the malt modifies unevenly; above 11.5–12% the kernel is dense, extract per tonne falls and the beer is prone to haze. Brewers running high-adjunct lager recipes accept protein at the top of the window because the adjunct dilutes it; all-malt and craft brewers hold to the bottom. Tell us which recipe the malt is for and we specify the window with the crop.
Can I buy on specification alone, without naming a variety?
You can, but most maltsters do not, because two varieties that meet the same sheet can modify differently in the steep and kiln. Australian lots are sold on the approved malting variety list for the state of origin and the variety is declared; Canadian Select CW is variety-declared; European lots name the variety on the contract. Send us your approved list and we offer within it; if you are opening a new origin, we can arrange a sample for your own micro-malting test before the tonnage is fixed.
What parcel sizes do you work for malting barley?
Handysize 25–35,000 MT is the normal lot for a single malthouse or a Latin American brewer; Supramax 50–55,000 MT for a Chinese or Vietnamese malting group; containerised bulk or bagged for trial shipments and East African breweries taking 1–3,000 MT. On FOB, CFR and CIF terms. Because CBIL also runs a chartering desk, the freight leg can be quoted with the cargo so the delivered price is on one sheet.
Ready to source Malting Barley?
Send your quantity, specification, preferred Incoterms and destination port. We'll verify supply and respond with a workable offer — usually within one business day.
Have Malting Barley to sell? Submit an offer — we'll match it against live buyer demand.